PkgBackup is one of the more expensive jailbreak apps that you will find on the Cydia, but you’d be hard pressed to find a developer that’s put as much continuous work into their app.
The backup solution has been on the receiving end of quite a few updates recently, so I thought it would be appropriate to visit some of PkgBackup’s most convenient features.
One of those features is the wonderful DropBox integration, which is so good it inspired me to write this love letter…
Of course there are other solutions to the issue of backups, and we’ve discussed them in detail on iDB before. But you get what you pay for, and as I’ve said, you’d be hard pressed to find a solution that’s as easy, or even half as feature rich.
PkgBackup is a great backup solution because it doesn’t just back up your jailbreak apps. It backs up all of your Cydia repo sources, all of your preference files that contain all of your system settings, and even subtleties like hidden applications.
That alone makes this app a must have in my opinion, but it doesn’t stop there. There’s an extreme (read: obsessive) amount of customization to be had with this app; that includes iCal integration, social network sharing, the whole nine yards.
If that wasn’t enough you can even schedule backups to run automatically.
All of that loveliness aside, a backup solution is pointless if it fails to store your files in a secure location. That’s what makes the newfangled DropBox integration so amazing, because not only are your files backed up, but they’re backed up in a secure and offsite location.
The beauty of it all is that restoring your files is just a couple of taps away. This really comes in handy if you’ve just restored your iPhone, and want to get it back to the exact settings you enjoyed before.
If there’s one thing I’d like to see, I do wish the developers could somehow implement the ability to backup and restore databases for SMS messages and the like, along with the ability to restore App Store Apps as well.
I’d imagine that this should be feasible with the massive amount of free space that DropBox bestows upon us all.
With iOS 4.2.1‘s jailbreak on the horizon, there’s going to be a lot of folks going through what can be a painful process — reinstalling every jailbreak app, and reverting your settings to your exact preferences.
With PkgBackup, and DropBox syncing, that monumental task, just got a lot less monumental.
PkgBackup can be purchased for $7.99 on Cydia. It’s steep, but if you’re someone who likes to tinker and frequently restores their iPhone, it can literally save you hours at a time.
Do you use PkgBackup? Do you have a similar solution to suggest? Please let us know in the comments below.
