iPhone PKGBackup 5.3.3 - How to use it?

[eyoungren]

I bought this app and I want to use it, but I'm having problems understanding parts of it.

It's my understanding that you can schedule backups using this app. Which is great because that's what I want to do. Unfortunately, I can't seem to find where to do that. The best I have been able to find is the settings where you log in to your cloud storage, which I have done. Once logged in, it kicks you back to the storage selection settings. The only option that seems to be there for scheduling is an option to set up backup schedules in Calendar (see attached). The first time I tried this I set that up. But all that seems to do is pop up a notice at the scheduled time for me to go and backup - and switching off iCal support in Settings doesn't change this. It doesn't actually back up. There is an option to keep X amount of backups but the app seems to keep more than that.

It was simple with SpriteBackup and my old HTC Touch Pro. Kept three backups on my SD card and deleted the oldest one as it went. That's the way I perceived this app to function. Am I wrong? Is there some arcane button I've missed? Am I missing parts of the app? Do I need to install the developer's repo and download from there?

I don't get it and the screenshots you can get to from the app description page in Cydia show an older version of this app that seems to have scheduling buttons - which doesn't help me because I don't seem to have any. The FAQ is useless and the dev describes things on the help pages in general and not specific terms.

Can someone help me understand this app and how it functions?

• iPhone 5 / 64GB, iOS 6.1

 

[Philadendron]

Wondering the exact same thing. I used to have the older version and it was a lot clearer to schedule backups. I tried the same thing as you, but I just got a reminder (useless). My next tactic is to enable automatic backups to see if it will perform the backups automatically at the times I specified in my calendar. This seems to have the unfortunate (and annoying) side-effect of trying to automatically perform a backup every time I open the app, but I can live with that if it allows me to schedule backups.

 

[dhlizard]

https://www.pragmatixconsulting.com/iphoneApps/User_Guide.html

 

[Philadendron]

https://www.pragmatixconsulting.com/iphoneApps/User_Guide.html

Wow thanks. Super helpful. Did you even read the contents of the page you posted? It doesn't answer my question.

My hunch is that you quickly googled and found a link to the user guide of the product in question, then puked it into this thread as quickly as possible. All so you could have the smug satisfaction of knowing you posted the obvious answer to a noob's question.

Is it too much to ask to either answer the question with useful information, or not post anything at all?

 

[eyoungren]

https://www.pragmatixconsulting.com/iphoneApps/User_Guide.html

Thank you and I appreciate this, but this is just a smaller part of the FAQ/Guide I was talking about.

At the very top it informs you that PKGBackup can schedule a backup. It does not give you any details on how to schedule a backup.

Farther down the page it tells you how to backup, but not how to schedule a backup. I know the app can auto backup when I open it. But, if this is what the dev means by scheduling a backup (simply opening the app with autobackup on) then we are not speaking the same language.

No where have I found any screen that shows scheduling options other than making calendar entries that do nothing but alert you to go make a manual backup.

 

[Philadendron]

Thank you and I appreciate this, but this is just a smaller part of the FAQ/Guide I was talking about.

At the very top it informs you that PKGBackup can schedule a backup. It does not give you any details on how to schedule a backup.

Farther down the page it tells you how to backup, but not how to schedule a backup. I know the app can auto backup when I open it. But, if this is what the dev means by scheduling a backup (simply opening the app with autobackup on) then we are not speaking the same language.

No where have I found any screen that shows scheduling options other than making calendar entries that do nothing but alert you to go make a manual backup.

Have you tried what I said I would try tonight? Enabling "Automatic Backup" then setting up the schedule with the calendar entries? Mine is set for 3AM every morning and I don't feel like changing it just to test, so I can report back tomorrow how it goes.

Frustrating, since the older version was so easy to schedule backups in. Their (outdated) "Screenshots" page shows screens of how the system used to work and as you can see, it was much better.

I thought I was just missing something obvious, but if that's the case, at least it's not just me.

 

[eyoungren]

Have you tried what I said I would try tonight? Enabling "Automatic Backup" then setting up the schedule with the calendar entries? Mine is set for 3AM every morning and I don't feel like changing it just to test, so I can report back tomorrow how it goes.

Frustrating, since the older version was so easy to schedule backups in. Their (outdated) "Screenshots" page shows screens of how the system used to work and as you can see, it was much better.

I thought I was just missing something obvious, but if that's the case, at least it's not just me.

Sorry, I missed your earlier message. Yes, I did try this. In fact I just assumed that doing that in Settings and then setting a Calendar schedule was how it was supposed to work. When I kept waking up in the morning to dismiss a banner alert reminding me about backing up at 3am and then opening the app to find that no backup occured at 3am is when I started to question this.

I agree with you on the screenshots. That's the big reason why I was scratching up head and going WTF?! I assumed when I was downloading the app that THAT is what I was getting and not what I have now!

 

[Philadendron]

Sorry, I missed your earlier message. Yes, I did try this. In fact I just assumed that doing that in Settings and then setting a Calendar schedule was how it was supposed to work. When I kept waking up in the morning to dismiss a banner alert reminding me about backing up at 3am and then opening the app to find that no backup occured at 3am is when I started to question this.

I agree with you on the screenshots. That's the big reason why I was scratching up head and going WTF?! I assumed when I was downloading the app that THAT is what I was getting and not what I have now!

Great, now I guess I know it won't work.

Have you emailed the dev? I'll send him something, too, can't hurt to have a few people asking for an explanation. Love the app, but damn if it doesn't have a terrible UI.

 

[dokindo]

Sorry if this is a dumb question, but now that we cannot restore A5 devices, is there even any point to PKGbackup?

 

[eyoungren]

Great, now I guess I know it won't work.

Have you emailed the dev? I'll send him something, too, can't hurt to have a few people asking for an explanation. Love the app, but damn if it doesn't have a terrible UI.

Yeah, I emailed him. It was one of the first things I did when I couldn't figure it out. Never heard back. So, I went to Google after that and all I could find was old instructions for screens I don't have or mentions of the new release, but no details on how to use it at all.

So, I figured I'd ask here at that point, but no one seems to know (otherwise, I assume they would have responded). If you get a hold of the dev, post back.

One review I read mentioned the terrible (back then) UI. That's pretty bad if the earlier UI was better than this!

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Sorry if this is a dumb question, but now that we cannot restore A5 devices, is there even any point to PKGbackup?

At the time I first posted this question, the Evasi0n jailbreak was still viable as I believe 6.1.3 wasn't out yet (may be wrong on that, probably wrong on that). So, from an earlier standpoint the question was (IMO) entirely valid. But that aside, I'd just like to know how to use an app I paid about $10 or more for!

 

[dhlizard]

Wow thanks. Super helpful. Did you even read the contents of the page you posted? It doesn't answer my question.

My hunch is that you quickly googled and found a link to the user guide of the product in question, then puked it into this thread as quickly as possible. All so you could have the smug satisfaction of knowing you posted the obvious answer to a noob's question.

Is it too much to ask to either answer the question with useful information, or not post anything at all?

My response was an attempt to assist the thread starter, NOT YOU !

Just because you have a similar issue, I would never attempt to assist anyone who would never be grateful.