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Backing up your data is an important part of using forScore, and with today’s cloud-connected devices it can be hard to know exactly where your data is at all times. This document explains how and where forScore stores your information and gives you a broad understanding of how you can effectively back it up. For step-by-step instructions, visit this article.
App Storage
Every app on your device has a standard set of folders that it uses to store information. The Documents directory is commonly used to store user content, like documents you add to (or create within) an app. If an app chooses to do so, like forScore does, it can make the contents of this folder available through the Files app or through Apple’s File Sharing panel on a computer when your device is connected to it.
Other data like app settings, which are designed to be changed through the app’s interface and not edited directly, are stored in a number of private app directories instead.
Documents (Public)
PDF files, CSV indexes, recordings, tracks, 4SB files, and more
Library (Private)
Annotations, setlists, bookmarks, metadata, settings, and more
4SB Backups
When you access forScore’s documents through the Files app or with Apple’s File Sharing panel, you’re only seeing some of forScore’s data. If you were to back these files up and copy them to a new forScore installation, you’d find that your annotations, metadata, setlists, settings, and certain other information would all be missing. To help you keep all of that extra information, forScore’s Backup panel lets you export its private app data as a single 4SB backup file that’s stored in the Documents directory alongside the rest of your documents. Together, an up-to-date 4SB backup and a copy of every other file in forScore’s Documents directory is enough to duplicate or restore your music library. Backups cannot be used on their own: they snapshot forScore’s information about your files, not your files themselves.
4SB ArchivesforScore 10.4.7
You can also use forScore’s Backup panel to create 4SB archives. An archive is a single 4SB file that includes a copy of every file in forScore’s Documents directory as well as the private information that’s contained in a standard 4SB backup. Because they duplicate all of your documents, archives require much more free space on your device, but they are more convenient because they contain everything you need to migrate or recover your entire forScore library. They can be uploaded to your preferred cloud storage service or copied to a computer using File Sharing.
iCloud Backups
Depending on your settings, iOS can regularly back up your entire device to a computer or to iCloud. If your device is lost or damaged, you can usually use this information to get back up and running quickly. Keep in mind, however, that iCloud offers limited storage and that you can’t restore data for a single app—it’s all or nothing. Because of this, we also recommend manually backing up your forScore library on a regular basis.
iCloud Syncing
Introduced in version 12.1, iCloud Syncing keeps your forScore library up to date automatically across all of your devices. Syncing was initially offered as an Early Access feature as part of forScore Pro and was made available to all users with forScore 13. Learn more about this feature, backups, and more in our user guide.
Deleting forScore
If you delete forScore from your device, all of your information goes with it. If an Apple employee tells you to delete the app to fix a problem, be sure you have made a complete backup first. We don’t store a copy of your files and can’t help you get them back if they’re erased.