iPhone data is pretty locked down, and ultimately depends on the app vendor and what they backup or allow you to backup or sync elsewhere. The app not working anymore definitely does not work in your favor.

What app are the GPS tracks used in?

You're unlikely to find more know-how among those of us amateurs who visit this site, than from Apple's own experts.

I have an Android phone and in the Android world, I believe certain map history from Google Maps and of course much other data is kept by Google at the data heaven in the sky. I know Apple has its own map app and I don't know if Google Maps is available. And if so, it should transfer automatically to a new phone as other stuff does for Androids. If not, I wouldn't imagine something like map history would be all that essential to keep or difficult to re-enter.

Unless I'm misunderstanding what it is you're trying to do.

My app is GAIAGPS, which I have been using since 2011. The current versions automatically backup everything to their internet site, but that didn't happen in 2011. I can upload the GPS tracks one-at-a-time via email, but that's very tedious (I have, maybe, 100 tracks on my iPhone4 which haven't been backed up. (I have several hundred more on my more recent iPhones which were backed up). The GAIA people have been helping me straighten this out, but I thought a more general question regarding getting data off an iPhone would provide another solution. I can plug any of my iPhones into my computer with the USB cable Apple provides, but I can only transfer pictures, etc. Why can't I transfer other stuff? Elmer, if I had had my data on an Android phone, would it have been more open (GAIAGPS is available on both platforms)? Steve, the app still does work, but not the upload part. GAIA tech support says to install a newer version of their app, but it requires iOs 9. and my phone can't support anything beyond iOs 7.

If you're working with people from the company that produced the app, there's nothing more to know or any more expertise to plug into. I guess the lesson you've learned is that data should have been backed up along the way. And, of course, that's true of any digital data anywhere because a hardware failure (always a possibility with any device) will cause a complete loss of all data it contains.

Apple has a tendency, a very consumer unfriendly one as far as I'm concerned, of forcing operating system upgrades and then orphaning any devices that stay put. I have two Apple devices in the house that work fine but as with yours, can't be updated and can't download any more apps. The Android world does that in a way (new apps aren't always backward compatible to older versions of the OS) but with more flexibility.

Android phones can be connected to a PC with a USB charging cord. With the regular Windows Explorer program used for file manipulation, folders on the Android device can be accessed ( in the exact same way as with a PC's drives or attached memory devices) to copy or delete any folders or files as desired. I don't know if the same is possible with an iPhone, maybe it is?

Mtv, your only hope is through iTunes. If you go to the apps page, the very bottom will show what apps have data that can be copied to your pc. If its not listed under there, then the app maker just doesnt allow it. I suspect you’ve already tried this, but mentioning it just in case. You probably would have had a better chance a few years ago when you stopped using your iphone 4.

The iPhones file system is locked up tighter than a drum other tha what Apple lets you see. Apple wants no part of you being able to look at it or mess with it, thats always been Apple’s thing and it works quite well in keeping them stable. If you want to mess with things, get an Android.

Thanks, Steve that's what I thought.