iCloud Backups

[LouieSamman]

I have an iPhone 4S and use iCloud backups but I have 2 questions on it.

1). It states that it can back up camera roll, accounts, documents, and settings.
But does this include backing up my apps? For instance if I broke my iPhone 4S and look to buying another and go through the steps and getting to the point where it ask if you want to restore from your iCloud backups. Do you get everything that you had from the previous iPhone including apps and data saved from apps?

2). With myself having an iPhone 4S I am fairly happy but I would like to get the iPad 3rd generation when it comes out. Using iCloud backups from my iPhone 4S can I use my iPhone 4S backups to restore that onto my iPad 3rd Generation so that I can retrieve all the photos that is on my iPhone 4 to the iPad along with apps and such or does both have a separate iCloud backups that is iPad only backups?

Thanks in advance.

 

[DefBref]

It doesn't physically backup your Apps (they are already in apple servers so why make another copy) but it does backup a list of what you have. It also backs up any associated data.

All itunes bought stuff will work this way.

Well the ipad 3 isn't out yet, so there's no way to guarantee it, but you can restore from backup of iphones to ipads.

 

[iMrNiceGuy0023]

are iCloud backups per device or per used ID??

I have an iPhone 4, iPad and iPod Touch, they all contain different apps, settings, contacts, photos. When using iCloud to backup and store the contents, are they stored per device, or will my contacts from all 3 be merged together?

So say I upgrade to the 4S, do I get to choose which device to restore from?

 

[NorfolkMustard]

So say I upgrade to the 4S, do I get to choose which device to restore from?

Yes. you can try this out now. iTunes is the same - you can restore an iPad backup into an iPhone for example.

Details here http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4859

How content is restored to a new device

When you go through Setup Assistant on a new iOS 5 device, choose "Restore from iCloud Backup" and enter your iCloud account and password. You will see the three most recent backups for each of the devices on which you enabled Backup. Choose which backup to restore from.

After your device restarts, your settings and accounts are restored and Backup starts downloading your purchased music, TV shows, apps, books, Camera Roll, and other content.* You may be prompted to enter the passwords for all accounts enabled on your device.

A progress bar will appear underneath the apps that are being downloaded. To prioritize the restore of a specific app, tap its icon. Restore will attempt to download the same version of the app that you had installed previously. If that version is no longer available, the latest version of the app will be restored.

 

[iMrNiceGuy0023]

ok another question, lets say I want my contacts updated across all my devices with my main device being my iPhone, is that possible?

So say I enter a new contact in my iPhone 4, is there a way that contact will also be added to my iPad and and iPod touch?

 

[NorfolkMustard]

ok another question, lets say I want my contacts updated across all my devices with my main device being my iPhone, is that possible?

So say I enter a new contact in my iPhone 4, is there a way that contact will also be added to my iPad and and iPod touch?

That's exactly what iCloud (and MobileMe before it) is for. You can watch it sync if you're quick.

 

[haruhiko]

Well, only my camera roll alone will break the 5GB limit... so iCloud backup is useless for me...!

 

[flyboy0]

I have an iPhone 4S and use iCloud backups but I have 2 questions on it.

1). It states that it can back up camera roll, accounts, documents, and settings.
But does this include backing up my apps? For instance if I broke my iPhone 4S and look to buying another and go through the steps and getting to the point where it ask if you want to restore from your iCloud backups. Do you get everything that you had from the previous iPhone including apps and data saved from apps?

2). With myself having an iPhone 4S I am fairly happy but I would like to get the iPad 3rd generation when it comes out. Using iCloud backups from my iPhone 4S can I use my iPhone 4S backups to restore that onto my iPad 3rd Generation so that I can retrieve all the photos that is on my iPhone 4 to the iPad along with apps and such or does both have a separate iCloud backups that is iPad only backups?

Thanks in advance.

Dude. Are you serious?! The 4S just came out. The iPad 2 just came out and ur talking about the iPad 3 already ?!?! Geez. Just enjoy what u have and chill. I love apple too but omg.

 

[apd8]

Well, only my camera roll alone will break the 5GB limit... so iCloud backup is useless for me...!

Same here, but I decided not to backup camera roll on iCloud because I keep all of my pictures on my computer anyway. And I turned on Photo Stream (which does not count against the storage) for photos taken from the phone to share with my iPad.

 

[Formula1freak]

Here is the interesting thing for me. I had a major issue with my iPhone 4 the other day, so I took it in and got it replaced for another iPhone 4. I had iCloud all setup and everything, and when I received my new iPhone I put in my information for iCloud, it logged me in, and stated that "I had no backups" .... now would this be because I do not have the iCloud backup on, under settings->iCloud->Storage& Backup-> iCloud backup in the "off" position. I do not have it on because when I go to turn it on, I get the warning:

"Your iPhone will no longer back up to your computer automatically when you sync with iTunes."

I am fine with this as long as I can manually back it up. Thoughts?

 

[thederby]

I do not have it on because when I go to turn it on, I get the warning:

"Your iPhone will no longer back up to your computer automatically when you sync with iTunes."

I am fine with this as long as I can manually back it up. Thoughts?

all your media is in iTunes, all your apps are in the appstore, and all your settings/config are backed up in iCloud daily. why wouldn't you want iCloud backups enabled?

 

[Formula1freak]

all your media is in iTunes, all your apps are in the appstore, and all your settings/config are backed up in iCloud daily. why wouldn't you want iCloud backups enabled?

I don't mind having an iCloud backup, I just would like the ability to manually backup on my computer

 

[Graig]

I would just like to see a last backup date on my iPad instead of "unknown" I have set it up correctly as far as I know. Anyone else see this on theirs?

 

[hipnetic]

I don't see an option for backing up your camera roll. Does this fall under "Documents & Data'? I might be interested in making use of the backup feature, but as haruhiko said, that could easily break the 5GB limit. My brother told me that he tried to make use of iCloud but was told that he hit the 5GB limit. He owns an iPhone 4 and an iPad (1st gen), so I'm curious how he hit his limit. I could see how making use of the @me.com email address for email could cause you to hit that limit if you had a lot of emails with big attachments, but I don't think he uses that email account.

 

[Ashwood11]

I don't mind having an iCloud backup, I just would like the ability to manually backup on my computer

You can do both.

 

[curtisinoc]

I don't mind having an iCloud backup, I just would like the ability to manually backup on my computer

You can still manually backup:

Plug into iTunes - right click on your device on left pane - choose back up

 

[austinguy23]

Well, only my camera roll alone will break the 5GB limit... so iCloud backup is useless for me...!

You can go into your iCloud settings and disable the backup up of your Camera Roll or you can purchase additional storage space.

 

[haruhiko]

Same here, but I decided not to backup camera roll on iCloud because I keep all of my pictures on my computer anyway. And I turned on Photo Stream (which does not count against the storage) for photos taken from the phone to share with my iPad.

Thanks for your advice, it's not really safe enough for me to be dependent on iTunes backup only for my camera roll anyway. I'll try to copy out all that photos to my external drive for backup and turn off camera roll in iCloud.


But.. wait a minute. If I choose to restore from iCloud, then my camera roll will be empty since I dont' have it on the iCloud backup? And I have no way to put those photos back to the camera roll as I can't directly copy photos to that folder....

I guess I may need to pay 20 bucks for 15GB total storage if I really want to completely depend on iCloud backup...

 

[ProMed12]

And I turned on Photo Stream (which does not count against the storage) for photos taken from the phone to share with my iPad.

With Photo Stream, using the 4S, can you delete photos across all devices that you have taken but do not want to store?