iCloud and iMessage

[KMiPhone]

Hi everyone,

Apologies if these questions have been answered before but could not find the answers to my questions using the search function. After 10+ years to using local backups for my iPhone, I have decided to start using iCloud backups with my new 14 Pro, but I am a little confused.

1) After creating an iCloud backup, I noticed the file size was much smaller than the total storage used on my phone (62GB on iCloud vs 126GB used on my phone). From my research, it appears this is because the iCloud backup only saves app data and not the apps themselves?

2) Does the iCloud backup include iMessage/texts? It is listed under "Manage Account Storage" as a 21GB file but not under the Backup details.

3) As I was not sure about iMessage, I turned on iMessage under "Apps using iCloud", however once I realized it only syncs the messages, I turned it off and hit "delete and disable". Now, my iCloud backup is only 40GB (from 62GB) - are my messages still saved in iCloud? All of my old messages appears in the individual chats but not sure if they are still saved.

4) After I hit "delete and disable" I have noticed that when I click on the individual chat "Info", the Photos tab is missing the majority of the photos from the chat. The photos are still within the chat when I scroll through the chat itself. I've noticed that some photos are slowly coming back to the photos tab, but I am still missing the majority of photos. From my research, it seems that it takes time for the iPhone to index the photos and it may take several days to get them back - is this consistent with other user's experiences?

Thank you in advance for your replies.

 

[matrix07]

Hi everyone,

Apologies if these questions have been answered before but could not find the answers to my questions using the search function. After 10+ years to using local backups for my iPhone, I have decided to start using iCloud backups with my new 14 Pro, but I am a little confused.

1) After creating an iCloud backup, I noticed the file size was much smaller than the total storage used on my phone (62GB on iCloud vs 126GB used on my phone). From my research, it appears this is because the iCloud backup only saves app data and not the apps themselves?

Yes. It intelligently chooses what to back up.

2) Does the iCloud backup include iMessage/texts? It is listed under "Manage Account Storage" as a 21GB file but not under the Backup details.

Depend. If you check iMessage on iCloud then it wouldn't back up. (it would be duplication if it does, hence it doesn't). If you don't use iMessage in the cloud then it does.
iMessage was already "sync" by the cloud. The purpose of iMessage on iCloud is both to "better" sync & backing up at the same time.

3) As I was not sure about iMessage, I turned on iMessage under "Apps using iCloud", however once I realized it only syncs the messages, I turned it off and hit "delete and disable". Now, my iCloud backup is only 40GB (from 62GB) - are my messages still saved in iCloud? All of my old messages appears in the individual chats but not sure if they are still saved.

What do you mean by "only syncs the messages". The purpose of using iMessage in iCloud is for you to don't have worry about it anymore. The catch is it will eat up your iCloud space.

 

[KMiPhone]

Yes. It intelligently chooses what to back up.

Depend. If you check iMessage on iCloud then it wouldn't back up. (it would be duplication if it does, hence it doesn't). If you don't use iMessage in the cloud then it does.
iMessage was already "sync" by the cloud. The purpose of iMessage on iCloud is both to "better" sync & backing up at the same time.

What do you mean by "only syncs the messages". The purpose of using iMessage in iCloud is for you to don't have worry about it anymore. The catch is it will eat up your iCloud space.

I see, that makes sense.

So if I have unchecked iMessage, then the messages should all become "local" to my device, and become a part of the backup file? I have noticed the backup file slowly getting bigger (and I am slowly seeing more messages and pictures come back to my messages app).

 

[matrix07]

So if I have unchecked iMessage, then the messages should all become "local" to my device, and become a part of the backup file?

Yes. When you unchecked it will delete the data from iCloud & it will try to add that to back up instead.

 

[OmahaGTP]

All I know is every time I transfer my backups, iCloud or local, to a new phone or even do a major iOS update (14->15, 15->16) I have iMessage photo sync issues for days/weeks. It seems to be a "common" issue in that you can find years of people having this issue. Reverting to previous backups, issuing iCloud syncs, backup syncs, nothing seems to ever get it to "work", the hope seems to be that time sorts it all out. It has in the past for me, but right now I'm having the issue again after the iOS 16 upgrade on my 11 Pro Max and the restore on my 14 Pro Max has hit the same issue. It is baffling to me each time and how it continues to be an issue is still somehow a surprise.