Encrypted iTunes backup does not restore all app data

[rikscha]

So I was recently forced to restore my iPhone because iCloud backup would not work anymore after updating to iOS 9 (s thread below).

I performed a full restore ticking the 'encrypt backup' option in iTunes to ensure that really all my data is being backed up.

After having restored my iPhone, I noticed that not all app data has been restored.

App data has not been restored from LINE (chat logs and contacts missing), Infuse Media player (network drive settings missing), Mirai Japanese (had all data unlocked, you had to subscribe to get access to this data, not subscribed anymore)

I am going through my other apps now to doublecheck. iMessage chat logs and also my health data has been successfully restored.

Would anyone know if some developers deliberately turn a setting on to not have their app data backed up through iTunes?

Thanks

Edit:

I just spoke to Apple and they semi-confirmed that not all data might be backed up through iTunes.
Saying that, I know for sure that restoring through iCloud backup definitely restored my Mirai Japanese app data last time. This seems to be an option for developers? This is really frustrating now and should the above be true, I would never suggest to anyone backing up to iTunes (which I would not have done if my stupid iCloud backup had not been broken in the first place)

 

[decafjava]

I actually trust iTunes backup more than iCloud - which is not working for me either. I always get all my app data restored when I get a new phone as well. Not sure why it isn't working for you?

 

[rikscha]

I actually trust iTunes backup more than iCloud - which is not working for me either. I always get all my app data restored when I get a new phone as well. Not sure why it isn't working for you?

I wouldn't trust it. As I said in my post, s. Edit., certain apps will not allow you to backup their app data in iTunes.
You are just lucky I guess you are not using any app that will behave this way. I only identified three apps so far of my 50 odd apps or so.

 

[decafjava]

Well, as sometimes happens with these things there are several entities responsible for your problems. First Apple for not keeping on top of continuing problems with iCloud, and by the way I know of some devs who moved to their own cloud backup because of iCloud problems, I am a huge Infinity Blade fanboy and the lastest game in the series, Infinity Blade III, uses both local storage as well as their own online backup, I was able to restore all my data when I got my iPhone 6 last year. The II game used iCloud exclusively, not even local storage, which led me to a scare when I updated to ios 9 and lost my progress. Got it back when iCloud drive was added.

Which leads me to my second point, that devs who don't allow backup of their data to iTunes should be held responsible for that. At least complain to them and Apple.

Do keep us posted, I myself am waiting for a fix for iCloud patiently.

 

[rikscha]

Well, as sometimes happens with these things there are several entities responsible for your problems. First Apple for not keeping on top of continuing problems with iCloud, and by the way I know of some devs who moved to their own cloud backup because of iCloud problems, I am a huge Infinity Blade fanboy and the lastest game in the series, Infinity Blade III, uses both local storage as well as their own online backup, I was able to restore all my data when I got my iPhone 6 last year. The II game used iCloud exclusively, not even local storage, which led me to a scare when I updated to ios 9 and lost my progress. Got it back when iCloud drive was added.

Which leads me to my second point, that devs who don't allow backup of their data to iTunes should be held responsible for that. At least complain to them and Apple.

Do keep us posted, I myself am waiting for a fix for iCloud patiently.

Thanks for your response. I complained to LINE and they are a bunch of idiots.

You get automated replies that of course don't answer your question at all.

I decided now to delete this utterly useless app.

In regards to Mirai Japanese, I understand now as to why they will not allow you to keep the data. I now resubscribed and all the data is available again to me. Before I had to read do a couple of things to unlock content which took me weeks and months to do. Everything that was unlocked before is now unlocked again. This means I just have to pay for 1 month to get access to everything I lost. Happy to do that as the app is really good.

My other app infuse is a matter of reconfiguring everything so that shouldn't take too long I hope. All my other apps correctly backed up stored passwords and settings.

 

[CTHarrryH]

If I remember correctly in iTunes - it says the iCloud backup backs up the most information and iTunes backup on this computer does a full backup of your phone. Never saw a definition of most important but it is definitely less that the full backup. I'm not sure all want a full backup via iCloud since it takes space and a lot of time to probably do a full backup.
I do both = iCloud every night and iTunes every week

 

[leesweet]

Well, iTunes sure *doesn't* do a 'full backup of your phone'. If it did, we wouldn't have to wait forever for all the apps to download!

I've been looking forever for something that actually does do a full, mirror-image backup so I can move everything to a new phone (like next year, for iPhone 7 Plus, etc.). It's getting to be the worse part of the experience, getting everything on your new phone, when you have hundreds of apps and years of data. (And please don't start on why we have or shouldn't have all that.. with the Health and Watch data, it will get worse and worse, and we need to carry over virtually everything!)

(This last was directed at the perennial answer from Apple: set up as new. Really?! That would take weeks, literally, to download every app, get the password in, and configure it. Never mind the Apple Watch setup.)

 

[JT2002TJ]

I have NEVER been able to get all of my app data back from an iTunes backup. This is the biggest part of my issue with the "reformat and restore" response anytime there is the slightest device issue... I don't have time to do this after every iOS upgrade... It is starting to get old...

 

[Yun0]

complain more to apple, they ruined itunes app syncing

 

[electronicsguy]

From what I understand about the way Naver has implemented Line, the root cause is with Line, not with itunes backup.

Line, it seems, deletes your chat history when it detects a new phone. A restore op (as far as Line is concerned) is treated as a new phone. So your itunes backup does indeed have the chat history, and does restore it. However, upon launch, Line is deleting it and starting fresh.

This is what I gathered from a previous discussion here:
https://www.reddit.com/r/ios/comments/32wdr8/talksqlite_in_line_for_ios_is_missing/

There is a trick you can use using ifunbox to restore Line chat history as outlined here:
https://rumorscity.com/2013/11/16/h...r-line-chat-history-on-ios-without-jailbreak/

(may not work anymore)

 

[Apple_Robert]

If you want a complete backup of your phone,(which iTunes won't give you) you will need to use a third party program like iMazing. I have been using it for a few years now, and it has never let me down.

 

[leesweet]

BGG, I bought that app for exactly that reason and asked them when it didn't do what I thought it would/should do. Their response was along the lines of it uses the iTunes API and/or full backups would take too much space. I can't get a standalone backup using that either. Have you done one using iOS 9? I want a backup that is close to the 60-whatever GB of data that is on my phone. I get about 9 or 10.

The nonsense that 'real' backups would take too much space also is stupid. This when we do or have the option for TB drives on our PCs.

I want the option to have a local copy on my PC of my phone in a backup. Anyone know anything that does this at iOS 9? (I know JB products might, I've been there back when, but I'm talking normal OS now.)