MacMost Now 838: Choosing an iPhone Backup Method

You have two primary options to backup your iOS device. You can backup to your computer, or backup using iCloud. Most people will want to backup to their computer. But frequent travelers and those without a computer will want to use the iCloud method. You can also backup to both.

Comments: 12 Responses to “MacMost Now 838: Choosing an iPhone Backup Method”

    Grant
    11 years ago

    On the app backup issue, there is an issue where past purchases does not reflect in your purchases tab. It is therefore possible to purchase an app twice. It is certainly the case in the Mac App Store.

      11 years ago

      You should never be able to purchase the same app twice with the same account. If you do it is a problem and you should call Apple.

    richard
    11 years ago

    does the 2 backup methods (iCloud or computer) also apply to a Mac only. i have no other Apple devices.

    Lubomir
    11 years ago

    Hi Gary,
    every time I watch you videos I admire your way of representing the matter.it is so easy and complete!!!Your site should be a MUST site for all Mac users.Keep on,Gary!!!

    Jenny
    11 years ago

    Thanks for this. Love your informative videos. We've had to turn off iCloud backup as both my husband and I have iPhones and iPads and we started getting each others contacts on our computers. Hopefully we'll get them sorted eventually.

      11 years ago

      iCloud backups shouldn't matter. It sounds like you are simply sharing the same iCloud account, perhaps? In that case you are considered one person as far as iCloud is concerned.
      Or, if not, then it may be something else, like you are still syncing contacts via iTunes even though you are using iCloud (choose one or the other).

    Sharon
    11 years ago

    I recently successfully restored from an iCloud backup and want to add that it can take an extremely long time to restore over wifi - in my case it was 6 - 8 hours, mainly because I had 600 photos/videos. I had an iTunes backup that was 2 weeks old and in retrospect I should have used it!

      11 years ago

      It is always a good idea, whether you use iCloud backup or not, to not keep that many photos in your camera roll. Treat it like you would if you were using a regular digital camera. Regularly bring new camera roll photos into iPhoto on your Mac and curate them there. Then sync back the ones you want to have with you on your phone. The photos synced back into albums will not be part of the backup since the originals would be in your iPhoto library.

    Serge
    11 years ago

    Be careful. iCloud is not really a "backup" but is a "master sync copy". Change something on your iPhone, it syncs to iCloud, and then to all your other devices & computers on that iCloud account. Sounds good.

    Problem: if you delete an entry or file by accident, the delete gets sync'd everywhere. You cannot ask iCloud to restore your device back to a point in time. Therefore it is not a backup.

    Jayson
    11 years ago

    Love your videos! Keep up the good work!

    However, I think instead of saying to use either/or depending on your situation, you should simply advise to use both. I mean, why not? You mention slow down of a home wireless network, but after the initial icloud backup its not really an issue. It is also really helpful to Apple employees and customers when they can have their information restored right in the store instead of having to go home to their itunes backup and struggle through that.

      11 years ago

      The main downside to using both, besides bandwidth, is that when you use both you have to do the local one manually. Myself, I would simply forget to do it too often.

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