Improve backup and restore times by reducing iPhone Camera Roll

Apple suggested recently that you take a quick peek at your Camera Roll when your iPhone backups and restores are taking a ridiculously longtime. Pictures and screenshots taken with the iPhone are stored on the Camera Roll. ITunes creates a backup the contents of your iPhone, including the Camera Roll whenever you sync or perform a restore. The more pictures or other multimedia files that are on the Camera Roll, the longer a backup or restore will take.

Import the contents of your Camera Roll to your computer and then delete them from the Camera Roll by following these steps

1. Mac
2. Windows XP
3. Windows Vista
4. Windows7                   

After your photos have been imported from your Camera Roll, you can use iTunes to sync them back to your iPhone:

1. Ensure the iPhone is connected to your computer.
2. Open iTunes.
3. Select the iPhone in the Devices list in the left column.
4. Click the Photos tab.
5. Ensure that “Sync photos from” is enabled and choose the appropriate source from the adjacent pop-up menu. For example, if you imported your photos into an application (like iPhoto) you would select that application in the list. If you imported your photos to a folder (using Image Capture, Scanner and Camera Wizard, or Windows Photo Gallery), you would choose Choose Folder and then the folder in question.
6. Click Apply or Sync.

After completion of sync process, the photos are no longer stored on your Camera Roll but they will appear in the Photos application on your iPhone. By importing your photos from iPhone and then syncing those back using iTunes is a great way to limit the number of photos in your Camera Roll. This significantly improves backup times and restore times.

Apple strongly advocates that you back up your data regularly. By storing the photos on your computer enables to print them out or back them up to Compact Disc or an external hard drive.

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