Will apps still redownload if I turn them off from iCloud backup?

[Siderz]

I have loads of apps where everything useful is just stored on the services servers, such as Chrome, Twitter, Dropbox etc., so it's almost pointless having these things backup to iCloud other than to save the login details.

So, if I turn these off, do the apps still download but without their data, or do they not download at all and iCloud just acts as if it was never on your device?

Also, I've noticed that even when I've deleted apps from my device, they still show up in iCloud. Is it supposed to do that? Perhaps to restore if you decide to redownlaod it?

 

[Rigby]

I have loads of apps where everything useful is just stored on the services servers, such as Chrome, Twitter, Dropbox etc., so it's almost pointless having these things backup to iCloud other than to save the login details.

So, if I turn these off, do the apps still download but without their data, or do they not download at all and iCloud just acts as if it was never on your device?

You'd have to redownload them manually from the store, and the app data will be lost. But why do you want to exclude them? It won't save any space in the backup (assuming you want to keep the app data), since the apps themselves (i.e. the binaries) are not backed up. The backup just "remembers" which ones you had installed and then automatically redownloads them from the store when you restore.

 

[Siderz]

You'd have to redownload them manually from the store, and the app data will be lost. But why do you want to exclude them? It won't save any space in the backup (assuming you want to keep the app data), since the apps themselves (i.e. the binaries) are not backed up. The backup just "remembers" which ones you had installed and then automatically redownloads them from the store when you restore.

I'm pretty sure the idea of iCloud backup is that it uploads the data that apps create, so that when you go to restore an iOS device, it'll redownload the app like normal, and then add all of the data that it created while you used it.

It's not to just "remember" what you've downloaded, otherwise why would it be able to use so much space?

 

[Rigby]

I'm pretty sure the idea of iCloud backup is that it uploads the data that apps create, so that when you go to restore an iOS device, it'll redownload the app like normal, and then add all of the data that it created while you used it.

Yes, that's what I wrote. It backs up the data, but no the apps themselves. If you don't want to keep the app data, feel free to exclude the app from the backup, since you can always redownload it from the store. But if space is your main concern, be aware that the app itself does not count towards your iCloud quota. This is particularly relevant for most games, which are often large but store only small amounts of data in memory.

It's not to just "remember" what you've downloaded, otherwise why would it be able to use so much space?

You have to differentiate between the app itself (i.e. the binaries that you download from the store) and the data that the app stores in memory. Some apps store large amounts of data in memory, others less. It would help if you could be more specific what apps you are talking about.

If you don't believe me, you can read it here as well:

http://support.apple.com/kb/PH12519?viewlocale=en_US

Quote:
"Your iCloud backup includes information about the content you have purchased, but not the purchased content itself. When you restore from an iCloud backup, your purchased content is automatically downloaded from the iTunes Store, App Store, [...]"

 

[Siderz]

Yes, that's what I wrote. It backs up the data, but no the apps themselves. If you don't want to keep the app data, feel free to exclude the app from the backup, since you can always redownload it from the store. But if space is your main concern, be aware that the app itself does not count towards your iCloud quota. This is particularly relevant for most games, which are often large but store only small amounts of data in memory.

Yeah I know it's not the app itself, I thought you were saying that the only thing it backs up is the fact that you have the app on your phone and not the data that the app creates.

If you don't want to keep the app data, feel free to exclude the app from the backup, since you can always redownload it from the store.

So, does this mean that if I turn it off from the iCloud backup, it won't automatically redownload if I restore the device? Or will I have to manually redownload apps that are excluded from the iCloud backup?