How to Transfer Old iPad Data to The New iPad (3rd-Gen)

Now that you have received your third generation iPad, you should take time to prepare your migration (apps, pictures, settings, and data) from your original iPad or iPad 2 devices to the new iPad. Though Apple has already made the process painless by storing your data to iCloud, we will guide you with instructions to ensure that all your data, settings, apps, and games get moved over to your new iPad without any hiccups.

There are actually two different approaches to take: Restore from iCloud or manually restore from iTunes. We will take you through all the steps involved for smooth data transfer.

Transfer Data to New iPad with iCloud backup and restore

Before you start the process of moving your data to iPad 3, it is highly recommended that you backup the data from your older generation iPad.

Data that can be Backed-up

 Backed-up information includes purchased music, TV shows, apps, and books; photos and video in the Camera Roll; device settings (for example, Phone Favorites, Wallpaper, and Mail, Contacts, Calendar accounts); app data; Home screen and app organization; Messages (iMessage, SMS, and MMS), ringtones, and more. Media files synced from your computer aren’t backed up, but can be restored by syncing with iTunes.

Backup of purchased music is not available in all countries. Backup of purchased TV shows occurs only in theUnited States. Previous purchases may not be restored if they are no longer in the iTunes Store, App Store, or iBookstore.

Steps for your Old iPad

With iOS 5.x running and iCloud set up on your iPad, transferring content is darn easy since it doesn’t require computer at all. These backups are done automatically when your iPad device is connected to both a power source and a WiFi connection. Here are the steps you should follow:

Step 1: Navigate to Settings > iCloud > Storage and Backup, and scroll to the bottom of the page.

Step 2: Tap on “Back Up Now” to initiate a iCloud back up process.

Depending on how long it has been since the last back up was performed, volume of data and the speed of your internet connection, the backup process may take time. We strongly advice you to be patient until the backup is completed. As soon as the backup to iCloud has completed, you should see an updated date and time in the “Last Backup” area.

Steps for your New iPad (3)

After taking backup of your old iPad, it’s time to transfer the data, settings and games to your new iPad. To do so, here are the steps involved.

Step 1: Navigate to the “Set Up iPad” screen and select “Restore from iCloud Backup.”

Step 2: Tap ‘Next’ and you will be prompted to enter your iCloud login. Enter your Apple ID and password, and then tap ‘Next’.

Step 3: You’ll now see the “Choose Backup” screen, select the latest Backup and then click the blue Restore button (Top Right Screen) to transfer the data from the old iPad backup to the new iPad.

During the restore process, an attempt will be made to download the same version of the app that you had installed on your old iPad model. If that version is no longer available, the latest version of the app will be restored automatically.

The process might take time. Again it depends upon what data plan you have with your ISP and the size of the backup taken. After the restore has been completed, your iPad 3 is ready for use.

Transfer Data to New iPad with iTunes backup Restore

You can head over to Apple support document and follow the instructions on how you can restore via itunes. Ensure that you have synced your photos to an iPhoto Library on your Mac.  To do so plug your old iPad to Mac computer via USB, open iPhoto on your Mac, select the iPad from the left hand side of the screen and click on Import Photos on the right.

Sync purchases to iTunes: Follow this step if you haven’t setup your iCloud storage account yet. iTunes Store and App Store content on your iOS device ‘may not’ automatically transfer to your computer. You can use the Transfer Purchases option in iTunes to ensure that all iTunes Store purchases and App Store content is transferred to your iTunes library.

Once you have taken the backup from your iPad 2 or original iPad, you can restore the backed-up data to the new iPad using the same steps listed above for both Windows and Mac computer. The process is fast since it doesn’t involve internet connection.

Let us know if you have successfully transferred content from your old iPad to the New iPad(3rd Generation).