Backing it all up: iCloud, iTunes, demystified.
As the saying goes, “backing up is hard to do”, or something like that. The point is that when setting up your iPad Pro, iPhone, or other iOS device to backup, there are not one, but two things to keep in mind.
According to a recent experience by MacWorld writer Jeffery Battersby, as careful as one can be when carrying electronics, sometimes things just don’t go as planned, and Battersby’s experience offered him and other owners of iOS devices an insight into what to do if something bad happens, for example when one gets caught in the middle of a tropical storm.
When backing up your device using iTunes, all your data is safe, in terms of files, photos, and other local data, but overlooking one little step may make things a little more complicated when it comes to restoring purchases.
In Battersby’s experience, the process of restoring his data on a new iPhone did not restore any of his apps, and at first that made no sense, as a total backup is the assumed selling point of iOS devices, especially considering the added cost of buying iCloud storage.
As it turned out, one little step was missed when performing the last backup of Battersby’s iPhone, which caused the backup to not include his apps.
As the MacWorld blogger explains, the procedure to ensure that all data is backed up goes as follows:
- Plug your device in to your Mac
- Click the File menu
- Select the Devices menu
- Select “Transfer purchases from Your iOS Device”
Alternatively, using iCloud will result in a complete backup of both data and apps regardless of how backup is set up in iTunes.
One last resort, should neither iCloud, nor iTunes be optional, is to enter iTunes, and select Apps > App Store > Purchased > Not in My Library > Download All
This will restore all the apps purchased, onto the target device.
This also means that every app purchased will be downloaded onto your iPad or iPhone. Every app, EVER purchased, which might not be ideal.
The bottom line is: setting up iCloud is the safest way to get all your data and apps back, no matter what.
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