Most users of iPhones, iPads and iPods have been content with using iTunes to manage their content across their multiple devices and use it as a backup tool when saving to desktops, despite its small inconveniences. AnyTrans takes what iTunes has to offer and makes content management better. It’s not new to the app market, but it has been improved with a few new features.
- Customized Ringtones – using iTunes, ringtone sources were limited. With AnyTrans, you can choose from favorite songs from iTunes, YouTube, off your iPhone or desktop. Best part is you can save the snippet you like the most to the Ringtone Library or to your iPhone instantaneously.
- Simultaneous iPhone App Management – download any app from the App Store through AnyTrans and it will keep a copy of all versions on your desktop. You can then update, downgrade, install and delete the app as needed. Downloads are easier to manage and all downloads are secure.
- Organize iPhone Home Screen – easily move icons around on your Home screen simply by dragging and dropping. With one tap, categories are created and apps are grouped so your screens are not a mangled mess. Groupings can be based by categories or colors. Screen layouts can be saved, so you don’t have to remember them if anything changes and you want to go back to a particular layout. Icon cleanup is easier, too.
Underlying these three new features, AnyTrans provides the basics of a content management tool, allowing users to transfer many file types, such as audio, video, voice mail and messages, photos, Safari Bookmarks, passwords, Podcasts, eBooks, Apps, and so much more. Anything that is important, it will copy for you.
AnyTrans can be used for free for 7 days, and then can be purchased for just $39.99 for a single computer or $59.99 for 5 computers, with full functionality, allowing for up to 50 file transfers per day.
The interface is very easy to navigate and use, which is just one of many advantages this app has over iTunes. Another advantage is that it allows for manual movement from desktop to iPhone and vice versa. The concept of putting things in a library and then syncing still exists, but believe me when I say it is much more intuitive to move things around the way you want, so you know what’s being transferred and to where. This makes is so much easier to purchase and put music and videos where you want them.
The other great feature in AnyTrans that is not in iTunes is the ability to manage your iCloud content with an Explorer. This makes it easy to view what’s in your iCloud, access it easily and sync what you want.
The built-in app manager called iFile lets you view information about each app and clear out caches to keep your devices running smoothly. The Backup Manager is another extremely useful tool that allows you to easily view what you have backed up on your desktop, something that is amiss in iTunes. Not only can you backup and restore, you can actually see what’s been backed up, which means you can access parts of a backup and restore those pieces – how’s that for efficient?
I really couldn’t find anything I did not like about AnyTrans. It was very easy to use and it made is so easy for me to manage my iPhone content and share it across my other devices. I would say being able to send out reports or status every so often from the app itself to serve as a reminder or just to keep me informed of the need to backup would be nice.
Outside of that, I would highly recommend you download AnyTrans if you want an easier way to manage your iOS devices.