Double Checking - No Way to Recover Activity Data?

[powerbook911]

My iPhone 6 had to be replaced today due to technical issue.

I always back it up.

However, upon launching the restore I noticed the activity was missing. Furthermore, quick research and I found that you have to do "encrypted" iTunes backups in order for the Activity data to be preserved.

However, when I went to pair the old watch to the new phone, I was offered a "watch" backup that was AFTER I had wiped its previously paired phone. I guess the watches do some backups on their own, if they are on wifi?

However, the watch backup didn't have any activity data either, not even my same-day data. I'm guessing that the watch backups are stored in iCloud, but they don't have any of the health information, is that correct? The watch did restore all its face settings, etc.

However, ALL activity data whatsoever must be exclusively in the phone backups, which didn't keep on mine due to them not being encrypted?

In short, I should stop trying because there is definitely no backup of this activity data at this point?

Thanks for the help! I had been working hard this summer getting my exercise and activity goals every day. Lots of fun data. It made my workout tonight much less fun knowing I was starting over. The only bright side is I will be buying a 6S in a couple months and I guess this hiccup prevented me from losing an additional two months of data at that time. Although, I probably wouldn't have wiped my original phone so quick so I might have still had the original phone in that scenario to recover it from. Oh well.

Thanks.

 

[Phil A.]

iCloud backups should include health data but if you don't have an iCloud backup or an encrypted iTunes one then you're out of luck

 

[Newtons Apple]

Only way to get the info back would be get your original phone back to do an encrypted backup. Apple did this for privacy issues. They do need to make people more aware of this.

 

[powerbook911]

Only way to get the info back would be get your original phone back to do an encrypted backup. Apple did this for privacy issues. They do need to make people more aware of this.

Thanks. Yeah, it was a BIG lesson.

There would not have been too many of us who would have had in a few years, activity data going all the way back to April 24, 2015 (launch day). A shame, but I guess I should have known better.

 

[Newtons Apple]

Thanks. Yeah, it was a BIG lesson.

There would not have been too many of us who would have had in a few years, activity data going all the way back to April 24, 2015 (launch day). A shame, but I guess I should have known better.

Like I indicated, Apple should make this VERY clear and it is unfortunately something most people find out after it is too late!

 

[cambookpro]

Same thing happened to me. Oh well, will remember to make an encrypted backup next time!

 

[Phil A.]

Like I indicated, Apple should make this VERY clear and it is unfortunately something most people find out after it is too late!

They do mention it pretty clearly on the health app page here: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203037 but I guess they could make it clearer on iTunes that if you don't have encrypted backup selected there then the backups don't include health data

I would have thought a lot of people would be backing up to iCloud (as it's offered by default when you set the phone up) so would be OK - iCloud backups definitely do include health data as my wife had to restore her phone yesterday and the health data came back when the iCloud backup was restored

 

[maflynn]

or an encrypted iTunes one then you're out of luck

Are you saying if my iTunes backup is not encrypted, it will not back up the health data?

 

[Phil A.]

Are you saying if my iTunes backup is not encrypted, it will not back up the health data?

That's correct - Apple confirm that here: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203037

Back up your health data
You can back up the data stored in the Health app to iCloud. Your data is encrypted as it goes between iCloud and your device, and while it's stored in iCloud.

If you're not using iCloud, you can back up your health data with iTunes if you select "Encrypt iPhone backup" in the Summary tab.

The latest version of iTunes also says "this will allow health data and passwords to be backed up" next to the encrypt check box

 

[maflynn]

That's correct - Apple confirm that here: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203037

Thanks for the info, I was unaware of this. While my health data is somewhat meager, as I use the as yet unpurchased watch, I'll want to ensure that data is backed up

 

[Newtons Apple]

It would be helpful to many if Apple would have a warning come up when after a Cloud backup or just before you backup with iTunes, warning you to encrypt if there is Health data present. Too many getting burned on this.

 

[MVallee]

Had to restore my phone this week and the same thing happened to me. Lost all my activity data right back to the launch day. It sucks because now I have to do all of my achievements and stuff over again. I wish I had known about the encrypted backups but in a way I'm glad I figured this out 3 months in rather than in a year when the iPhone 7 comes out. Would have been much harder to loose over a year of data.

 

[JayLenochiniMac]

They do mention it pretty clearly on the health app page here: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203037 but I guess they could make it clearer on iTunes that if you don't have encrypted backup selected there then the backups don't include health data

They do clearly state this on iTunes, but I suppose what some members want is a pop-up warning.

 

[Phil A.]

It would be helpful to many if Apple would have a warning come up when after a Cloud backup or just before you backup with iTunes, warning you to encrypt if there is Health data present. Too many getting burned on this.

If you backup to iCloud you don't need to do anything special - they're encrypted automatically and include health data

 

[Julien]

It would be helpful to many if Apple would have a warning come up when after a Cloud backup or just before you backup with iTunes, warning you to encrypt if there is Health data present. Too many getting burned on this.

All of iCloud is encrypted (backups included) and iTunes should just be encrypted too and then there would't be a problem.

 

[Newtons Apple]

All of iCloud is encrypted (backups included) and iTunes should just be encrypted too and then there would't be a problem.

The way it is now it IS a problem. Many Watch owners have made this mistake. I do agree that it ALL should be encrypted these days.

 

[Phil A.]

The way it is now it IS a problem. Many Watch owners have made this mistake. I do agree that it ALL should be encrypted these days.

I suspect the reason iTunes backups aren't encrypted by default is that there's no requirement to be logged in to an iCloud account to back the phone up via iTunes so what would they use as a key?

 

[Julien]

I suspect the reason iTunes backups aren't encrypted by default is that there's no requirement to be logged in to an iCloud account to back the phone up via iTunes so what would they use as a key?

So the decryption key is stored in iCloud? In OS X couldn't it be stored in Keychain Access. Is Window's iTunes the weak link?