How can you restore from both an iCloud backup AND an iTunes backup?

Question

How can you restore from both an iCloud backup AND an iTunes backup?

In article HT5262 (linked below) iOS backups are covered. There is a section "When to use iCloud and iTunes Backup together". I understand how to do this and the reasons why. What I haven't been able to find is an explanation of how you would actually restore from both? I know how to restore from each, however, if I first restore from iCloud, how can I then proceed to restore from iTunes without overwriting my iCloud restore?

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5262

iPad 2 Wi-Fi, iOS 5.0.1

Posted on May 23, 2013 7:03 AM

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Answer 1

Demo

Level 10

166,747 points

May 23, 2013 7:17 AM in response to Wild Bill Apple

You can't restore from one backup and then restore from the other backup without overwriting the first backup. It's not possible to do, so there is nothing to figure out.

When you restore from a backup, you restore everything in that backup and overwrite the contents of whatever app data and settings were already on the device. If you restore from another backup, then you overwrite that content again that you just restored,

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Answer 2

May 23, 2013 8:04 AM in response to Demo

Demo, thanks for the reply. What you wrote is exactly what I thought. I'm trying to figure out why Apple is putting out this article (see partial contents below). The implication is that you can restore from both or why back up some data to one and different data to the other:

"When to use iCloud and iTunes Backup together

For an extra level of backup for your data, you can use iCloud Backup and iTunes Backup together."

Tip: If you are using iCloud and iTunes Backup together, and you simply want to speed up your iCloud Backup & Restore functions, you can save iCloud storage by turning off iCloud Backup for very large data types. For example, if you have a 15 GB Camera Roll on your iPhone, you may not wish to back it up to iCloud because it is already being manually backed up to iTunes. You can disable back up of any iCloud Backup item in Settings > iCloud > Storage & Backup > Manage Storage > Backups > Backup Options. After doing so, these items will only be backed up when you manually back up to iTunes.

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Answer 3

Demo

Level 10

166,747 points

May 23, 2013 12:15 PM in response to Wild Bill Apple

I think that the short and sweet answer to using the backups together is that you have backups in two different places. That doesn't meant that you can restore one and then restore the other without overwriting the restored data in the first backup. It just gives you two places to backup. I use both myself. The choice of the word "together" is probably not the best because it might be a little misleading to some. Maybe a better way is saying it would be that you can use iCloud and iTunes both for backups so that your data will be stored in two different locations, ensuring more protection for your most valuable files and data.

The second part about using iTunes and iCloud together is poorly worded as well - IMO. It would be better stated as "if you use iTunes in addition to iCloud" there is to need bog down the iCloud backup with certain things. I don't think that is very good advice because if you want two complete backups in different places, I wouldn't delete anything from iCloud at all.

does that make it any clearer?

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