I got tired of iTunes automatically doing a backup of my iPhone everytime I plugged it in. I just want it to do a regular sync and I will back it up manually. Since I added so many apps the backups are just taking too long to complete. Here’s what I did to disable the automatic backups:
(From http://klauskjeldsen.dk/2008/08/05/iphone-3g-disable-slow-itunes-backup-mac-and-windows/)
Mac users:
- Quit iTunes.
- Open a Terminal (Applications > Utilities > Terminal)
- Type or copy the following command:
defaults write com.apple.iTunes AutomaticDeviceBackupsDisabled -bool true
- Open iTunes.
- Connect the iPhone.
- Syncs without backing up.
To enable automatic backup in iTunes again use this command instead:
defaults write com.apple.iTunes AutomaticDeviceBackupsDisabled -bool false
Note: If you previously have used the command line option that entirely disables the backup feature, then type this command as well to enable to backup process:
defaults write com.apple.iTunes DeviceBackupsDisabled -bool false
Recommendation: If you choose to disable the automatic backup process, it would be a good idea to manually making a backup it once a while to get a safe copy of text messages, call log and like (just right-click your iPhone icon in iTunes).
