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How do I merge 2 different backups in a new iphone?

Hello to the community.


So here's my story:


1. I had an iphone4s that had some issues and went to the store for replacement etc. I was wise enough to make a backup. And actually I gave that backup folder a name "iphone4s backup" so that itunes or me would never be confused and backup anything else in that folder (I also have an ipad etc). These instructions helped me do it and it worked http://www.monkeedev.co.uk/blog/2010/03/11/managing-multiple-iphone-backups-thro ugh-itunes/

Useful instructions to help you keep old backups and not get overwritten.


2. I picked up my old empty iphone3gs from the drawer and created a new iphone. I didn't restore from the iphone4s backup cause I thought I would be using the 3gs for only a week or so and I thought I shouldn't bother. However it turned out that was not the case. The iphone4s came back to me after a month, and since the arrival of the iphone5 had already been anounced I thought I should leave the new/refurbished/whatever iphone4s in the box to give it to a relative, keep using my 3gs and buy the iphone5 when it arrived. So I created a backup of the 3gs as well.


The problem:


In a couple of days i'm getting the iphone5. If i restore from the backup of the iphone4s i will lose every text message etc I've had the last months in my 3gs. If I restore from the 3gs backup I will lose every text message I've had in the iphone4s (i'm mentioning text messages as an example, but to be honest that's what I care mostly about).


If I follow the same instructions I followed to keep the backup of the iphone4s, and keep the backup of the 3gs as well, is there a way to merge these to folders into one (let's say "iphone4s and 3gs backup") and set the iphone5 restoring from this backup??

(My brain functions in a "windows" manner so I thought maybe copy and paste everything from these two folders into the new one. Any case the iphone5 will recognize that and show the text messages according to contacts and in chronological order etc???)


Sorry for the long message but i wanted to be clear about the problem.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Posted on Dec 3, 2012 3:27 AM

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Posted on Dec 3, 2012 3:34 AM

What you want to do is not supported by Apple, thus there is no "official" way to do so. However, you can try using something like this:


http://www.icopybot.com/itunes-backup-manager.htm


Warning: backup BEFORE you mess with your existing backups...make a mistake and your data could be unrecoverable.


Good luck.

3 replies

Dec 15, 2012 4:17 PM in response to wjosten

Thank you very much for the reply. It took me a while to come up with a comment cause I was trying to accomplish what I wanted (to merge 2 different backups) and I used every way that I could possibly think of. Leaving out something a total computer geek might have tried that I didn't, I can say that I tried everything. And I came up with this. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE ! ! !


However, your post helped me cause although the icopybot was not able to merge the backups, it at least gave me the chance to extract my text messages, touch notes etc from the backup that I chose not to restore from. So I may not have that information and data in my new iphone, but at least they exist somewhere in my hdd in a way that I can have access to them, contrary to what itunes insists in offering.


Cheers.

Jun 20, 2013 4:45 PM in response to wjosten

There is a way to merge the contacts using this software. If you download the ExcelContacts app on your phone you can;

  1. Open iBackupbot
  2. Look up the back you want to migrate
  3. Export it (I found vcard worked better) to your desktop
  4. Connect your phone to iTunes
  5. Go to the Apps tab in iTunes & select 'ExcelContacts' under the File Sharing section
  6. Add the exported vcard file
  7. Open ExcelContacts on your phone & import them


Make sure that your merge settings in the app are robust as you don't want duplicates.

How do I merge 2 different backups in a new iphone?

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