Contents of Books app are not backed up anywhere. Need them backed up

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Level 1

10 points

Contents of Books app are not backed up anywhere. Need them backed up

I have hundreds of books in the books app. I had to install them one by one manually, because you cannot open multiple files in Books from the Files app this way - it only adds one book from the 1200 you select if you try this.

It takes a long, long time to put them back in the books app every time I restore the iPad from backup.

Books are not backed up to iCloud because they are not purchased from Apple. Local backups do not have them for some reason, either.

Apple Support doesn't even understand the problem and keeps telling me to buy iCloud storage, which DOES NOT EVEN BACK THE BOOKS UP.

How do I actually back up the entire contents of my iPad LOCALLY such that restoring it from backup doesn't delete all my books?

iPad mini, iPadOS 18

Posted on Sep 20, 2025 7:03 PM

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Answer 1

tthornn Author

Level 1

10 points

Sep 23, 2025 10:12 PM in response to picas

Put the attitude back where you found it. I have to use restore from backup because it's the only offline way to keep the contents and overall state of being, including settings, of two different iPads identical. They're in the files app because you can legally purchase books without DRM off of countless websites & I'm also an editor who imports books from authors I work with.

You could actually help people instead of going around accusing random people of piracy through your teeth.

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Answer 2

picas

Level 7

21,051 points

Sep 21, 2025 3:37 PM in response to tthornn

An iCloud backup includes books and pdfs in the Books app. Wonder why you have to restore from backup so much. Wonder what they're doing in the Files app.

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