Help backing up iPad

[charax]

I am a digital nomad, and because of this I had not backed up my iPad for a year and a half, though it was not for lack of trying. On many occasions I had attempted to get on Starbucks’s Wi-Fi and/or the local library’s Wi-Fi to do said backup - with no luck. The place would always close before I had finished. Finally, I took it to an Apple Store, and they graciously kept it overnight for me so that it could back up. IT TOOK 26 HOURS. Granted, in the year and a half that I had not backed up the iPad, I had downloaded Procreate and created a lot of large digital art files, with backups to a Procreate Backups file and PSD Backups file in the files app on the iPad (so, yeah, triple the locations.) Fast forward two weeks, and here I am in the van (on my phone’s hotspot), trying to do the next backup. The reading says it will take 15 hours. For what, is my first question. Should it really take that long every two weeks? I really haven’t done much on the iPad in the last two weeks since I visited the Apple Store; and then I’d like to know if anybody can solve this dilemma for me. I don’t want to blow through my entire hotspot every month on an iPad backup or two. And, no, I don’t know anybody with a modem where I could leave it overnight. Wi-Fi at most libraries and Starbuck’s is pretty watered down by all of the users and doesn’t at this rate (15 hours!) seem capable of the task.

 

[Raz0rEdge]

My guess is that the backup isn't incremental like Time Machine which saves only changed data once a full backup is made, the iDevices (iPad, iPhone, etc.) are doing a full backup of the device so that you can restore the device from a single image.

That would explain the long backup time. My phone's back, for example, is 4.5 GB which accounts for all the apps & data on there ignoring Photos.

So if you have a 128GB iPad with lots of data, the backups will be large and over a hotspot, it'll take a very long time. If you're constantly on the road, go back to your Cell carrier and get a standalone hotspot that you can get with a plan of its own for this purpose.

 

[pm-r]

I am a digital nomad, and because of this I had not backed up my iPad for a year and a half, though it was not for lack of trying

Why not pick up a cheap, older working Mac model and just use it to back up your iPad when you need to using either Wi-Fi or preferably, a much faster direct connection?



- Patrick
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[charax]

Why not pick up a cheap, older working Mac model and just use it to back up your iPad when you need to using either Wi-Fi or preferably, a much faster direct connection?



- Patrick
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A Mac would not fit in our van, and would not have the benefit of a modem connection in the van.

 

[charax]

My guess is that the backup isn't incremental like Time Machine which saves only changed data once a full backup is made, the iDevices (iPad, iPhone, etc.) are doing a full backup of the device so that you can restore the device from a single image.

That would explain the long backup time. My phone's back, for example, is 4.5 GB which accounts for all the apps & data on there ignoring Photos.

So if you have a 128GB iPad with lots of data, the backups will be large and over a hotspot, it'll take a very long time. If you're constantly on the road, go back to your Cell carrier and get a standalone hotspot that you can get with a plan of its own for this purpose.

Thanks, I think the iPad has to first analyze the 1 TB, and then only backs up the newest stuff. Still, it takes absolutely forever, even on public wifi. However, I have had some luck offloading important art files onto Dropbox over cellular in the van, and will likely use this as a solution because taking it to Apple for a babysit every month is a nonstarter.

 

[Rod]

I think Patrick was referring to a MacBook, not a desktop, I'm sure you could squeeze a 12" MacBook Air or Pro somewhere into your van and a network connection would not be necessary. You would just be creating a "local" copy (backup) via a USB cable.

 

[charax]

I think Patrick was referring to a MacBook, not a desktop, I'm sure you could squeeze a 12" MacBook Air or Pro somewhere into your van and a network connection would not be necessary. You would just be creating a "local" copy (backup) via a USB cable.

Sorry I misunderstood. Do you mean that if I were to get a MacBook Pro, I could cable it to my iPad and do a backup that way, more easily than through cellular in the van or Wi-Fi at some spot (which obviously hasn't been working)?

 

[MacInWin]

Sorry I misunderstood. Do you mean that if I were to get a MacBook Pro, I could cable it to my iPad and do a backup that way, more easily than through cellular in the van or Wi-Fi at some spot (which obviously hasn't been working)?

Here is what Apple has for you:

How to back up your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch - Apple Support

Find the right backup method for you.

support.apple.com

 

[Slydude]

@Rod and Patrick I was initially thinking about backing up to a Mac forgetting about the space constraints in a van,

A Mac laptop resolves that problem nicely. It wouldn't have to be the absolute most recent model. It would just have to be new enough to run a macOS that supports that model iPad. The Mac could also be used for any tasks that don't work nicely on an iPad.

Just another thought as I was typing this. Is it possible to back up the iPad to a flash drive using the lightning/USB C port? Until recently I haven't had an iPad that would support this. If that works the drive would be cheaper than a used Mac.

 

[pm-r]

Is it possible to back up the iPad to a flash drive using the lightning/USB C port?

Connect external storage devices to iPad
You can use the Files app and other supported apps to access files stored on external devices, such as USB drives and SD cards, connected to your iPad.

Connect external storage devices to iPad

On iPad, use files stored on USB storage devices and SD cards.

support.apple.com

That shouldn't take up much space in the van. eh?



- Patrick
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[Slydude]

I just finished watching a video with someone backing up some iPad files to an external drive without a computer.

Here are two things to keep in mind that I noticed the last time I looked into this:

1. Not all external USB drives work with all models of iPads.
2. There are some flash drives that have multiple connections on them but I'm not sure how reliable they are. If your iPad has a lightning connection instead of USB C, it's probably best to just get a lightning-to-USB adapter..
3. The price of SSDs has dropped recently but some of the cheaper drives are complete garbage. Purchase from somewhere with a good return policy.

I don't know if it is possible to use this method to essentially "clone" the iPad including the OS. That would be ideal for you.