iPad Just bought a second iPad: "Set Up as New iPad" or "Restore from iCloud Backup"?

[iHavequestions]

Hi there,

Question: I just got a new iPad and I have a previous iPad already set up on iCloud. If I want to share the apps so I don't have to pay twice, do I choose "Set Up as New iPad" or do I choose "Restore from iCloud Backup"? Both allow me to enter my AppleID but I want to make sure I understand the difference between how each choice will work... Thanks in advance!

 

[Night Spring]

You can share apps between the two devices regardless of which option you choose. All you have to do is to sign in to the ITunes / App Store with the Apple ID you used to purchase the apps.

If you choose to restore from your backup, all your system settings, apps, and app data from your old iPad will transfer to your new one. It'll be like you were using your old iPad right where you left off, except you will have to login again in apps that use user accounts. If you set it up as new, well, it'd be a new iPad, with nothing on it other than the stock apps. You will be able to download previously purchased apps for free (if you're logged in to the Store account used to purchase those apps), but the apps will have no data, games will start at first level, etc.

 

[iHavequestions]

You can share apps between the two devices regardless of which option you choose. All you have to do is to sign in to the ITunes / App Store with the Apple ID you used to purchase the apps.

If you choose to restore from your backup, all your system settings, apps, and app data from your old iPad will transfer to your new one. It'll be like you were using your old iPad right where you left off, except you will have to login again in apps that use user accounts. If you set it up as new, well, it'd be a new iPad, with nothing on it other than the stock apps. You will be able to download previously purchased apps for free (if you're logged in to the Store account used to purchase those apps), but the apps will have no data, games will start at first level, etc.

OK so going either route is just the starting point, right? Once I start backing up in either route, it will save as a new iCloud device?

 

[ScottW1]

OK so going either route is just the starting point, right? Once I start backing up in either route, it will save as a new iCloud device?

Yes, the two devices will each have its own backup on iCloud.

 

[Night Spring]

OK so going either route is just the starting point, right? Once I start backing up in either route, it will save as a new iCloud device?

If you mean to continue using both iPads, yes a separate backup will be created for each iPad. You'd want to give each iPad an unique name (Settings > General > About > Name) so you can easily tell them apart.

 

[meistervu]

problem with restoring from back up

This is just one person's experience, but it's quite compelling.

I upgraded from an iPad 3 and chose to restore from back up. My iPad Air apps, especially Safari, crashed at least once a day.

When I exchanged my Air for another one (home button too high and felt sharp), the "genius" told me, without my asking, that he saw a lot of crashes on my old Air, and perhaps I should set up as new to get rid of the cruds.

I did as suggested, and my new Air hasn't crashed since I got it.

When you set up as new, you still can get all your data when you sync. You will need to go to the App Store, to "my apps" section to reinstall your apps.

 

[GoingDark]

Like others have said, you will have access to your previously purchased apps regardless of what option you choose.

Personally I always choose to set up as new, partly because I feel it's more stable (I was also one of those people who routinely did the format/clean install dance on my Windows machines), but mostly because I find I download a lot of apps that I don't really use after a while.

Starting fresh means I only re-download the apps I know I will use.

 

[Night Spring]

When you set up as new, you still can get all your data when you sync.

That depends on the app. Data in Apple's stock apps do sync from iCloud. iWork apps also store their data in iCloud. Not sure about iLife apps, I assume they do the same. For all other apps, it totally depends on the app. Many apps require that you set up an account with the app to sync data, others allow you to backup and restore data from Dropbox and / or iCloud, and there are some apps that don't backup or sync their data at all, and the only way to keep their data is to restore from a full iPad backup.