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iPhone How to properly upgrade to GM from BETA 6

A

apollo1444

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Jul 22, 2011
1,329
27
mexico
whenever GM gets released...


what will be the course of action for those of us who want to keep our information?

simply downloading the ipsw from the dev portal, and shift-updating? or shift-restoring? to iOS 7 GM (my UDID is registered) ??

sorry if I answered my own question I just have no clue how to do this without losing info, never done it actually.
 
apollo1444 said:
whenever GM gets released...


what will be the course of action for those of us who want to keep our information?

simply downloading the ipsw from the dev portal, and shift-updating? or shift-restoring? to iOS 7 GM (my UDID is registered)
Click to expand...

You should be able to shift-update using iTunes. I would recommend backing up though and do a shift-restore, rather than update.

It's highly unlikely the GM will be pushed OTA.
 
batting1000 said:
You might as well update if you're gonna restore the backup.
Click to expand...

If you restore from iCloud backup, it only transfers over app data, contacts, messages and so on. If you restore from an iTunes backup, it restores everything to exactly as before, software and all.

(This information is based on multiple Apple Geniuses, so I am unaware if this is actually the case, but from my past experiences it seemed to be so.)
 
Mlrollin91 said:
If you restore from iCloud backup, it only transfers over app data, contacts, messages and so on. If you restore from an iTunes backup, it restores everything to exactly as before, software and all.

(This information is based on multiple Apple Geniuses, so I am unaware if this is actually the case, but from my past experiences it seemed to be so.)
Click to expand...

yep i can confirm this with non-scientific anecdotal evidence.

Starting with the 3g, i'd always restored updates. never set up as new. along the way i'd jailbroken many many times, unlocked via redsnow ultrasnow etc. at some point i stopped jailbreaking but my system was usually slow, crashy, issue ridden. I did many restores as new but always restored from backup. noway i was losing all my data.

until icloud backups came out. I then continued to backup my phone to icloud. still slow and battery life issues constantly. until finally 6 months in i thought of the hypothesis you presented. that itunes restores all files, while icloud only does the specific data i need. so i restored from icloud. and bam. problems fixed. no more battery issues. no more crashes. device was faster.

sure maybe it was a coincidence. but i definitely saw a correlation there.
 
mirzank said:
until icloud backups came out. I then continued to backup my phone to icloud. still slow and battery life issues constantly. until finally 6 months in i thought of the hypothesis you presented. that itunes restores all files, while icloud only does the specific data i need. so i restored from icloud. and bam. problems fixed. no more battery issues. no more crashes. device was faster.
Click to expand...

What on earth does this mean?

iTunes Backups and iCloud Backups contain the same data.

Everything that's on your iPhone is "the specific data you need". What else do you think it would back up?
 
batting1000 said:
You might as well update if you're gonna restore the backup.
Click to expand...
I concur.

Mlrollin91 said:
If you restore from iCloud backup, it only transfers over app data, contacts, messages and so on. If you restore from an iTunes backup, it restores everything to exactly as before, software and all.

(This information is based on multiple Apple Geniuses, so I am unaware if this is actually the case, but from my past experiences it seemed to be so.)
Click to expand...
And user settings, databases, and other various variables from a beta in development in change OS. What happens if some database fields come back that they decided to change or deprecate. Maybe they mean different things now. Or were locked down to some value for final, but your restore from a beta backup alters it. There are many possibilities.

1. DFU restore and setup as new.
2. Update and continue to plod along with data and old backups.

Middle ground is useless.

I took option 2 from iOS6 beta to final last year without issue. That was not the case for all. YMMV
 
Daveoc64 said:
What on earth does this mean?

iTunes Backups and iCloud Backups contain the same data.

Everything that's on your iPhone is "the specific data you need". What else do you think it would back up?
Click to expand...
They contain mostly the same data. However, restoring from them restores different data. See Choosing an iOS backup method (Should I use iTunes or iCloud to back up my iOS device?) for details on what does and doesn't get backed up and what can't be restored from the iCloud backup. Note that if something is no longer available on the iTunes Store, it can't be restored from the iCloud backup.
 
Menel said:
I concur.

And user settings, databases, and other various variables from a beta in development in change OS. What happens if some database fields come back that they decided to change or deprecate. Maybe they mean different things now. Or were locked down to some value for final, but your restore from a beta backup alters it. There are many possibilities.

1. DFU restore and setup as new.
2. Update and continue to plod along with data and old backups.
Click to expand...

Question: Is there a way to backup only app data? I don't mind starting over as new and re-installing all my apps from iTunes, but I don't want to lose years worth of data. Maybe there's a third-party Mac app for that?
 
Gogurt48 said:
Question: Is there a way to backup only app data? I don't mind starting over as new and re-installing all my apps from iTunes, but I don't want to lose years worth of data. Maybe there's a third-party Mac app for that?
Click to expand...

Ifunbox but you have to do each app one by one. I guarantee there's a much easier program out there..
 
Daveoc64 said:
What on earth does this mean?

iTunes Backups and iCloud Backups contain the same data.

Everything that's on your iPhone is "the specific data you need". What else do you think it would back up?
Click to expand...

well i think icloud backs up your app data, contacts, photos, etc, and the actual apps get downloaded from app store when you restore. i.e. its a very compartmentalized kind of backup. on the other hand i think itunes backs up the raw file structure with all apps, data, etc.

like i siad, its just a hypothesis based on anecdotal evidence and it doesn't ahve to be right and you don't have to agree with it. i'm not presenting some earth shattering scientific proof that you feel the need to refute.
 
wow you guys made this very unnecessarily complicated.

Itunes restore and iCloud restore pretty much restore exactly the same thing because they both backup the same thing.

The difference is with iCloud you can start using your phone right away after a restore while the apps still download and install in the background, in itunes you cannot until EVERYTHING is done and loaded. One backs up to the cloud the other on your local machine.

BTW do iOS 7 notes get backed up to icloud? cause on my notes on computer they dont update what i did on phone, does not show on computer
 
BigB82 said:
wow you guys made this very unnecessarily complicated.

Itunes restore and iCloud restore pretty much restore exactly the same thing because they both backup the same thing.

The difference is with iCloud you can start using your phone right away after a restore while the apps still download and install in the background, in itunes you cannot until EVERYTHING is done and loaded. One backs up to the cloud the other on your local machine.

BTW do iOS 7 notes get backed up to icloud? cause on my notes on computer they dont update what i did on phone, does not show on computer
Click to expand...

Yes. Notes get backed up. They show on my mac, but I'm using Mavericks.
 
Bear said:
They contain mostly the same data. However, restoring from them restores different data. See Choosing an iOS backup method (Should I use iTunes or iCloud to back up my iOS device?) for details on what does and doesn't get backed up and what can't be restored from the iCloud backup. Note that if something is no longer available on the iTunes Store, it can't be restored from the iCloud backup.
Click to expand...

That does not say what you think it does.

It does not describe how the backups differ, it describes how the restore process is different because things that are not backed up (e.g. Music) come from different sources in each case.

The iCloud approach is only able to recover:

1) Data that was backed up

2) Anything you purchased from the iTunes Store (Apps, Music, Videos etc.) that was on the device.

The iTunes approach can restore:

1) Data that was backed up

2) Anything in your iTunes Library (Apps, Music, Videos etc.) that was on the device

The iTunes method is more comprehensive (because you will almost certainly have non-iTunes Store content to restore), but it's more tedious to back up that way.

mirzank said:
well i think icloud backs up your app data, contacts, photos, etc, and the actual apps get downloaded from app store when you restore. i.e. its a very compartmentalized kind of backup. on the other hand i think itunes backs up the raw file structure with all apps, data, etc.

like i siad, its just a hypothesis based on anecdotal evidence and it doesn't ahve to be right and you don't have to agree with it. i'm not presenting some earth shattering scientific proof that you feel the need to refute.
Click to expand...

I don't care who's right or wrong, I just don't like to see incorrect information getting spread around too much. I understand it was only a theory you had.
 
Last edited:
So can one just simply answer the question already? What is the BEST way of going about to updating to the GM? Updating and restoring from an iCloud backup?
 
Bear said:
Actually nothing I said contradicts what is in the document I linked. I figured having an official Apple document might help the discussion.
Click to expand...

You said:

Bear said:
They contain mostly the same data. However, restoring from them restores different data
Click to expand...

"Mostly the same" and "the same" are different! The article says they contain the same data.

NickyLanzz said:
So can one just simply answer the question already? What is the BEST way of going about to updating to the GM? Updating and restoring from an iCloud backup?
Click to expand...

This is very subjective.

Personally, I'd use iTunes.

The main benefit is that it should be much faster than having to download the backup and all of your Apps.

I use iCloud Backup for the scenario (which I hope I won't ever need) where my iPhone is lost, stolen or non-functional and having a regular backup is important.
 
Last edited:
Daveoc64 said:
You said:



"Mostly the same" and "the same" are different! The article says they contain the same data.



This is very subjective.

Personally, I'd use iTunes.

The main benefit is that it should be much faster than having to download the backup and all of your Apps.

I use iCloud Backup for the scenario (which I hope I won't ever need) where my iPhone is lost, stolen or non-functional and having a regular backup is important.
Click to expand...

I would use iTunes back up but according to people your phone can still have issues from past betas and what not. It's basically not like a fresh install. So I figured iCloud back up would fix that issue, if it's true?
 
batting1000 said:
You might as well update if you're gonna restore the backup.

----------




It never has been.
Click to expand...

Updating and restoring the backup aren't the same thing. Updating could still contain trace elements of a beta OS that could cause issues in a final release. It is best to restore the OS fresh and then restore your iCloud backup which will contain your user data/settings.
 
So to clarify things...If I do a clear install of iOS7 and then just login my iCloud account and let it sync, is that going to bring the unwanted leftovers from the beta?

I want to have fresh iOS7, but at the same time I want my app data.

What would be the best solution?
 
corfio said:
So to clarify things...If I do a clear install of iOS7 and then just login my iCloud account and let it sync, is that going to bring the unwanted leftovers from the beta?

I want to have fresh iOS7, but at the same time I want my app data.

What would be the best solution?
Click to expand...
Use iExplorer or simliar to extract each apps Documents folder data individually.

Fresh install iOS7. Manually load all apps from app store. Copy app data back using iExplorer.

... I won't be doing this. But I think it's probably the cleanest way to install iOS7 and maintain app data.
 
corfio said:
So to clarify things...If I do a clear install of iOS7 and then just login my iCloud account and let it sync, is that going to bring the unwanted leftovers from the beta?

I want to have fresh iOS7, but at the same time I want my app data.

What would be the best solution?
Click to expand...

The backup contains app data, messages, settings etc not OS files. It shouldn't make any difference if you restore from a backup.

I'll probably do a clean install.
 
Will iTunes backups created during the use of the betas be successfully transferred across to the GM? Say if click restore > install iOS 7 GM > restore from the beta backup?
 
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