We don’t write about every iPhone application that we come across (there are other sites doing a great job at that), but sometimes we just have to. For instance, IDrive, which specializes in backup solutions, has a neat application dubbed IDrive Lite that allows you to backup, share and restore all your iPhone contacts completely free of charge if you’ve updated your iPhone software to 2.0.
Especially for business users, tools like this can come in quite handy. Once the app is installed on your iPhone, you can tap the ‘Backup’ button and the tool will automatically save your contact information to ‘the cloud’ i.e. IDrive servers. No signups required. You can easily restore contacts as well without overwriting people you’ve added after your last backup. Finally, the sharing functionality is rather nice; it lets you share information with other contacts in your address book by sending them an SMS with an import key for them to use.
Update: as someone points out in the comments, you can only restore your full contact list and not individual ones. I’m also hearing reports that the app crashes the device but I haven’t had any problems.
MobileMe does much of the same (not for free though) but other than that we haven’t found any other application in the App Store that can do what IDrive Lite does, unless we’ve missed those, and we should also note Tapulous has this app called FriendBook which lets you manage and swap contacts with other iPhone users.
Update: other backup solutions for the iPhone are Funambol and My.Memova.
Pro Softnet Corp, the company behind IDrive, is currently working on making it possible for iPhone owners to backup and share photos as well. For now, you can download the contact backup solution from the App Store here.
Sounds great, I’m going to give it a try. I hate syncing with outlook because those are my business contacts and I consider my phone personal. There is actually another application that does this for free (Funambol) but it requires a sign up. I’m definitely going to give this one a try.
Sorry forgot to mention that Funambol does not offer the same share functionality as IDrive.
What about Blackberry backup?
Well, its already crashed trying to restore contacts, plus I wonder if the lite version will work correctly.
Say I have a contact Mark Smith and I sync. Mark Smith will reside on IDrive. If I delete Mark Smith on my phone and then restore using IDrive, doesn’t that mean that Mark Smith will be back on my phone after I restore? That would be a pain if you delete some numbers that you don’t want/need anymore.
That’s correct, it is kind of all-or-nothing is it? I’ll update the post.
This is so funny. I just got my iphone a week ago and have been searching for days on how to do the simplest contacts backup. Finally this morning I just decided to do it manually by backing up to Windows Address Book (still think I’ll keep those synced, though), and then you guys post this!
Funny, funny. Thanks for the link! Love keeping up with this blog.
“We don’t write about every iPhone application that we come across” do you save that level of coverage for Twitter mashups and apps alone?
Why, have you made any that we can write about? Any will do!
I did one I’d love you to write about
“iCatchall” is all those simple apps that fill the store done well in one app (flashlight, tip calculator, level, etc.) It even has, as far as I know, the first “Rickroll” built into an iPhone app.
Carefull with that app, 5 iPhones around me, all crashed
This app exists several times over on Android and the iPhone.
BTW, I will be at Twistup next week if anybody wants to chat with me. I’ll be wearing a blue Marmott jacket and a Guiness cap.
http://twiistup...eventbrite.com/
If anybody wants to signup you can here. It’s only $75. Much cheaper than Arrington’s events. So far this year I’ve signed up to Google IO and this. There are reasonably priced tech events in California. TC is looking to liquidate some wealth, and I can’t blame them.
As a rule of thumb, you never, ever want to pay more than $400 for an event or certification. Firstly most companies only cover up to $1000 for events yearly, and secondly, it’s just a rip off.
Twistup I believe is an open bar too for the $75. I’m taking a taxi so I can drink aggressively if I can confirm that.
Sounds handy, if it works. I’ve heard crash reports all over the place.
Crashed mine as well. Sigh.
Works fine on mine, but since several commentors experience problems, I’ll update the post.
There are two apps for the iPhone that already do this. They are called Funambol (which is a direct application that syncs directly with very little configuration necessary) and SyncML (which needs connection, but I use it to sync with zyb.com). Check them out, and I think that they are noteworthy enough to be included in the original article.
I don’t think Funambol gives you the option to share contacts, though.
Is it proper terms of service that “Pro Softnet reserves the right to examine the content of the online storage and backup account” ?
We actually developed our own iPhone app here at Mailtrust that provides the same capability, albeit for our customers.
The key difference is not only can we backup your contacts on your iPhone, we can also synchronize your contacts that might be in Outlook or Webmail.
If you use Mac, I think iTune already automatically syncs your address book, calendar, etc. Granted that it’s not backup into the “cloud”, but it’s still backup
I find your comment regarding “We don’t write about every iPhone application that we come across” as irrelevant. You also shouldn’t write about every website you run into since not all of them are interesting. However this is kind of implying the mobile software world is inferior to the desk top one. I believe that if TechCrunch wants to do a good job it should cover all interesting technology aspects whether they are mobile, web, renewable energy or other.
What you probably meant is that TechCrunch is not a Review website which is ok, however Reviews are not only for mobile apps so you should have said we are not focusing on reviews (which I think sometimes you are). So all in all you have no rules on TechCrunch so why to invent any?
Wow, what’s the big deal? I just wanted to point out that we receive a great deal of newly launched iPhone apps in our inboxes and this one caught my attention. I’m not apologizing for posting or anything.
http://my.memova.com does a good job for the backup part of it, and is also offered for free.
soocial.com
Nope.
Interesting application… I’m going to use it…
I think this is a great idea. Too bad I don’t have an iPhone.
The iDrive website says: More coming.
So the next version will have Photo backups, Mail backups, Application setting backups….
Hope so!
Great idea – thanks for ferreting out the free app for us!
Why not simply sync contacts with Plaxo or Soocial and keep them backed up online?
gmail contacts does this for me built in on my G1
I’ve been using Funambol, which doesn’t have the share feature, though that’s not a feature I need. It’s always worked fine for me, and also has a web-based version and Outlook plug-in, making it much easier to manage your contacts.
On a side note, and somewhat off-topic, FriendSync is also quite useful for syncing up contacts pictures from Facebook. It’s not free, but inexpensive at only a buck.
(I don’t work for FriendSync, or have any association with them. Just found it to be a useful app for easily adding pictures to contacts).
If you don’t want to do on the air backup, you neither need idrive nor mobile me. You can just use itunes to sync with gmail/google apps addressbook.
To all who reported crashes,
We have identified a memory problem when large number of contacts information is being backed up that is causing the crash. We will have it fixed shortly.
Raghu K.
IDrive.com
I have around 100+ contacts and backups, restores and sharing worked fine. I want one for my blackberry too.
I couldn’t install the app on Ipod Touch. Is the app only for Iphones?
I’m willing to pay for this service if they can sync my SMS messages, contacts, photos etc. I’m paying Apple $100 a year for this thing, way too expensive.
I for once would like to keep at least some data out of google, plaxo and facebooks and trust it to a smaller entity like IDrive Lite. I know at least the big marketers won’t get to it.
Works well. But I definitely need the selective restore.
It appears to work from UK, although the backups were slow. Do they have a server here in UK for faster transfers? Mobileme does it faster for contacts only changes.
Do mozy and carbonite have backup applications for the iphone?
Here is what I would like. Backup, restore and share options as IDrive lite has. In addition, I want a web link to edit the contact list from anywhere.
By the way, what is IDrive Lite’s business model? How do I know they would be around?
Ardwin/Jash,
We do have plans to add photo, calendar and other data backup. However, we may have sandbox limitations inherent in the SDK that limits write access to the iphone system (photos etc..) making restores difficult.
Rob,
Yes, we will add selective restore shortly.
Ardwin,
IDrive’s revenues are from online backup subscriptions for PCs and Macs, and are a profitable company, unlike many others in this segment. IDrive Lite is a way for us to reach out to more customers, and possibly, once we have the complete feature set, we might start charging for the IDrive Lite application itself.
Raghu K.
IDrive.com
Ardwin,
And yes, we will add the web link based edit from anywhere for contacts shortly.
Raghu K.
IDrive.com
It’s embarrassing to any business person to have your company SPAM their clients
It’s a slick tool, and it’s only going to get better over time.
Has anyone compared IDrive Lite to Funambol? I thought IDrive Lite is easier.
This iPhone contacts backup program works pretty fine on this. http://www.gute...o-computer.html
It has helped me backup all iPhone contacts and contact photos from my iPhone back to computer perfectly.
Why dont you all just USD Zyb.com??
Way better and hasn’t crashed on me at all..
Been using it for months now..
Webpage and the app works flawlessly..
i use Tansee iPhone Transfer Contact ,it can support:
Backup contacts on iPhone memory to a file.
- Export two types of file format (Antc file, Text file).
- Backup iPhone Contact’s Photos.
- Export full screen of iPhone contact’s Photos.
- View Contacts in Text file format (.txt) or ANTC file format (.antc) on PC.
- Password protection support (ANTC file only).
now ,i don’t worry about lose my contacts when my iphone lose or break
http://www.conv...er-Contact.html
i kown the same software which was on the softwarewikipedia,but that is cheaper than this,and you can get 25% discount if you buy it there.more information,check here:
http://software...tact2.0_contact
Here is a professional iPhone contacts to PC backup software
http://www.gute...o-computer.html
Step-by-step guide:
How to backup iPhone contacts to Computer:
http://www.gute...o-computer.html
- Backup contacts on iPhone memory to a file.
- Export two types of file format (Antc file, Text file).
- Backup iPhone Contact’s Photos.
- Export full screen of iPhone contact’s Photos.
- View Contacts in Text file format (.txt) or ANTC file format (.antc) on PC.
- Password protection support (ANTC file only).