RESTORE FROM BACKUP does NOT restore everything. WHY APPLE?

You will go a lot further with your attempted help if you would (as an old grad school professor once instructed me), "just answer the question!"

Whereas, in my iPad, "Restore" means, "Restore the OS and all of the apps and music and such that I have given a check mark to".

I can assure you that this small fact is NOT obvious to a new user. And suggesting that a user is some sort of a dummy for not knowing it right out of the box is counterproductive.

I found that double clicking on the "joes ipad" label on the left side of the iTunes screen and then selecting EACH tab along the top in turn and then clicking RESTORE gets things restored.

Hi Allan my iphone broke so my friend gave me his old one so I switched sim cards and restored my friends iphone to my back up but now my back up setting shows on my itunes and when i sync it was sync but then go back to his settings when he had the iphone...it wont restore to my back up. any ideas?

Hey Allan,

I promise not to be rude.

I just need a yes or no because I feel like what I'm reading online at Apple, etc, isn't clear enough.

Does an iPhone backup include the photos taken with the iPhone?

My MacBook deleted my entire previous photo download from my iPhone, and I cleared my phone for space -- so I'm trying to find out if I can restore the pictures I took based on my last iPhone backup.

If you could answer, I'd be greatly appreciative.

Cheers.

Gotta love Apple. There are two pages here explaining how to sync apps on what is supposed to be the most intuitive phone or mp3 player around. I blew out my apps again restoring for the second time in two months (just replaced my broken ipod touch). I guess I will have to read through all the posts to see which hidden buttons I need to check to properly backup my iphone and ipod becuase clicking the "backup" button obviously doesn't work out of the box.

On a side note my daughter is PO'd about losing her Bakery Story App again! at least this time my son broke the ipod and I can only take half the blame.

I will read on and hopefully sync properly from now on and never lose my apps again. '

On a side note Apple..... I know it is intuitive "allegedly" but a few warning messages or maybe an instruction or two would help. It helps reading all these user posts which is great but seriously. Brutal.

The issue here is that Apple is using terminology that makes people think their entire phone is backed up when it's really not. Responders can provide links and say it's a PEBKAC (or is that PEBCAK - probably doesn't matter) issue, but the bottom line is that when people select "Backup", they expect it all to be backed up. This is the company that touts the ease-of-use of its products that "just work." Apple knows good and well that most people don't read manuals and go digging into web site for arcane articles. They should make it clear as to what's happening, but they don't.

Sure, there's a need for some personal responsibility here and taking some time to understand the functionality, but with some different wording, some warning dialogs, etc., Apple could mostly prevent this issue. Again, people can run to Apple's defense and blame the user, but if they are being honest and not doing the fanboy thing, then I think they will realize that this is confusing to users.

Hello

My question, if you would be so kind as to consider it, is as follows:

- I have an enormous itunes library, 90% is rubbish

- 10% I like and want on my iPod, therefore I choose to manually manage my music rather than sync it with my library

- I am soon to receive a new blank iPod as my current one has broken and fortunately is still under warranty.

- I have done a 'backup to this computer' on my old broken Ipod which was successful.

- My question therefore is:
When I plug my new blank iPod into my computer and select a restore from the aforementioned backup file, will itunes remember the manually managed select songs from my library that I choose to place on my previous broken iPod, and transfer them across accordingly?

- ...or will it merely sync the apps, photos, contacts, and omit the music, thereby requiring me to sift through all 10,000 of my songs and pick by hand the ones I would like on my new device?

- If the later is the case then I would argue this 'syncing' system ought to be seriously rethought, for this is in no way intuitive or helpful. Either way, the answer to this query has not been forthcoming from any apple literature on the subject I have encountered.

Thank you.

VI

Backup backs up application setting such as contacts, calendar, photos in the camera roll and app data. It DOES NOT back up ANY music or apps, but it DOES backup up your iTunes library file (which contains the playlists and app icons on your iPhone). Music and apps themselves are managed through syncing.

All of this is explained in the manual; this might be a good time to read it.

Why don't you manage music the easy way? Create a playlist called "ipod" and drag all of the music you want on the device to it. Then sync just that playlist (after turning off Manually Manage). Manually manage is an abomination; it should never have been included as an option.

Having read all the posts and just having screwed up all my 570 or so contacts I believe Apple can learn a lot from NOKIA!!! where backups work like clockwork.

Just did a simple backup of my iPhone and on my iPad and all contacts added to my iPhone manually in the last 3 months have all their telephone numbers, email addresses and addresses missing, just their names are still there and in addition on my iPhone all remaining addresses are now in the UK eg. it says Streetname, Berlin, United Kingdom or Paris, United Kingdom even Singapore or Hong Kong is in the United Kingdom while on my iPad all remaining addresses are now in Deutschland, eg. it says Streetname, London, Deutschland or Paris, Deutschland and on my iPad Singapore and Hong Kong are in Deutschland.

Having asked for help at the Apple Store in London I got no sensible answer.

How can one produce such a mess-up???

iPhones or iPads with iTunes do not work with Outlook contradicting to the advertisements.

For anyone that has ventured onto this thread...like me, that has panicked as their apps have not been 'backed up' using the 'backup' facility of itunes (I have 193 apps).

You've maybe scrolled to the end of the thread as not to read the ramblings of an egotistical Apple-centric techy that looks down upon anybody that does not bow down at the altar of the late Steve Jobs..and are not worthy of owning an Apple product if they do not read all the instructions and/or the pages and pages of agreements etc that they produce (I blame Apple for my numbness towards reading such things anymore)

You probably just assumed that all Apple products are naturally user friendly and that back up does indeed mean the entirety of what every other tech gadget/software means by 'backup'

This is my experience:

I updated all my apps from within iTunes as I was unable to update via my phone because of storage limits.

I then synced my apps to my iPhone.

I then created a backup within iTunes

I then went to the Apple store to replace said iPhone (cracked screen/dust problems etc...the reasoning behind the back up).

Got back home, plugged in new iPhone to my PC and went ahead with restore iPhone.

5mins later I'm surprised that it had completed the restore..apps included?..no..****!

I google 'iPhone does not backup apps'...Im directed to this thread.

In the meantime..iTunes informs me that I can update my phone from ver5 to ver5.01...I go ahead.

After the firmware update has completed...iTunes has now gone on to sync all my apps back to my phone, which of course is taking a whole lot longer than 5mins.

I know one thing you can do is buy a 6-9 GB flashdrive. Then, put it in the USB import and open your files. Next, click on the start menu and then click on my documents. Open my music then itunes next itunes media. Highlight all of your folders right click and click copy. Then go into your flashdrive and click paste so whatever happens to your computer all our files are still there. If you want to put them back in itunes just drag them into your music, videos, ESC. There you go!🙂

thespaciousmind wrote:

I had a 3GS. I backed it up via iTunes.

Then I got a 4G. I restored from backup.

Guess what? All apps DID NOT RESTORE. WOW! I've heard this same thing happened to a coworker.

All the Apple employees, AT&T employees... WRONG. Apparantly, restore does not exactly work or it's not as simple as these folks say it is. This is really screwed up. I've heard 2 cases of this happening now. So why does the restore TO 4G, from a 3GS backup NOT working?

Has no one answered this question yet? If you've moved your iTunes libary then you iPhone looks in your new library folder BUT your apps are still in your original folder. Go look in BOTH iTunes folders and then look in the /Music Apps folder and make sure that they are IDENTICAL. Relaunch iTunes, hit Apply or Sync. You may also have to point iTunes to your original folder.

What is happening here is that iTunes is confused. It's ignoring your apps in the new location, but backing up some apps there too. But some apps that you got earlier are left in the old folder from an earlier backup. When you move you iTunes library it doesn't move all of your apps (depending on circumstances).

iTunes will back up the following information

I think Sampson needs to go find Delilah... she might help knock the rudeness out of his mouth with a well placed cutting device... and if he disagrees, IDC 👿 Apple Says:

• Contacts* and Contact Favorites (regularly sync contacts to a computer or cloud service such as iCloud to back them up).
• App Store Application data including in-app purchases (except the Application itself, its tmp and Caches folder).
• Application settings, preferences, and data, including documents.
• Autofill for webpages.
• CalDAV and subscribed calendar accounts.
• Calendar accounts.
• Calendar events.
• Call history.
• Camera Roll (Photos, screenshots, images saved, and videos taken. Videos greater than 2 GB are backed up with iOS 4.0 and later.)
  Note: For devices without a camera, Camera Roll is called Saved Photos.
• Game Center account.
• Home screen arrangement.
• In-app purchases.
• Keychain (this includes email account passwords, Wi-Fi passwords, and passwords you enter into websites and some other applications. If you encrypt the backup with iOS 4 and later, you can transfer the keychain information to the new device. With an unencrypted backup, you can restore the keychain only to the same iOS device. If you are restoring to a new device with an unencrypted backup, you will need to enter these passwords again.)
• List of External Sync Sources (Mobile Me, Exchange ActiveSync).
• Location service preferences for apps and websites you have allowed to use your location.
• Mail accounts (mail messages are not backed up).
• Managed Configurations/Profiles. When restoring a backup to a different device, all settings related to the configuration profiles will not be restored (accounts, restrictions, or anything else that can be specified through a configuration profile). Note that accounts and settings that are not associated with a configuration profile will still be restored.
• Map bookmarks, recent searches, and the current location displayed in Maps.
• Microsoft Exchange account configurations.
• Network settings (saved Wi-Fi hotspots, VPN settings, network preferences).
• Nike + iPod saved workouts and settings.
• Notes.
• Offline web application cache/database.
• Paired Bluetooth devices (which can only be used if restored to the same phone that did the backup).
• Safari bookmarks, cookies, history, offline data, and currently open pages.
• Saved suggestion corrections (these are saved automatically as you reject suggested corrections).
• Messages (iMessage and carrier SMS or MMS pictures and videos).
• Trusted hosts that have certificates that cannot be verified.
• Voice memos.
• Voicemail token. (This is not the voicemail password, but is used for validation when connecting. This is only restored to a phone with the same phone number on the SIM card).
• Wallpapers.
• Web clips.
• YouTube bookmarks and history.

* Your contacts are part of the backup to preserve recent calls and favorites lists. Back up your contacts to a supported personal information manager (PIM), iCloud, or another cloud-based service to avoid any potential contact data loss.

You're not very specific as to what's missing.

After upgrading to the new iPad, I'm trying to restore my App Data. Please note, I said data... not the apps themselves.

Apple states that app data and settings are included in the backup:

• App Store Application data including in-app purchases (except the Application itself, its tmp and Caches folder).
• Application settings, preferences, and data, including documents.

Here's what I did:

1) Sync my old iPad to iTunes to ensure everything on the iPad is not in iTunes Library.

2) Back up the old iPad using iTunes.

3) Plug in the new iPad to my Mac.

4) Restore from the iPad backup I just made.

5) Allow the Restore / Sync process to complete.

What I get is this:

1) All iPad settings, mail accounts, and other data for pre-installed Apple components is restored.

2) Music, videos, photos are restored (from sync).

3) Apps are restored and in their right places on the iPad.... BUT.... App data/settings/login info has not been restored. Apps are running as if I just installed them, and any information / progress I had in them is gone.

Any ideas? What am I doing wrong?

Data from individual apps does not get backed up automatically. Any given app may provide a way for you to keep data, or in the case of games "progress," but it is not something handled by iTunes. An app may have provisions to store your data on the app's servers, on iCloud, or otherwise, but generally once an app is deleted from the iPhone, all of its data is as well. There are ways around this, but it involves going into the iPhone directory structure, finding the data, and making a manual copy yourself. All of which is kind of messy and not officially supported as far as I can tell.