Restore iPhone from backup not listed in iTunes

Thanks for sharing this. I was able in Windows to move the backup file to a new computer and restore the backup into a new iphone!.

Question is:

The backup folder have 2+GB of data in 5000+ files. There is lot of backups there!. How I can restore not only the recent one but older backups?

what if there are no .plist files listed in the desired backup folder?

it shows the .plist files in all but the one I need.

Hi Everyone, I was having this issue and just solved it. My iphone 4s was not showing any backups except for the most recent one. This was horrifying because the most recent backup was made as soon as I connected my phone to the computer. So I could not backup to a time that would have been useful, but instead could only update to right now--when my phone was messed up and useless!! So, to correct thisI I went to

~/Library/Application Support/MobileSync/Backup

In that folder I found two backups. One from 6 months ago that I wanted and one from today when I plugged in my phone (ps-deactivate the automatic synch option because it will automatically override your past back ups...)

Here is where it gets a little bit complicated, but still managable even for a novice:

If iTunes tells you there are no back ups but there are more desirable backups in the backup folder, then click "back up now" and a new clean functional backup will be created (of course not with the data you want, but we will get to that) . Now go to the backup folder and open the folder that was just created by Itunes. Skip next step.

If itunes is only showing the most recent back when you click "Restore Backup" but in the backup folder but there are more desirable backups, open up the folder of the most recent (non-desireable) back up folder.

Now that your folder (latest backup) is open you will see a very long list of files. At the very bottom of the file list you should find this file:

Info.plist

Open the file info.plist, that is an xml formated file. Copy all the text from the begining all the way up through

"<key>IC-Info.sidv</key>"

Now, with that info on your clipboard, close this file and go back to the backup folder. Now open the back up that you actually want (the older one that is not showing up in itunes). In that folder you will also find the Info.plist

Open that file and delete everything all the way through "<key>IC-Info.sidv</key>"and then paste what you copied from the other file.

Now save the file and close it.

Open up iTunes. You should now be able to see the older backup version that you wanted to backup to but that ****** *** itunes would not let you see before.

Sounds complicated, but is pretty easy actually.

Good luck!

OMG... Thank you! This definitely worked for me and saved me from the huge headache of starting from scratch. Lesson learned, I will backup more often! Although, the desirable backup will show up in iTunes with the same date and time as the undesirable backup.

The folder with the backup I want (pre-iOS7) doesn't have the info.plist file.

I am also not sure why I can't open the Info.plist in the latest backup to copy and paste. I get the following:

Any help would be great. I am now on the Maverick OS and the phone I had replaced is on iOS7.

I am running OS X El Capitan 10.11.5, Itunes 12.4.1.6, Iphone iOS 9.3.2

This is iTUnes and the only way I know how to backup or restore a back up. As you can see below the phone I am needing the backup from "iPhone Gold" isn't listed.

Here is a photo from my Iphone Gold's screen.... showing I backed it up yesterday!

And this is from icloud.com showing all my devices, also showing Gold was backed up. How else can I get this backup on my new phone? My new phone is the "Iphone New Black".

You put the backup on your new phone by setting the new phone up, signing in to the iCloud account that the backup is on when prompted, and then selecting "iCloud Backup" when you get to the screen that asks you how you want to set the device up.

You do this via Wifi, not via iTunes.

Your screenshot very clearly shows that an iCloud backup was done for the iPhone Gold device yesterday.

Not sure what it is you are looking for beyond that?

GB

And just an FYI - you can see your iOS Backups to iCloud on your Mac by clicking on the  in the top left-hand corner of the Mac, then clicking on System Preferences>iCloud icon>and at the bottom right of that screen clicking on Manage, then Backups:

You are right! A backup was done, but the Iphone gold isn't listed when I actually go to do the restore.

It's just not there. It shows on my old phone that it was backed up and it shows on icloud.com but it will not show inside of itunes where I actually have to go and do the restore. I don't know what to do. I really need the stuff off of the old phone to go onto the new "iphone black".

No, that is not what either Lawrence or I told you. To set up or restore a device with an iCloud backup, you do not use iTunes, you must use Wifi.

If you want to restore from iTunes, then you need to hook up the iPhone Gold to iTunes and back it up there - not on iCloud.

This article explains how to do either an iCloud or iTunes backup, and how to set up a new phone from either of those types of backups:

Transfer content from your previous iOS device to your new iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch - Apple Support

GB

amberrowton wrote:

I am having this same problem. I am using a MAC. How do I get to ~/Library/Application Support/MobileSync/Backup??? I just backed up my old phone and it shows that I did. I am wanting to put that backup on a new phone but it won't show up in itunes. I have been trying to solve this for 3 days. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

You don't have to.

• Install iTunes version 12.4 (note: You need Mac OS 10.8.5 or later)
• Plug the Lightning cable into your Mac and into the iPhone
• Open iTunes if it isn't already, and click on the iPhone icon in the top bar to open the Summary screen
• Check the version of iOS on your phone. If it is not 9.3.2 update it using iTunes
• Click Restore Backup

Move the file to your Desktop and then hold Option and click restore inside of iTunes. The User Library is normally hidden so you won't see it in the finder window without showing hidden files. Moving it is the easiest fix.

The OP is asking about the backup of the iPhone, NOT the operating system file. Your approach will not work for a backup, and now that the OP has followed your directions he or she has all but eliminated the possibility of restoring the backup.

If the backup is where it belongs (in the MobileSync folder) there should be a button "Restore from Backup" on the Summary page when you click on the iPhone's name in iTunes. You need the latest version of iTunes (11.x) installed.

If iOS needs to be restored also restore it with the Restore iPhone button; when the restore is done it will restore any valid backups that are in the MobileSync folder.

This worked, but unfortunately I made the mistake of backing up my phone again after apparently doing it twice, so it just restored the backup that had originally happened the first time when I messed up the Back Up... is there any way to go farther back?