Data Backup Digest

One of the most innovative and unique products to come from Apple, the Apple Watch, which was first unveiled in 2015, gives users nearly all the functionality of a smartphone in a product that fits securely on their wrists. Not only is it capable of voice-based phone calls and text messaging, but it can track the user's fitness levels, host various productivity apps, snap digital pictures, and much more. But what happens when it comes to backup the data in your Apple Watch? Is it as straightforward as other Apple devices?

Backing Up Your Apple Watch

Generally speaking, Apple products are usually pretty simple when it comes to data backup and restoration. Backup for the Apple Watch is no exception, but it's currently integrated into the iPhone's backup process.
To begin, first start a backup of your iPhone via iCloud or iTunes. As long as all of your devices are paired correctly, your Apple Watch will automatically be backed up during the process.

Conversely, you can also unpair the Apple Watch from your iPhone. As a default setting, the your iPhone will automatically create a backup of the data on your Apple Watch when as soon as it becomes unpaired.

What Is Included in Your Apple Watch Backup?

Backups for the Apple Watch are pretty comprehensive. They include many different files and settings, including:

• System settings: This includes your saved Wi-Fi networks, the device's brightness and sound levels, and even the haptic settings.
• Language and time zone: The Apple Watch will backup your chosen language preferences as well as information regarding your local time zone.
• App data: A lot of app-specific data will be backed up, including customized maps and other saved files. Data will also be saved from your email and calendar as well.
• Health and fitness data: Finally, a lot of your Apple Watch's health and fitness data will also be backed up. Unfortunately, this doesn't include any workout and activity calibration data. In fact, the Apple Watch includes the message "to back up Health and Fitness data, you need to use iCloud or an encrypted iTunes backup."

What is Not Included in an Apple Watch Backup?

While the Apple Watch's backup covers many different files on the device, there are some that it doesn't cover. This includes:

• Workout and activity calibration data, as noted above.
• Customized playlists of your audio files, including MP3 files and any other formats.
• Credit or debit card info.
• The unique pass code for your Apple Watch.
• Individual Bluetooth device pairings
• Incoming and outgoing text messages

Many of the exceptions are due to serious security issues. Credit and debit card information, for example, could easily fall into the wrong hands if it was stored in a large-scale backup. It's also important to note that your text and multimedia messages are automatically stored in the iCloud as long as your Apple Watch uses the Messages in iCloud functionality. As such, it's simply not necessary to include this data in a normal data backup.