I just had to replace my iPhone due to the original being destroyed in a fall. On the old (now destroyed) phone, I had recently upgraded to Arc Timeline 4, but left the old version installed “just in case”. I don’t recall if 4 recognised my existing subscription (it was over a month ago) but I suspect it must have done so - I don’t see a new subscription for it that started at around that time in the system settings subscription section.
But after restoring my iOS backup to the new phone, the restored 4 doesn’t recognise the 3 subscription - and that only just renewed (6 June - while I was without a phone waiting for the replacement to arrive) so there’s nearly 12 months of it to go. 4 is confusing in that it doesn’t appear to clearly state that the old subscription is recognised. Other apps have a “restore purchases” feature - can’t that be added here? I accepted the free trial on 4, thinking it would pick up the old subscription but it didn’t - it said it would start billing on June 16. So I cancelled that, but what happens when the free trial of 4 expires? Will it pick up the older paid subscription? Seems a bit confusing.
Hi adg. Good news first: your subscription is fine, and nothing here will cost you anything. What you’ve hit is a known wrinkle with phone replacements, and there’s a straightforward fix.
The mechanism behind it: Arc Timeline 4 recognises your Arc Timeline subscription through a link between the two apps that’s established per device. When your new phone restored from backup, Arc Timeline 4 came across, but the link to your subscription didn’t, because the old Arc Timeline app hasn’t checked in from the new phone yet. The subscription itself is safely attached to your Apple ID, which is why it renewed on June 6 without any trouble even while you were phoneless.
To get Arc Timeline 4 recognising it again:
- Open the old Arc Timeline app on your new phone. If it didn’t come across in the backup restore, reinstall it from the App Store first. Opening it is what re-establishes the subscription link on the new device.
- If you want to be thorough, tap Restore Purchases inside the old app (on its subscription screen). That forces a fresh check.
- Then force-quit Arc Timeline 4 and reopen it. In Settings → Subscription you should now see it showing your subscription as managed through Arc Timeline.
On the free trial: nothing to worry about there. Since you cancelled it, it simply runs out on June 16 with no billing. And once the steps above are done, your access comes from your existing Arc Timeline subscription anyway, so the trial expiring is a non-event.
On Restore Purchases: Arc Timeline 4 does have a restore button. It’s on the subscription page, the circular arrow button at the bottom left, next to the purchase button. Though in your particular situation it wouldn’t have done the job on its own, because the restore needed to happen in the old app first, per the steps above.