Filed under: iTunes, iPhone, iPhone 101
iPhone 101: Speedier iPhone backups, three ways
Since the introduction of the App Store, the iPhone and iPod touch backup procedure has become quite time-consuming. The Panama Canal was constructed in less time. Fortunately, the impatient can speed up (or kill) the process in one of three ways.The first is the simplest. When the backup begins, simply click the small "x" that appears in iTunes' main window. This will halt the backup but continue the sync, so those new podcasts you've downloaded will get transferred.
The second procedure is a bit more involved. Open a Terminal window and type the following:
defaults write com.apple.iTunes DeviceBackupsDisabled -bool trueThat will kill the backup procedure until you enable it again by typing
defaults write com.apple.iTunes DeviceBackupsDisabled -bool falseJust be aware that this method also kills SMS message backups.
Those of you uncomfortable with Terminal can use this tiny application which essentially runs the commands above at the click of a button.
Finally, you can follow the steps outlined at iPhoneFreak that involve disabling the option to send diagnostic information to Apple at sync.
So there you have it -- three ways to make your backup procedure more pleasant. If you need to recover files from a backup, you can use the mdhelper application, written by our own Erica Sadun.
Update: The DisableBackup application in method #2 above has been updated to take advantage of a new feature of iTunes 7.7.1. Details here.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Mo said 9:21AM on 8-05-2008
Uh, only one of those ways actually involves a faster backup - the rest disable them, surely?
Three ways for a faster *sync*, on the other hand…
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PistolPeet said 9:22AM on 8-05-2008
Surely this topic should be "disable iPhone backups" and not "speedier"? They're only quicker because it's not being backed up.
Or even "Speedier iPhone sync" would work.
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PistolPeet said 9:22AM on 8-05-2008
Surely this topic should be "disable iPhone backups" and not "speedier"? They're only quicker because it's not being backed up.
Or even "Speedier iPhone sync" would work.
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PistolPeet said 9:23AM on 8-05-2008
Ooops, please ignore double-post.
Bill Jobs said 9:28AM on 8-05-2008
Hello? I'm a Windows user here......what can I do to speed up that backup??
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Rafe H. said 10:14AM on 8-05-2008
buy a mac.
Bill Jobs said 10:42AM on 8-05-2008
@Rafe H.
I want to but I don't have the money right now.
Kev Orng said 10:46AM on 8-05-2008
SOMEBODY had to reply with "Buy a Mac".
You could also click that little x to skip the backup and go straight to sync as described in the post.
But if you want to tinker under the hood of your Windows machine in the manner of these Terminal commands, I suggest you consult a Windows forum. Most people here can handle Windows tinkering to varying degrees, but the expertise is Mac-focused.
Bill Jobs said 10:47AM on 8-05-2008
Thanks Kevin. I appreciate the non-biased reply.
OmniGeno said 2:09PM on 8-05-2008
@Bill Jobs:
To disable the backup in Windows, try this:
http://www.eidac.de/?p=60
I haven't tried it myself since I'm on a Mac, but it looks like it should work fine.
Cody Moyer said 9:29AM on 8-05-2008
Thankfully I'm not that impatient. I had no problem waiting, although it did start to get annoying. But the new 2.0.1 software update brought the backup time down to seconds... hallelujah.
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James Donevan said 9:41AM on 8-05-2008
There is no way to speed up the backup, only ways to disable it. All too often bloggers here go for the catchy title, not the accurate title.
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ipim said 9:42AM on 8-05-2008
Or use this app:
http://www.twelvepin.com/twelvepin/backupdisabler.html
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puhsitch said 10:01AM on 8-05-2008
Or you can just hit the little "x" in the status screen while it's backing up. That stops the backup and skips to the syncing part of the process.
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puhsitch said 10:02AM on 8-05-2008
Whoops, never mind. Reading comprehension ain't my strongest point.
Chris G. said 10:05AM on 8-05-2008
So what if backup takes a minute or two? When I wake up in the morning, I plug in my iPhone into my laptop and let it do its thing when I quickly check my e-mail and RSS feeds. By the time I am done, it is always finished the backup and done syncing.
I feel quite comforted that all the app data I have on my iPhone is backed up every time.
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Mo said 10:22AM on 8-05-2008
The problem isn't backups taking a minute or two. It's backups taking 90 minutes plus, which for many people is the case.
Chris G. said 10:23AM on 8-05-2008
Never had that problem. The most I have seen is 5 minutes for a backup.
I do sync my iPhone at least once a day (in the morning) and often at night too.
rhanley315 said 11:56AM on 8-05-2008
Please let everyone know exactly what Apps and settings you have on your phone for this process to be that fast, I would surely let go of my PhoneSaber if it was the case!
ars_workerbee said 10:33AM on 8-05-2008
That's great.
Lead everyone on that you've got a magic bullet to speed up their backups, then tell them how to disable their backups, with the warning "Just be aware that this method also kills SMS message backups."
Oh yeah, and it will kill the backups of everything else too, saved games, preferences, call logs, Notes, but that's OK, no need to mention that.
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