Using MBP to backup iPhone 5 for transfer

[BTRY B 529th FA BN]

I may have asked this before and if so I'll apologize right now, sorry, but I am back to figuring out how to backup my brother's iPhone 5 on to my MBP without any iTunes or any other account that I don't use, just my MBP.

For pictures is Photos better than iPhoto? And if so how can I export them to his upcoming iPhone 6+, when he gets it?

 

[dave_the_nerd]

You can copy the photos off with Image Capture or iPhoto. Haven't used Photo but I'd assume it's just as good for this. There's a few ways to copy them back to the new phone. Doesn't really matter.

But you're not going to have a lot of luck backing up the phone (app data, email, contacts, etc.) without using either iTunes or iCloud.

 

[BTRY B 529th FA BN]

You can copy the photos off with Image Capture or iPhoto. Haven't used Photo but I'd assume it's just as good for this. There's a few ways to copy them back to the new phone. Doesn't really matter.

But you're not going to have a lot of luck backing up the phone (app data, email, contacts, etc.) without using either iTunes or iCloud.

We were able to download some 2k of his 3700 photos until my MBP crashed. I'm hoping it was from a firmware update needed with the Samsung SSD I installed on it a year ago. But we didn't get as far as poking around with the exporting function. "Photos" seems to be as simple as a copy and paste to desktop type method I did with my iPhone to my windows machine.


Can he simply log into iCloud via Firefox or any browser from my MBP and backup the things he wants to his account rather than onto my MBP? I'd like to keep iTunes off my MBP. I am still disgusted by how terrible the whole iTunes thing still is. Plus if it accidentally got onto my MBP I would purge it, pull the SSD out, low level format it, and reinstall OSX - hah.

 

[TheStu]

We were able to download some 2k of his 3700 photos until my MBP crashed. I'm hoping it was from a firmware update needed with the Samsung SSD I installed on it a year ago. But we didn't get as far as poking around with the exporting function. "Photos" seems to be as simple as a copy and paste to desktop type method I did with my iPhone to my windows machine.


Can he simply log into iCloud via Firefox or any browser from my MBP and backup the things he wants to his account rather than onto my MBP? I'd like to keep iTunes off my MBP. I am still disgusted by how terrible the whole iTunes thing still is. Plus if it accidentally got onto my MBP I would purge it, pull the SSD out, low level format it, and reinstall OSX - hah.

iCloud update is done from the phone itself. Settings > iCloud > Backup (it's toward the bottom) > Back Up Now. They'll need to be connected to wifi, and it may take a while. But, it's encrypted, and when they get their new device, they just have to log into iCloud, say "yes, restore from backup", and they'll be good.

While they are in the iCloud settings they could check and see if their photos were already backed up that way.

 

[BTRY B 529th FA BN]

iCloud update is done from the phone itself. Settings > iCloud > Backup (it's toward the bottom) > Back Up Now. They'll need to be connected to wifi, and it may take a while. But, it's encrypted, and when they get their new device, they just have to log into iCloud, say "yes, restore from backup", and they'll be good.

While they are in the iCloud settings they could check and see if their photos were already backed up that way.

Ok, crap. I just talked to him and iCloud doesn't work because his phone is out of space to do anything, plus he is on iOS 7 er something still. Apps can't update, can't download new apps, etc. So I think we'll start with the photos via USB to my MBP to relieve some of the space, then try getting iCloud to work and then backing up the phone data with that. Argh, hah

 

[BTRY B 529th FA BN]

Is there any way to view the photo files on the iPhone without using iTunes or any of the apps on the Mac OS ? Like we can with Windows

 

[dave_the_nerd]

Is there any way to view the photo files on the iPhone without using iTunes or any of the apps on the Mac OS ? Like we can with Windows

No. It's an image capture device - Windows lets you browse those, OS X doesn't have that built in.

You can use Image Capture though.

 

[BTRY B 529th FA BN]

No. It's an image capture device - Windows lets you browse those, OS X doesn't have that built in.

You can use Image Capture though.

That's mint! I tested an import from my phone to my MBP and it works exactly the way I wanted it to: stored it to a folder on the desktop that I created. Now is there a way to export the images back to a new iPhone?

 

[Tyranicus]

I'd like to keep iTunes off my MBP. I am still disgusted by how terrible the whole iTunes thing still is. Plus if it accidentally got onto my MBP I would purge it, pull the SSD out, low level format it, and reinstall OSX - hah.

...You realize that reinstalling OS X would put iTunes back on your MBP, right?

I get that you don't like iTunes, but it is the best solution for your problem. Just backup with iTunes, restore to the new phone, then remove iTunes.

That's mint! I tested an import from my phone to my MBP and it works exactly the way I wanted it to: stored it to a folder on the desktop that I created. Now is there a way to export the images back to a new iPhone?

You can't drag and drop photos back to the phone. The only option for putting photos onto the phone is syncing with iTunes.

 

[BTRY B 529th FA BN]

...You realize that reinstalling OS X would put iTunes back on your MBP, right?

I get that you don't like iTunes, but it is the best solution for your problem. Just backup with iTunes, restore to the new phone, then remove iTunes.



You can't drag and drop photos back to the phone. The only option for putting photos onto the phone is syncing with iTunes.

Gotcha, he's going to have to do all that on his own with his phone. We've attempted this numerous times and I'm about to say the hell with it, hah. Thanks again for helping ! 🙂