From Newsgroup: comp.mobile.ipad

This was posted today, where, as far as I'm aware, the only way the OP
could have prevented these problems would be to use Apple's backup method
below (which requires a spare iOS device kept in your drawer forever).

From: Ant <ant@zimage.comANT>
Newsgroups: misc.phone.mobile.iphone
Subject: My recent iPhone upgrade issues...
Date: Sun, 8 Mar 2026 17:00:46 -0000 (UTC)
Message-ID: <10ok9vu$2hnbn$1@dont-email.me>

1. I lost some iOS apps because they are not in Apple's app store
anymore like ValuPak (already e-mailed them about this).
I assume there's no way to restore them from my old iPhone
and iTunes back up. :(

2. Some apps lost their settings like in BibleChat app.
I had to start new. :(

3. New 17 is sure slippery and heavy compared to my old 12 mini, age,
and disabilities. I am waiting for my Torras case, with 360 degrees
rotatable magsafe ring holder, order.
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From Newsgroup: comp.mobile.ipad

Maria Sophia wrote:

1. I lost some iOS apps because they are not in Apple's app store
anymore like ValuPak (already e-mailed them about this).
I assume there's no way to restore them from my old iPhone
and iTunes back up. :(

See also the canonical thread on this topic.

Newsgroups: misc.phone.mobile.iphone,comp.sys.mac.advocacy
Subject: Was your IPA ever in any backup made by iTunes or Finder?
Date: Sun, 4 Jan 2026 01:42:07 -0500
Message-ID: <10jd23v$3hr$1@nnrp.usenet.blueworldhosting.com>

The question to answer for Ant would be whether Quick Start preserves app settings, which it should do because Quick Start copies the entire iOS installed app bundle and its associated data, not just the user documents.

This is different from iCloud or Finder/iTunes backups, which only restore
app data and then re-download the app from the App Store. Quick Start
avoids that limitation by cloning the runnable app exactly as it exists on
the source device.

1. What Quick Start DOES preserve

A. Installed app bundle
i. This is the unpacked IPA (the actual runnable app).
ii. It includes the executable, resources, frameworks, etc.
iii. It is copied exactly as it exists on the source device.
iv. This preserves:
a. Old sub-versions
b. Removed-from-App-Store apps
c. Developer-abandoned apps
d. Apps incompatible with current App Store downloads

B. App data
i. Documents
ii. Saved progress
iii. Local databases
iv. User-created content

C. App settings
i. In-app settings
ii. Preferences stored in UserDefaults
iii. Local config files
iv. Non-purgeable caches
v. Anything inside the app's sandbox

D. System settings
i. Home screen layout
ii. Wi-Fi settings
iii. Accessibility settings
iv. Keyboard dictionaries
v. Notification settings
vi. Privacy permissions
vii. Many other device-level preferences

2. What Quick Start DOES NOT preserve

A. Apps that cannot run on the target iOS version
i. The bundle is copied, but it may not launch.

B. Apps that require re-authentication
i. Banking apps
ii. Enterprise apps
iii. Secure messaging apps
(These enforce server-side login resets.)

C. Settings stored only in iCloud
i. Some apps sync settings from iCloud instead of storing them locally.

3. Why Quick Start preserves settings but backups do not

A. iCloud and Finder/iTunes backups DO NOT include:
i. The IPA
ii. The installed app bundle
iii. The app version

B. Backups only include:
i. App data
ii. System settings

C. During restore, the device re-downloads the app from the App Store.
i. If the app is gone, you lose it.
ii. If the version changed, settings may break.
iii. If the developer removed compatibility, restore fails.

D. Quick Start avoids all of this by copying:
i. The installed app bundle
ii. The entire sandbox
iii. The exact sub-version
--
The whole point of every Usenet thread here is to add technical value.
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From Newsgroup: comp.mobile.ipad

Maria Sophia wrote:

D. Quick Start avoids all of this by copying:
i. The installed app bundle
ii. The entire sandbox
iii. The exact sub-version

While Quick Start is the only Apple-sanctioned method that preserves...
A. App settings
B. App data
C. App sub-versions
D. Apps removed from the App Store
E. Apps that can no longer be downloaded
F. Apps that still run on older iOS versions
Quick Start is powerful, but it has several real disadvantages also.

As far as I'm aware, these are some of the practical limitations that
matter to us when using Quick Start as an iOS "app archive" method.

1. Apple's Quick Start method requires two working devices
A. The source device must boot.
B. The source device's apps must still run.
C. The source device must not be wiped or damaged.
D. The source device must be registered to your Apple Account
E. If the device dies, Quick Start becomes impossible.

2. Apple's Quick Start method cannot resurrect broken apps
A. If an app no longer launches on the source device,
Quick Start copies a non-working app.
B. If the app depends on a server that no longer exists,
it will still fail.
C. Quick Start preserves the state, not the functionality.

3. Apple's Quick Start method cannot bypass iOS version compatibility
A. If the target device runs an iOS version that the old app
cannot run on, the app may be copied but will not launch.
B. This is why archive devices must stay on an OS version that
still runs the old apps.

4. Apple's Quick Start method is therefore, not a real backup, per se.
A. Quick Start creates a clone, not a file.
B. There is no off-device storage.
C. There is no redundancy.
D. If both devices fail, the archive is gone.
E. We cannot keep multiple snapshots unless we own multiple devices.

5. Apple's Quick Start method overwrites the target device completely
A. Quick Start cannot merge data.
B. It cannot selectively transfer apps.
C. It wipes the target device and replaces everything.

6. Apple's Quick Start method requires physical proximity and time
A. Both devices must be present.
B. Both devices must be charged.
C. Both devices must be unlocked.
D. Transfer time can range from minutes to hours.
E. Cannot be done remotely.

7. Even with Apple's Quick Start, some apps may force re-authentication
A. Banking apps
B. Government apps
C. Enterprise apps
D. Secure messaging apps
E. These apps may intentionally require a fresh login after migration.

8. Even with Apple's Quick Start, the archive device can fail
A. Battery failure
B. Hardware failure
C. Activation lock issues
D. Device becomes unsupported
E. If the archive device dies, the archive is lost.

9. Quick Start cannot preserve apps that depend on deprecated frameworks
A. 32-bit apps
B. Apps using removed system libraries
C. Apps using deprecated private APIs
D. Even if copied, these apps will not run on newer iOS versions.

10. Quick Start cannot reliably preserve apps requiring online activation
A. Apps that require a server handshake
B. Apps that require subscription validation
C. Apps that require license checks
D. If the server is gone, Quick Start cannot fix it.

In summary, Apple's sanctioned Quick Start method is powerful, but fragile.

The main disadvantages of Apple's Quick Start method are (in part)...
1. Requires two working devices.
2. Cannot fix broken apps.
3. Cannot bypass iOS version compatibility.
4. Not a true backup (no file, no redundancy).
5. Overwrites the target device.
6. Requires physical proximity.
7. Some apps force re-login.
8. Archive device can fail.
9. Old frameworks may be missing.
10. Apps requiring server activation may still fail.
--
We can never know everything but knowing that would stop us from trying.
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