iCloud iOS backups are growing

[ross7777]

I have 2 iPhones and 1 iPad backing up to iCloud. The size of the backups has exploded from around 300-500MB each to 1.3GB recently. I've tried turning off and deleting the backups. The size goes down but it's back up the next day.
I also tried backing up the iPad to iTunes and restoring from the iTunes backup. After turning on iCloud backup it grew to 1.3 GB again.

Please tell me there is another option besides setting up as a new device. What a pain to set everything up again.

 

[Julien]

...Please tell me there is another option besides setting up as a new device. What a pain to set everything up again.

You already did it. Why not just use iTunes. It has several advantages over iCloud. Full backup, much faster restore and doesn't use your iCloud space.

 

[ross7777]

iCloud is so convenient though. I always hating using iTunes.

 

[whsbuss]

iCloud is so convenient though. I always hating using iTunes.

True but I don't trust any remote server holding a copy of my data.

 

[staccato83]

Go to Settings > iCloud > Storage & Backup > Manage Storage > [name] iPhone

This should show you how much data is being backed up for each individual app. I went through a similar situation when I started using PDF Expert and having it sync my Dropbox account.

 

[ross7777]

Go to Settings > iCloud > Storage & Backup > Manage Storage > [name] iPhone

This should show you how much data is being backed up for each individual app. I went through a similar situation when I started using PDF Expert and having it sync my Dropbox account.

I have and it doesn't add up. It just keeps slowing growing in size.

 

[impaler]

I believe you should use both. And on iTunes, enable encrypted backup to save your passwords securely. iCloud restoring is great, but slow - and iTunes backs up much more than iCloud does.

 

[ross7777]

I believe you should use both. And on iTunes, enable encrypted backup to save your passwords securely. iCloud restoring is great, but slow - and iTunes backs up much more than iCloud does.

Up until now icloud has been great. I prefer not syncing with a computer. Especially with 3 devices. This seems like a glitch

 

[impaler]

Up until now icloud has been great. I prefer not syncing with a computer. Especially with 3 devices. This seems like a glitch

Ok by me. Ignore my advice at your peril. You will not get a full backup of your device unless you backup to iTunes. If you're willing to live with less than a full backup, sounds like you have your mind made up. Good luck.

 

[ross7777]

Ok by me. Ignore my advice at your peril. You will not get a full backup of your device unless you backup to iTunes. If you're willing to live with less than a full backup, sounds like you have your mind made up. Good luck.

I've restored from both iTunes and iCloud without issues. I just want to know why my iCloud backups are so large.

 

[madsci954]

iMessages. My iPhone and iPad backups were real small and stable when I was just using SMS. But they ballooned pretty rapidly after using iMessages. I've since moved to iTunes backups.

 

[Primejimbo]

I stopped using iTunes because I would have random music added and using iTunes Match, this annoyed me.

So what doesn't iCloud back up? I have restored my phone from iCloud twice and never missed anything at all.

 

[Weaselboy]

I stopped using iTunes because I would have random music added and using iTunes Match, this annoyed me.

So what doesn't iCloud back up? I have restored my phone from iCloud twice and never missed anything at all.

Here is an Apple document that lists what iCloud backs up.

The big difference I found is if you do an iTunes backup and check the box to encrypt it, it will backup all your app passwords from the iOS device so if you restore you don't have to go back through all your app and manually reenter all the passwords.

 

[Primejimbo]

Here is an Apple document that lists what iCloud backs up.

The big difference I found is if you do an iTunes backup and check the box to encrypt it, it will backup all your app passwords from the iOS device so if you restore you don't have to go back through all your app and manually reenter all the passwords.

That's just it, I have read that before and all my apps are logged in except for skydrive (Facebook, Instagram, Dropbox, all the apple apps, twitter, 1Password, and others don't need to be re-logged in). Everything else is fine so that's why I just stayed doing this way now. It does take a while for it to complete, but when I do a restore I just set it up and let it run all night.