Backing up to iCloud [size doesn't seem right]

By Bandit, 1 October, 2014

Forum
iOS and iPadOS

Hey folks: I've decided to take advantage of the free battery replacement that Apple is offering for the iPhone5. Yes, my unit is eligible.
I have iCloud set to backup my documents/data/accounts, pictures/vids, calendars, reminders and a few other things. I don't really care about mail and the rest of it.
When I look at my current iCloud backup it's only taking up half a gig...In contrast, my phone storage is about 6gb. What gives?
I'm wondering if I reset to factory defaults and restore using this backup: 1. will all my apps still be available? And 2. When the apps are restored, will they be the versions I have or will they be the most recent versions?
I've never had/chosen to restore from a backup before.
Thanks in advance.

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Comments

By Serena on Friday, October 24, 2014 - 13:23

hi. the backup isn't large, IE the full size of your device, because not everything needs to be backed up. for example, it needs not back up your apps, justa list of what you had and how it was aranged, as they already have copies of the apps. so they just make a list, and back that up, then when you restore, it pulls the list, and then gos out and downloads all your app fresh.

By Jessica Brown on Friday, October 24, 2014 - 13:23

Hi. I am not sure if when you restore from the backup you will have your old versions of apps or the most up to date versions but I have always wondered the same thing. I think it keeps your old versions, because once I backed up my phone, then updated my apps without backing up and then I restored. After that, I had to update all my apps again. Well not all them, just the ones I updated before restoreing and did not back up first. However, this was a few years ago and I am not sure if things have changed since that or not.

By Mike Freeman on Friday, October 24, 2014 - 13:23

Think you get the latest version of apps if you restore from iCloud. About the only way to restore the versions of apps on your iPhone you had before the reset is to back up using iTunes on your PC or Mac.

By KE7ZUM on Friday, October 24, 2014 - 13:23

Actually in my case it did restore the older version of apps. I had to update from the app store which is not really a big deal. Still though it was a bit of a shock.

take care.

By Serena on Friday, October 24, 2014 - 13:23

i just wish that it stored things like messages and things as separate iCloud storage, not as part of the backup system. cause it means, to get back all my old messages, i have to go and use a backup, which i don't like doing.
It should really have it's own storage, similar to how other apps can store data. that way, you could just use iCloud with messages, and it would sync you messages and things.

By Robert A.M. on Friday, October 24, 2014 - 13:23

Hi,

Personally I prefer using iTunes to back up my devices. Unfortunately, iCloud backups only store the device's most important settings and files, such as its configuration, photos and app list. Other stuff, like files saved inside App Store apps, can only be backed up with iTunes. This is why iTunes backups are much larger in size.

If you want your device to be exactly like before after restoring it, you should also select the option to encrypt the backup in iTunes.

Regards.

By KE7ZUM on Friday, October 24, 2014 - 13:23

Acutally that statement is not quite acurate. I incripted my back up and myphoen was not 100 percent. My learnign aly books were missing, my bard books never showed up and some toher things went missing as well. . I compaired the size of the disk ussage on my phoen to the size of the back up and about 9 gigs were missing from my books and other files.

Take care.

By Jessica Brown on Friday, October 24, 2014 - 13:23

iCloud will back up files stored in apps if you want it to. If it is not backing up app files for you it's because you have your documents and data option in iCloud settings turned off. Try turning it on and then back up your device again and see what happens.

By KE7ZUM on Friday, October 24, 2014 - 13:23

That works for my bard books, but not in an incripted itunes back up. they simply are not there.

By Jessica Brown on Friday, October 24, 2014 - 13:23

I think the files in the bard app are handled differently then files in other apps because of the way NLS protects there books. Generally speaking though, if you have your documents and data option on, iCloud will back up files stored in apps.