How To Backup Stylebook With iCloud

Updated November 2019

When you buy a new iPhone or iPad, you can easily transfer your entire closet from your old device using Apple’s iCloud backup and restore service! Below are step-by-step instructions on how to transfer your data along with some FAQ’s.

How iCloud Works

iCloud is Apple’s method of backing up your device data. It’s a the best way to move all of your apps, settings, data, wallpaper etc. to your new device at once. Note that Apple designed iCloud to retrieve your entire device backup, so you can’t selectively restore a single app. Once the restore is complete, everything on your new device will be identical to your old device on the date of the backup.

Make Sure Your iCloud Backup is Set Up Properly First

It’s very important that you check that you have a backup BEFORE you turn in your old device! Checking beforehand while ensure that you can create a new backup if you don’t have one.

Before setting up your new device, first double-check that your old device has actually completed a full backup. iCloud needs a wifi connection and you may not have been connected long enough for the backup to finish. You can check the last backup time and confirm that Stylebook is included in the backup in your phone’s Settings app.

1. Open the Settings app (grey gear icon)
2. Tap your Apple ID at the top of the screen
3. Tap iCloud
4. Tap “Manage Storage”
5. Tap “Backup”
6. In that list you should see both your old iPhone and new iPhone. Tap your old phone and look at the latest backup date.  If it says “Incomplete,” then your old device didn’t have enough time on wifi to make a backup and you must start a backup on the old device before you setup the new device (see below). You can see a list of apps on this screen as well – all included apps  will have a green toggle next to them.

NOTE: You may need to tap “Show All Apps” at the bottom of the screen to see the complete list of applications backed up to your account. 

What If My Backup Is Incomplete?
If you have an incomplete backup and still have your old device, please open the iCloud backup menu on your old device and activate a backup by following these instructions while your phone is connected to a power source:

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Tap the first row, which should show your name and say “Apple ID, iCloud, iTunes & App Store”
3. Scroll down the “This Phone” row on the Apple ID page and select your current device
4. Tap “iCloud Backup” (it should say “on”)
5. On the Backup screen select “Back Up Now” to manually activate a backup

When Can I Retrieve My Backup?

Apple gives you the opportunity to access your iCloud backup during the initial setup of your new iPhone or iPad. You can also retrieve it the first time you turn on your device after a reset.

How To Restore From iCloud and Retrieve Your Data 

1. Turn on your iPhone for the first time (or after it’s been reset)
2. Select a language
3. Select a region
4. Turn on your old phone
5. Hold up your old phone so the blue circle lines up with the circle image on your new phone
6. Enter your passcode
7. Setup Face ID
8. On the “Restore Apps and Data Screen” confirm that the default backup has a recent date and select the option to Restore from your old device’s iCloud backup (in the photo below, this is the middle option).
9. Follow the rest of the setup, including terms and conditions, your wallet, Siri, etc.
10. The “Restore from iCloud” bar will appear on screen. Remain on wifi while this takes place.
11. All your app icons will say “Waiting…” – remain on wifi until they are all completely filled in.
12. Tip: Apps are restored one at a time but you can tap apps that you want to restore first. Tap Stylebook if you want that backup to be restored right away.

 

Don’t Re-Download Your App From The Store

Allow the restore to complete on its own. Don’t re-download Stylebook from the store while you’re waiting. This will interrupt the transfer process and your data will not be transferred.

How Do I Know It Worked?
Your phone will be setup exactly like the device your restored from on the date of the backup you selected. Your wallpaper will be exactly the same and your old apps will all be on the phone. If you restore properly, you won’t need to redownload any app you had on your old device.

What If The App Still Says “Waiting”?
If you leave wifi early you will interrupt the restore process. Once you reconnect to wifi, you can tap a waiting app icons to reinitiate the restore process.

How To Redo Your Restore

If you already setup your new phone without doing the restore or accidentally chose the wrong setting, you can restart the transfer process and try again.

1. Before you try it again, make sure that your old phone actually backed up to iCloud (see above).
2. Immediately redo your iCloud restore on your new device by following Apple’s iCloud instructions.  If you restart the iCloud restore process, we recommend that you follow the instructions above.

What If I Don’t Want to Use iCloud But Still Want a Stylebook Backup?

If you don’t want to use iCloud, you can also restore Stylebook with your computer. Although we generally recommend using the iCloud backup (because you don’t need to remember to sync with your computer), you can use your Mac to backup and restore your data to your computer by following Apple’s instructions. Note that computer backups are only updated when you plug your phone into your computer and manually start a backup – unlike iCloud, which is automatically backed up every day. Here is a tutorial on how to locate and retrieve your computer backup if you replace or reset your device.