iPhone Restoring single app data from iTunes backup

[pcgolfer85]

I've encountered a very frustrating situation.

Is it possible to restore a single app's data from an iTunes backup? So far it seems like the answer is no. I found some encouraging information by using an app called iMazing. I downloaded it and attempted to restore data for a single app but it doesn't seem to work. The process completes but the data isn't on my iPhone when it completes.

I really don't want to restore my whole iPhone to get a single app's data back. It is extremely dumb that Apple doesn't let us do this.

The app I'm trying to recover is CSR Racing. They use to store game data on their servers but have recently stopped and when I erased my phone I lost all my data for the app. I used to be able to use iExplorer and copy the documents and library folders over per app, but these directories seem to be protected now.

 

[Mlrollin91]

Short answer; no. You used to be able to do this with iBackupBot, but iOS 12 kind of broke that and iBackupBot hasn't been updated in a really long time.

 

[pcgolfer85]

Short answer; no. You used to be able to do this with iBackupBot, but iOS 12 kind of broke that and iBackupBot hasn't been updated in a really long time.

Thanks.

I decided to try and restore my whole phone from backup. The data did NOT restore. What is the point of backing up if you can't restore?!?

Any way for me to go back to 11.4?

 

[Mlrollin91]

Thanks.

I decided to try and restore my whole phone from backup. The data did NOT restore. What is the point of backing up if you can't restore?!?

Any way for me to go back to 11.4?

Did you do an encrypted backup? Or did your backup become corrupt as you were trying to transfer data files? No you cannot go back to 11.4.

 

[pcgolfer85]

Did you do an encrypted backup? Or did your backup become corrupt as you were trying to transfer data files? No you cannot go back to 11.4.

The backup was encrypted, but I noticed that apps aren't restored from my computer. They are redownloaded. Does that mean the data for apps aren't restored anymore?

 

[Mlrollin91]

The backup was encrypted, but I noticed that apps aren't restored from my computer. They are redownloaded. Does that mean the data for apps aren't restored anymore?

App data is part of the backup. Only the app is redownloaded. Once the app is redownloded the data is restored.

 

[pcgolfer85]

App data is part of the backup. Only the app is redownloaded. Once the app is redownloded the data is restored.

Nope. Looks like the data is missing. I 100 percent know that the data was included in my backup. UGH!

 

[Mlrollin91]

Nope. Looks like the data is missing. I 100 percent know that the data was included in my backup. UGH!

Just because data is missing from one app doesn’t mean the process I describe is inaccurate. When messing around with your backup, it likely became corrupt.

 

[Minorite]

OK first, iMazing worked as expected, trust me (long time iMazing user here) It will always restore all data available in the backup, not more or less.

Two things about app data:
1) App developers decide what data is included in the backup. It varies from app to app, so there's always a risk that things you want to be backed up won't be included in the backup. Make sure to check this info with the support team/guides of most important apps just in case, as some apps may have only online backups to their servers, or app devs were too lazy to double-check backup data.

2) Apple killed app extraction since iOS 9. Only app data is included in the backup now, and there is no technical way to include .ipa files in the backup. Apps MUST be redownloaded from the AppStore, and it will be the current AppStore version of the app, not the one from the backup.

iMazing gives you some more freedom (check this guide if interested), but still not as good as previously with iTunes at least.


Regarding your exact case, you mentioned that game data was saved on servers, so most likely there was simply no local data to back up at the time of your backup.

Hope this helps...