Nice going  - No backup when touch screen broken (5C) ?

[seveej]

So, our older kid got a used 5C this christmas, and wouldn't you know, less than one month later the display is cracked (display shows everything clearly, but touch active only over a third of display).

We have a number of local iPhone repair shops, and while some say they will wipe the phone (as a precaution to ensure parts compatibility) before proceeding all say "make sure to backup before bringing to repair".
Nice.

With 2/3 of the touch screen dead, I can't unlock (and no, voice control does not allow unlocking in this language area - it just tries to call the passcode number), thus I can't sync/backup.

Nice going Apple. Would it have been so difficult to allow entering the passcode within iTunes, tethered to the phone in question. I mean, it's not like screen damage isn't the most common damage an iPhone has.

- - -

Unless someone has a useable idea I have not yet heard of, these are the options...

Scr** it, he's only been taking pictures of his football team, nothing else to back up. Who cares?
*** Wrong thinking. Rather try to teach your kid to value his data.

Well, Do whatever it takes to recover the data then... In principle yes, but with the only solution being buying a lightning keyboard (80 € incl. postage), which together with the repair/service (80€) more than exceeds the value of the device this seems . . . ridiculous.
*** Even data has to have a price/value.

And as I said, why could you not unlock the phone via the computer when tethered.

RGDS,

P.S. iPhones in the family (2G, 3G, 3GS, 4, 4S, 5, 5S, 5SE, 6S) for 8+ years, first time this problem.

 

[Timothy Leo Crowley]

hahaha, your son smashed his phone and it's apple's fault.

sigh

 

[seveej]

hahaha, your son smashed his phone and it's apple's fault.

sigh

Yeah, sigh. This quality of commentary is why I've frequented macrumors less and less.

It's my son's fault that he damaged his iPhone.

The fact that there seems to be no sensible way in this case to make a backup of the computer's/camera's/phone's data would, in my opinion, indicate a design flaw.

RGDS,

 

[Mr_Brightside_@]

Third party repair shops should be willing to install a temporary screen so the phone can be unlocked and a backup made. My old company did this many times.
[doublepost=1484603646][/doublepost]Also is iCloud backup turned on?

 

[macTW]

Yeah, sigh. This quality of commentary is why I've frequented macrumors less and less.

It's my son's fault that he damaged his iPhone.

The fact that there seems to be no sensible way in this case to make a backup of the computer's/camera's/phone's data would, in my opinion, indicate a design flaw.

RGDS,

Design flaw. Blaming Apple.

Not security feature? Not safety measure for if someone wanted to break into a phone or touch while repairing, or even just in general with a normal screen? Must be design flaw. Must be.

 

[AppleB]

My number one rule in computing is "if it isn't backed up it doesn't exist"
A user has to take some responsibility in using digital data.
In my years of using computing devices I've paid the price many times over of losing data.
Apple and other tech companies over the years has made it easy to backup data by using Time Machine for Mac and iCloud for mobile devices.

Years ago it was dragging and dropping data to a hard drive and even then creating redundancy by backing up to another drive and maybe even a third hard drive.
The user still has to make the the decision to back up or not to backup.
If the user chooses not to backup they can pay the price of losing data.

 

[foxconn]

Yeah, sigh. This quality of commentary is why I've frequented macrumors less and less.

It's my son's fault that he damaged his iPhone.

The fact that there seems to be no sensible way in this case to make a backup of the computer's/camera's/phone's data would, in my opinion, indicate a design flaw.

RGDS,

It backs up automatically to iCloud every night. Since you're such a smart ass you'd figure you had that setup..

This world blames others for their problems. It's absolutely sickening.

 

[seveej]

Third party repair shops should be willing to install a temporary screen so the phone can be unlocked and a backup made. My old company did this many times.
[doublepost=1484603646][/doublepost]Also is iCloud backup turned on?

Regarding temporary screens, I have no idea. I guess I'll find out tomorrow.
iCloud backup is turned on, but seems erratic, to say it mildly.
[doublepost=1484605714][/doublepost]

Design flaw. Blaming Apple.

Not security feature? Not safety measure for if someone wanted to break into a phone or touch while repairing, or even just in general with a normal screen? Must be design flaw. Must be.

Just tell me, considering it's a 5C , and thus not having fingerprints, how not allowing a passcode to be sent through iTunes, enhances security?

 

[Mlrollin91]

Regarding temporary screens, I have no idea. I guess I'll find out tomorrow.
iCloud backup is turned on, but seems erratic, to say it mildly.
[doublepost=1484605714][/doublepost]

Just tell me, considering it's a 5C , and thus not having fingerprints, how not allowing a passcode to be sent through iTunes, enhances security?

Because if someone stole your phone and computer they can't access your phone. I would never want my phone's passcode to be accessed through iTunes.

 

[seveej]

My number one rule in computing is "if it isn't backed up it doesn't exist"
A user has to take some responsibility in using digital data.

True, but (see above) if iCloud backup seems erratic, then what am I to do? Let my 8-year old have the passwords to heaven (my Mac Pro) in order for him to be able to make backups? Or is  still in the mode, where you need an own mac to be able to use an iPhone?

 

[Mlrollin91]

True, but (see above) if iCloud backup seems erratic, then what am I to do? Let my 8-year old have the passwords to heaven (my Mac Pro) in order for him to be able to make backups? Or is  still in the mode, where you need an own mac to be able to use an iPhone?

I have never once had a problem with iCloud backup. I prefer iTunes but iCloud is a failsafe incase iTunes corrupts (which is sadly common).

 

[seveej]

Because if someone stole your phone and computer they can't access your phone. I would never want my phone's passcode to be accessed through iTunes.

iOS is apple's system
iTunes is apple's system.
If iOS can shut you out after three failed attempts, surely iTunes could do so also? Get real.

 

[Mlrollin91]

iOS is apple's system
iTunes is apple's system.
If iOS can shut you out after three failed attempts, surely iTunes could do so also? Get real.

Did you seriously tell me to get real? If anyone needs to get real it's you. It's a huge security vulnerability. Your Mac harderive can be cloned and then you have unlimited attempts. You just keep accessing clones.

 

[seveej]

I have never once had a problem with iCloud backup. I prefer iTunes but iCloud is a failsafe incase iTunes corrupts (which is sadly common).

With 8+ years experience, I've never had trouble with iTunes backups.
OTOH, with a 8 year old kid, at the end of a throttled 256k 3G line (the only way to make the price sensible) iCloud backup of photos and videos seems ... erratic.

 

[C DM]

With 8+ years experience, I've never had trouble with iTunes backups.
OTOH, with a 8 year old kid, at the end of a throttled 256k 3G line (the only way to make the price sensible) iCloud backup of photos and videos seems ... erratic.

The backups are generally done over WiFi.

 

[Mr_Brightside_@]

The backups are only done over WiFi.

 

[seveej]

Okay, listen...
All of you.

After having heard of my son's mishap today (and yes, he cried for a couple of hours), I did my research (having a PhD in Information Systems Science, I am able to do my homework, thank you) and tried to find out what ways there are to access a phone, when the touch screen is broken. Those boiled down to two alternatives as far as I could tell.

This, I felt (and still feel) is a design flaw (and yes, even if Apple does not know how to implement the feature in a secure way, I'd know, but that's not the point).
I also enquired whether there'd be some wisdom among the usually helpful macrumors -users. During the years, this is a forum where I've got a lot of help, and where I've tried to help.

I apologize if the original thread title was seen as unnecessarily provocative. I'm just appalled that Apple can have transitioned from the IT company which champions usability to a company which seems to have forgotten usability (remember usability is more than ease of use).

While I've received some responses which have been honest attempts at helpfulness, I've also gotten "haha, blame yourself for not doing backups..." -responses (Shame on you, it's a kid who is in pain. I'm just the father trying to help.)

In any case. I thank you for all pertinent comments, and will refrain from fuelling the fire of flamethrowers.

RGDS,

 

[tl01]

It backs up automatically to iCloud every night. Since you're such a smart ass you'd figure you had that setup..

This world blames others for their problems. It's absolutely sickening.

This! My kids have iOS devices and theirs back up to the cloud. We are able to check and see the last time they have backed up at any time. Plus...I can't imagine what an 8 year old has on their device that is so crucial? My 6 and 10 year olds might be bummed if game progressed wasn't backed up but most everything backs up with their log in now a days. Sorry your kid broke his/her phone. I can't see how this is really apple fault though. Plenty of work around. I never assume the info on my phone is safe. It must be backed up.

 

[macTW]

Regarding temporary screens, I have no idea. I guess I'll find out tomorrow.
iCloud backup is turned on, but seems erratic, to say it mildly.
[doublepost=1484605714][/doublepost]

Just tell me, considering it's a 5C , and thus not having fingerprints, how not allowing a passcode to be sent through iTunes, enhances security?

I find phone. I plug in. I set up program to try every passcode possible. Week or two later, unlocked phone. Kinda simple...
[doublepost=1484611264][/doublepost]I back up with manual plug in to iTunes.
[doublepost=1484611296][/doublepost]

 

[Applejuiced]

hahaha, your son smashed his phone and it's apple's fault.

sigh

Can you believe that? Bad Apple.
He only had it for less than a month and the screen cracked.
And off course Apple never came by to plug in and create any backups so now they're stuck with losing the kids data.
It's a design fault.

 

[Septembersrain]

Next time, try to keep up on backups. I do mine every week, or every other week as I run beta. I'm sorry he will lose his photos potentially but hopefully a third party shop can at least try to figure out a way to help.

 

[foxconn]

Okay, listen...
All of you.

After having heard of my son's mishap today (and yes, he cried for a couple of hours), I did my research (having a PhD in Information Systems Science, I am able to do my homework, thank you) and tried to find out what ways there are to access a phone, when the touch screen is broken. Those boiled down to two alternatives as far as I could tell.

This, I felt (and still feel) is a design flaw (and yes, even if Apple does not know how to implement the feature in a secure way, I'd know, but that's not the point).
I also enquired whether there'd be some wisdom among the usually helpful macrumors -users. During the years, this is a forum where I've got a lot of help, and where I've tried to help.

I apologize if the original thread title was seen as unnecessarily provocative. I'm just appalled that Apple can have transitioned from the IT company which champions usability to a company which seems to have forgotten usability (remember usability is more than ease of use).

While I've received some responses which have been honest attempts at helpfulness, I've also gotten "haha, blame yourself for not doing backups..." -responses (Shame on you, it's a kid who is in pain. I'm just the father trying to help.)

In any case. I thank you for all pertinent comments, and will refrain from fuelling the fire of flamethrowers.

RGDS,

All a PhD means is you can read and memorize information... you lack logic and common sense which is more important than a PhD.

 

[Mlrollin91]

All a PhD means is you can read and memorize information... you lack logic and common sense which is more important than a PhD.

Might want to give a PhD a little more credit than that. A dissertation is more than just reading and memorizing.

 

[Applejuiced]

All a PhD means is you can read and memorize information... you lack logic and common sense which is more important than a PhD.

On the internet anyone can be PhD, very rich, an expert at everything. You name it

 

[flyinmac]

Yeah, sigh. This quality of commentary is why I've frequented macrumors less and less.

It's my son's fault that he damaged his iPhone.

The fact that there seems to be no sensible way in this case to make a backup of the computer's/camera's/phone's data would, in my opinion, indicate a design flaw.

RGDS,

That is the one feature that I really liked on my old Android phones. I could set it to store everything to the removable SD Card.

Then anytime I wanted to copy something to or from the phone, I could just insert the SD Card in the computer and copy.

That type of system would be helpful in your situation. But unfortunately, Apple doesn't provide that option.