Setup iPhone 5 as new but keep messages, contacts, and photos?

I've been restoring all my iOS devices from backup for every single iOS update and device I've had. Since my 2nd gen iPod touch from 2.2.1 to 3.0 to my iPhone 4 on iOS 6. So basically my backup is about four years old! This time around I think I want to setup my iPhone 5 as a new device. There's just so much stuff on it and old jailbreak data. I've probably jailbroken a good four times at least and I'm sure there's old plist files and maybe even more beyond that. Hell, under location services there's even a weird option without an icon that says "AssistantServices.fra..."

ANYWAY, to the point of this, is there anyway I could do a partial backup of sorts? I want to be able to keep all my text messages, photos in camera roll, and contacts. I heard that Photo Stream will help me with my pictures problem? But won't the pictures be in a folder titled "Photo Stream" and be deleted from my iPhone 5 once they're deleted from my iPhone 4 (in this case once my iPhone is restored and sold)? And onto the contacts, are they all stored in iCloud so if I setup as new I'd pull them all once I signed into my iCloud account?

Please give your advice or any first hand experience or ideas. I don't even have anything to go on for the texts. Dx


Thank you! - iParis

meganator said:

I'd be stoked if there is!

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I'm sure there's at least some people on here with ideas or an answer to my iCloud contacts question.

DenverBroncosTD said:

Your best bet would probably be iBackupBot. With this you can extract any backup and transfer over what ever from the old backup to a fresh one. When transferring messages, photos/videos will not be present in the new backup.

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Ah, cool! Is this some freeware I can find from a quick Google search? And if I understand correctly, you're saying that pictures/videos in text message logs won't be carried over, correct? If so, that shouldn't be a problem.

DenverBroncosTD said:

When I used a year ago, the application does cost money but you can get a free trial version. If my memory serves me correctly, there were not any major limitations that were imposed. Yes, that is correct. Sorry if I wasn't clear enough.

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Cool, I'll look into it! Thanks for getting back at me! Oh, and I think you're like the second or third person I've seen on here from New Mexico!

DenverBroncosTD said:

Hey, no problem! Let me know how it goes for you! Haha yeah, ABQ's where I'm at.

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I'm downloading it now! I really hope it works since I have 2GB of "Other!" :O
And same here! Feel free to add me on Facebook if you want, just search "Andrew Guzzi." I don't know how old you are, but I get the feeling you're in your late teens or 20's?

DenverBroncosTD said:

2.3 Gb here haha! Will do, let's just say I'm somewhere in that age group.

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Glad I was close! It'd be awkward if I just became friends with a 50 year old or something! You'll be my fifth friend from MacRumors. Hah!