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How to Move forScore to a New iPad Without Losing Anything

Updated · By the Folio Stand team at KKV Labs

To move forScore to a new iPad, first make a forScore Archive on the old iPad and copy it off the device. Then use one of three routes: set the new iPad up from the old one (Quick Start or a whole-device backup), turn on forScore's iCloud sync on the new iPad with "Prefer iCloud Versions", or restore the Archive in forScore's Backup panel. Do not erase the old iPad until the new one shows your scores, setlists and annotations.

Disclosure: we make Folio Stand, a sheet music reader planned for October 2026. This guide is based on forScore's own help pages and Apple's support pages, checked on 13 October 2026. Menu names can change between forScore versions.

Do you need to buy forScore again on a new iPad?

No. forScore's help page says Apple lets you install apps you bought on multiple compatible devices at no extra charge, as long as you sign in with the same Apple Account you used to buy it. Sign in to the App Store on the new iPad with that account and download forScore. If you pay for forScore Pro, it is tied to the same account.

Which way of moving forScore should you use?

Method What moves Best when Watch out for
Quick Start or a whole-device backup Your apps and their data, usually including the forScore library You are setting up the new iPad from scratch anyway forScore says this usually works but "occasionally" the library does not come across
forScore iCloud sync Scores, bookmarks, setlists, metadata, annotations and recordings Sync already works well on the old iPad Settings and Dashboard data do not sync. Needs enough iCloud storage
forScore Archive (.4sb) The whole library: every file plus setlists, bookmarks, annotations, metadata and settings You want a copy you control, or the other routes failed Restoring replaces whatever library is on the new iPad
forScore Backup (.4sb) Metadata, setlists, bookmarks, annotations and settings, but not your PDFs Only if the PDFs are already on the new iPad Cannot rebuild a library on its own
forScore Backup Utility on a Mac Makes and restores a full Archive over a USB cable Big libraries, or an iPad short on free space Needs a Mac with macOS 14 or later

Whichever route you choose, make an Archive first. It is your safety net if anything goes wrong. See how to back up your forScore library for the difference between a Backup and an Archive.

Step 1: How do you protect your library before you start?

  1. Update forScore and iPadOS on the old iPad.
  2. Open forScore, go to the Backup panel in the Tools menu and create an Archive, not a Backup. Keep the iPad plugged in; a big library takes a while.
  3. Copy the Archive somewhere other than the iPad: a computer, a cloud drive or a USB drive. forScore's free Backup Utility for Mac can build the Archive straight onto the Mac over a USB cable, which helps if the iPad is short on space.
  4. If you use sync, open the Sync panel and check the time of the last successful sync.

Option A: How do you move forScore with Quick Start or a backup?

forScore's help pages call restoring a recent whole-device backup the preferred route. Apple's Quick Start does a similar job by copying your old iPad straight to the new one.

  1. Turn on the new iPad next to the old one. Keep the old iPad unlocked, on Wi-Fi and with Bluetooth on. Apple says both should run the latest iPadOS.
  2. Follow the setup screens and choose to transfer from your old iPad, or to restore from an iCloud or computer backup.
  3. Keep both iPads close together and plugged in until the transfer finishes.
  4. Open forScore on the new iPad and check your library, a few setlists and a few annotated pages.

If forScore opens empty, do not panic. forScore notes that a device backup "occasionally" does not bring the library across. Use Option B or C, and keep the old iPad as it is.

Option B: How do you move forScore with iCloud sync?

Use this only if sync already works well for you. If it has been creating duplicates or losing setlists, fix that first with forScore sync not working.

  1. On the new iPad, sign in to iCloud with the same Apple Account as the old iPad. forScore cannot share a library between different accounts, including Family Sharing accounts.
  2. Make sure iCloud Drive is on and forScore is allowed to use iCloud storage.
  3. In forScore, open Tools, then Sync, and tap "Sync with iCloud".
  4. When asked, choose "Prefer iCloud Versions". forScore says to use "Prefer Device Versions" only on the device with the most complete library.
  5. Leave forScore open on good Wi-Fi until the Sync panel shows a recent successful sync.
  6. Set up your settings again. forScore does not sync settings, because people often set up each device differently, and it does not sync Dashboard data.

Option C: How do you restore a forScore Archive on the new iPad?

  1. Install forScore on the new iPad and open it once.
  2. Turn off automatic fetching of new files in forScore's settings, as forScore's restore guide advises.
  3. Copy the Archive onto the new iPad. forScore's guide describes three ways: the File Sharing panel on a computer connected by cable, forScore's Services panel for cloud accounts (forScore notes large downloads are slow this way), or the Backup Utility on a Mac.
  4. In forScore, open the Backup panel, tap the Archive and choose to restore the library and settings.
  5. Check your scores, setlists and annotations before you erase anything.

Restoring resets the library on that iPad to the state saved in the Archive, so do it on a new iPad before you add new music.

What transfers, and what does not?

Item iCloud sync Archive restore Backup restore
PDFs and other files Yes Yes No
Setlists and bookmarks Yes Yes Yes
Annotations Yes Yes Yes
Titles, composers and other metadata Yes Yes Yes
Settings No Yes Yes
Dashboard data No Not stated by forScore Not stated by forScore

Things outside forScore's library also need attention: pair your page turner pedal with the new iPad, and pair your Apple Pencil. Check that your Pencil works with the new model, because Apple Pencil support differs between iPads.

If iCloud sync is off, is your music only on your iPad?

Yes. With sync off, your forScore library lives on that iPad. The only other copies are ones you make: forScore Archives you have saved elsewhere, and whole-device backups of the iPad to iCloud or a computer. forScore's sync documentation adds that synced documents are stored separately from Apple's whole-device backups, and that if you exclude forScore from device backups to save iCloud space, you should keep manual backups somewhere safe.

Even with sync on, forScore keeps a full copy of the library on each device; its help pages say files "cannot be offloaded or downloaded on demand". Sync is not a backup either. forScore says synced data "cannot be reverted or restored", so a mistake on one iPad spreads to the others.

What do forScore's sync error messages mean?

We only repeat what forScore's own documentation says:

  • "Could not connect to your iCloud account": forScore says this usually means iCloud storage is not turned on for forScore. Check your iCloud settings on that iPad.
  • A red exclamation mark next to Sync in the Tools menu: you need to take an extra step before syncing can continue. Open the Sync panel for details.
  • Syncing was automatically disabled: forScore asks you to contact its support.
  • Most other Sync panel messages: forScore describes them as informational and temporary, and says they usually clear by themselves after a short time.

"Syncing could not be enabled" with a number (such as 7 or 14): we found no public list from forScore explaining these numbers, so we will not guess. Check that iCloud Drive is on, that forScore can use iCloud storage, and that iCloud has free space. If it persists, send forScore support the exact message, your forScore version and your iPad model. Meanwhile, Option C does not need sync at all.

A checklist before you wipe the old iPad

  • An Archive made today, copied off both iPads
  • The new iPad shows the right number of scores
  • Three or four setlists open in the right order
  • A few heavily marked pages show their annotations
  • Settings set up again if you used sync
  • Pedal and Apple Pencil paired with the new iPad
  • If you used sync, the Sync panel on the new iPad shows a recent successful sync

Keep the old iPad untouched for a week if you can. An old iPad also makes a handy spare for the music stand.

Moving to a different app instead?

If you are changing apps at the same time, an Archive is still the right first step. Folio Stand, our app in development, plans to import a forScore Backup or Archive and show a report of what came across and what did not. See switch from forScore. Choosing a new tablet too? See the best iPad for sheet music.

FAQ

How do I get my forScore files back after switching iPads? Set up the new iPad from a backup of the old one, turn on forScore sync with "Prefer iCloud Versions", or restore a forScore Archive in the Backup panel. If the old iPad still works, make a fresh Archive on it first.

How do I restore sync on forScore on a new iPad? Sign in with the same Apple Account, turn on iCloud Drive and allow forScore to use iCloud storage, then choose Tools, Sync, "Sync with iCloud" and "Prefer iCloud Versions".

Does forScore sync settings to a new iPad? No. forScore syncs your library, setlists, bookmarks, metadata, annotations and recordings, but not settings or Dashboard data.

Will a forScore Backup move my sheet music? No. A Backup holds your setlists, bookmarks, annotations, metadata and settings, but not the PDFs. Use an Archive to move everything.

Do I have to pay for forScore again on a new iPad? No, as long as you use the same Apple Account you bought it with.

What does forScore error code 7 mean? forScore has not published a list of what these numbers mean, so we cannot say. Check iCloud Drive, forScore's iCloud storage permission and free space, then contact forScore support with the exact message.

Sources: forScore knowledge base: "Do I need to purchase forScore again to use on another device?", "Transferring your forScore library to another device", "Restoring your library data from a forScore backup file", "About iCloud Syncing" and "Does forScore sync content across devices?"; forScore sync documentation; forScore Backup Utility page; forScore user guide 14.3 on Backups and Archives; Apple Support on Quick Start and on Apple Pencil compatibility (all checked 13 October 2026).

About us: we are building Folio Stand, a sheet music reader planned for October 2026 with sync you can undo for 30 days and a planned import from forScore Backups and Archives. See switch from forScore. This guide is meant to help forScore users whether or not they ever switch.