I've always heard the clean install is best, but I am not prepared to wipe all my text messages, Notes, voice memos, etc. There just doesn't seem to be any manual way to save all these things. In fact, even though I got the 5S a year ago, because I did it as a new phone, I've wound up keeping my old 4S just so that I can still have all my texts (4 years of texts) and data etc. Apple just seems to assume that we don't want to keep that stuff.
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Any way to do a clean install without losing texts, etc?
- Thread starter jigzaw
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Of course. Would just be nice to have some way of at least storing my old texts as readable files or something. This being impossible kind of leaves me in a position of never getting to do clean installs.
as far as I am aware, it is currently not compatible yet with iOS 8 backups (it prompts erros when loading the backups)
I clean install is best for Windows. I've been using the same install of OS X for 7 years now with no problems. Same goes with iOS. This is Unix we're talking about, NOT windows. If you notice a clean installing making iOS or OS X faster, it's because it's deleted an app,service, or setting that you could have just done yourself to speed up your system.
I do this every release. You make an unencrypted iTunes backup first. Do a clean install. Make another backup and replace the files in question. Restore to that backup.
Or wait for a jailbreak.
Or wait for a jailbreak.
What file would I be looking for to replace back the pictures and the text messages? Brilliant idea.
backuptrans itunes backup extractor worked for me for ios 8 GM. i restored only my texts from my ios 7 backup.
http://www.backuptrans.com/itunes-backup-extractor-for-mac.html
you do have to pay for full functionality though you may be able to find a less than legitimate way around that...
http://www.backuptrans.com/itunes-backup-extractor-for-mac.html
you do have to pay for full functionality though you may be able to find a less than legitimate way around that...
This guide has the exact files and such:
http://www.mydigitallife.info/how-t...ages-only-to-iphone-itunes-without-jailbreak/
Despite my original post, I didn't do this for iOS7, just used iCloud backup. Should still work, although i've only ever done this with SMS messages but the process is the same for others, you should be able to google the files for memos, e.g.
I was in the same position as you and I used "DiscAid" a few days ago that worked perfectly. I used it to move my text messages and some handpicked games cuz i wanted to keep their game score. I think the program has the option to backup Notes and voice memos too but Notes are already stored in the iCloud anyway and voice memos can easily be transfered using itunes? After the restore i just set up the phone as new and used DiscAid to drag & drop those apps and text messages back on the phone.
I had 2GB free after i restored from back up, setting it up as new and synching everything back from scratch gave me 7GB of free space all of the sudden so it was really worth it