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iTunes back ups saved on a computer

is it possible to add an old iTunes back up to an established/set up device?

Posted on Mar 20, 2022 3:40 PM

Reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Mar 20, 2022 4:30 PM

There is only one computer backup for an iOS device; that backup is updated with changes with each new backup, but previous backups can’t be restored. On Windows, and on a Mac with Mojave and earlier, open iTunes, go to iTunes Preferences, then Devices to see your backups.


On Mac Catalina and later, connect the phone to your Mac, open Finder, and you should see your phone in the Finder sidebar. Make sure all boxes are checked in Finder preferences/Sidebar. Click on the iOS device in the sidebar, then Manage Backups


Then, about multiple backups:

  • When you back up an iOS device for the first time it creates a complete backup.
  • After that first backup each subsequent backup of a device with that same iOS version creates an incremental backup, just saving changes to the initial backup, so there is effectively only the most recent backup.
  • If you update the phone, then back it up, a new complete backup is created, leaving the backup of the previous version intact, so now you have 2 backups, one of each version.
  • You can also “archive” any backup made on a Mac (not Windows) by going to iTunes/Preferences/Devices (Mojave and earlier) or Manage Backups in Finder (Catalina and later), right clicking on a backup and choosing Archive.
  • If you archive a backup the next backup will be a full backup, leaving the Archived backup available to go back to.


iCloud: When you back up to iCloud it saves the 2 most recent backups.

2 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Mar 20, 2022 4:30 PM in response to Mrs_Tim

There is only one computer backup for an iOS device; that backup is updated with changes with each new backup, but previous backups can’t be restored. On Windows, and on a Mac with Mojave and earlier, open iTunes, go to iTunes Preferences, then Devices to see your backups.


On Mac Catalina and later, connect the phone to your Mac, open Finder, and you should see your phone in the Finder sidebar. Make sure all boxes are checked in Finder preferences/Sidebar. Click on the iOS device in the sidebar, then Manage Backups


Then, about multiple backups:

  • When you back up an iOS device for the first time it creates a complete backup.
  • After that first backup each subsequent backup of a device with that same iOS version creates an incremental backup, just saving changes to the initial backup, so there is effectively only the most recent backup.
  • If you update the phone, then back it up, a new complete backup is created, leaving the backup of the previous version intact, so now you have 2 backups, one of each version.
  • You can also “archive” any backup made on a Mac (not Windows) by going to iTunes/Preferences/Devices (Mojave and earlier) or Manage Backups in Finder (Catalina and later), right clicking on a backup and choosing Archive.
  • If you archive a backup the next backup will be a full backup, leaving the Archived backup available to go back to.


iCloud: When you back up to iCloud it saves the 2 most recent backups.

iTunes back ups saved on a computer

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