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Want to copy files not sync

What I really would like to do is not sync music files between the computer and phone but copy selected playlists from the computer to the phone. If something changes, gets messed up, on a playlist on my phone, I do not want it to sync to the computer and mess up the version of the playlist on the computer. Does Apple provide an easy way to copy to the phone rather than sync? Is there any way to copy to the phone rather than sync?

iPhone 5

Posted on Apr 30, 2016 4:55 AM

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5 replies

Apr 30, 2016 6:31 AM in response to MABB17

See Backup your iTunes for Windows library with SyncToy. If a sync upsets something in your library you can restore the previous version of the database, export the playlist, sync again, and then import your list, and sync one more time to get the correct version on the phone.


Or, if you know that you've messed up a list on the device, then you can backup that list before you sync for the first time, but you should be maintaining a backup anyway.


I haven't tested it, but it might be the case that if you deselect a playlist for syncing before you start then any changes on the device won't be copied back into the library. You could then sync the correct version on a second sync. This is probably the closest to what you want, if it works.


Another possibility is to right-click on the playlist in the side bar and duplicate the list before you sync, deselect the old list for syncing, select the new one to sync, sync, then remove the old version of the list from your library, rename the new one, and sync again.


tt2

Apr 30, 2016 10:10 AM in response to roaminggnome

That appears to be not correct roaminggnome. I tested it with a playlist i don't want anyway. That had earlier this morning been synced from the computer to the phone. Deleted two songs from the list on the phone. Synced again. Now the version on the computer is missing the two songs.


Oddly, another playlist, that had changed on the computer since the initial sync, was backed up up automatically after the second sync. There is now a new "playlist 1" on the computer and the phone. Playlist 1 is the old playlist from earlier in the morning; I had added a few songs since the earlier sync. So, it automatically backs up if changes occur on the computer. If changes occur on the phone it overwrites.

Apr 30, 2016 11:17 AM in response to MABB17

Syncing of media is one way, iTunes to the device, except iTunes Store purchases which can transfer back.

Updates to ratings, play counts, played dates, and playlists are intended to sync in both directions.

It may be that if you make independent changes to a list on your computer and your device that iTunes duplicates the one in the library so you can select between the two alternate versions.


tt2

Want to copy files not sync

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