The process of selecting applications for iCloud backup involves determining which data is crucial to retain and easily restore. Application data, including settings, documents, and progress, represents personalized configurations and user-generated content within those applications. As an example, backing up a note-taking application ensures that saved notes are preserved, while backing up a game preserves saved progress and customizations.
Backing up application data offers several advantages. Data preservation guards against data loss due to device malfunction, theft, or accidental deletion. Seamless restoration enables a device to be quickly returned to a functional state with application settings and data intact. Transferring data to a new device becomes streamlined, minimizing the setup time and effort. Historically, this process required manual file transfers or reliance on third-party software; iCloud backup provides an integrated and simplified solution.