iOS backup: Manual to computer or iCloud

December 2, 2016 10:45 AM

For an iPhone, what's the difference between backing up to iCloud and backing up to your computer (besides the obvious that "The Cloud" is just someone else's computer)? Is one better than the other or does it depend on what your goals are?

Backstory behind question: Got an iPhone off Ebay, to replace a current iPhone. But NEWiPhone is a larger physical size, so the helpful ATT Chat rep said the NEWphone has to be taken into an ATT store, since the SIM cards are different sizes. So a backup should be made of the OLDphone before ATTreps start messing with it. But OLDphone can't connect to iTunes to do a manual backup, so have to stick with just doing an iCloud backup. Am under the impression that the manual iTunes backup is like cloning one's phone, while iCloud just copies some stuff, but not EVERYTHING, even though we have 200gb iCloud backup and plenty of space.

So which backup method, iCloud vs iTunes is better and what's better about it?

posted by Brandon Blatcher to Computers & Internet (12 answers total)

I've had very good luck with iCloud backups while upgrading devices. I've done so twice in the past 5 years or so, and each time it was just a matter of firing up the new phone, saying, "Yes please. Restore from iCloud backup." and done. I didn't lose anything either time I did this.

*just one MeFite's experience
posted by JeffK at 10:53 AM on December 2, 2016

Have had same experience with computer backups -- "restored" first iPhone from my older iPod Touch, etc.

Benefit to cloud, long-term: not in house (in case of fire, travel, whatever)
Benefit to computer: not in Cloud (depending on your views on privacy, etc.)
posted by acm at 11:13 AM on December 2, 2016

Generally restoring from icloud backups are reasonable - they don't store apps or other purchases that can be downloaded from the store so that can be a minor issue if you use apps that remain on your device but are no longer offered for sale.

Also the "local computer" backups do have an (potentially) important distinction - the encrypted ones will contain health info, passwords & other sensitive information. The non-encrypted ones do not.

I don't know where this line is set for icloud backups and a quick search didn't offer an obvious answer. This probably isn't an issue unless you know you're using your phone for tracking things in healthkit apps or the like.
posted by mce at 11:19 AM on December 2, 2016 [1 favorite]

IME, iCloud backups "just work". At least, when I've had a faulty iPhone replaced in the past (under AppleCare) I walked into an Apple store, they checked it was backed up to iCloud, replaced it with an identical model, waited for it to restore and I walked out with a more-or-less indistinguishable device from that with which I'd walked in - had to log in to a few things again, but basically everything was right where I left it.
posted by parm at 11:22 AM on December 2, 2016

Backup to iCloud is a thing you can turn on and off, so if it's turned on, it's not just backing up your photos and whatever, it's backing up the entire thing as if you were connected to iTunes. So you should be able to back up old phone to the cloud, and restore it to new phone.
posted by AFABulous at 11:22 AM on December 2, 2016

Like mce said, password-protected local backups store your passwords etc., making it easy to start using after a restore. I keep iCloud backup on and do a local backup every so often or before a dicey procedure.
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 11:49 AM on December 2, 2016

Both. Always both.
posted by Hermione Granger at 11:50 AM on December 2, 2016 [1 favorite]

I don't know where this line is set for icloud backups and a quick search didn't offer an obvious answer. This probably isn't an issue unless you know you're using your phone for tracking things in healthkit apps or the like.

iCloud backups are encrypted by default and so store all this information.
posted by sixfootaxolotl at 12:15 PM on December 2, 2016

Apple Support Link

iTunes backup will backup your entire device. With iCloud backup you can sorta pick and choose what gets backed up. For instance, I don't backup my photos to iCloud for space reasons. I use Google Photos for that.

When I got a new iPhone a couple months ago, I restored the new iPhone from the iCloud backup of my old iPhone and that worked great.

I rarely do iTunes backups except maybe prior to a major iOS update.
posted by LoveHam at 12:31 PM on December 2, 2016 [1 favorite]

For me iCloud is my "Oh shit" backup, but I really prefer to use iTunes when I'm working on a means to an end. It's just faster when you're sitting backup up, then restoring.

Other than that, and the various things about HealthKit above, there really is no substantive difference, either one should leave your new iPhone setup exactly like the previous device.
posted by sixfootaxolotl at 12:32 PM on December 2, 2016 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Haven't had to do it recently, but IIRC, a full iTunes backup includes all your in-app purchases, while if you do iCloud, you'll have to restore those manually. May or may not be a factor depending on how many of those you have.
posted by doctord at 5:52 PM on December 3, 2016 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Did the iCloud backup. After signing into iCloud, the phone insisted on being connected to a Wifi network so it could download the Apps again. All the data for Apps were there and it "just worked".

Slight snafu with restarting the iCloud Keychain, but it worked itself. Thanks ya'll!
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 5:26 PM on December 6, 2016