Restore only part of iOS backup

My son accidentally deleted an app on an iPad, which also deleted the files for that app. Is there a way to restore only that app's files from a backup without having to restore the entire device?

iPad Pro, iPadOS 17

Posted on Aug 19, 2024 7:36 PM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Aug 19, 2024 7:40 PM

Unfortunately, if you load your device from a backup, everything in that backup will be restored. There is no current way to restore just one app’s data. You may be able to contact the App Developers or team and see if they have saved data or restore your app data from their system.


Restore your iPad from a backup ⇢ Restore your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch from a backup - Apple Support


7 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Aug 19, 2024 7:40 PM in response to Scott F

Unfortunately, if you load your device from a backup, everything in that backup will be restored. There is no current way to restore just one app’s data. You may be able to contact the App Developers or team and see if they have saved data or restore your app data from their system.


Restore your iPad from a backup ⇢ Restore your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch from a backup - Apple Support


Aug 21, 2024 10:45 AM in response to Scott F

Scott F wrote:

The app is Panels, a comic viewer. Most of the comics on his iPad are also in a library on my computer, but not all of them were on his device for space reasons and to make navigation easier. Now I have no record of which comics he had so he needs to get me a list.

I'd suggest you contact the developer of the app for more information. They might have some suggestions.

Aug 19, 2024 8:00 PM in response to Scott F

Unfortunately yes, but if you have a very recent backup close to the deletion of that iPad app, it may be worth a try. Only if this app of yours is really important to you, either than that, don’t bother. To prevent this next time, you can turn on in Content and Privacy Restrictions disable deleting apps, so your son cannot delete any more. Good luck though. 😉

Aug 20, 2024 9:02 AM in response to Scott F

Scott F wrote:

My son accidentally deleted an app on an iPad, which also deleted the files for that app. Is there a way to restore only that app's files from a backup without having to restore the entire device?

What is the app? There are some apps that don't use iCloud or the iPhone's backup to store their data. For example, I use a journal program that backs up data to the developer's servers. I have some games that offer the option to sync to Facebook.

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Restore only part of iOS backup

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