iCloud - How do I know it works?

[kilcher]

I can obviously tell it has my email, contacts, calendar, and find my iPhone but how do I check to see if it has my music and how recently that information was backed up?

At least in iTunes I had something to look at, now am I just supposed to trust it's there?

 

[Lostsol]

Feel stupid but I'm kinda in same boat with you. For example-- since iTunes match doesn't start for a few weeks... If I sync with the cloud will it not sync my non purchased music?

 

[bigchief]

That's a damn good question. I turned off icloud and went back to backing up to my laptop. I don't trust something I can't see.

 

[nmork]

It doesn't back up your music, and backups on your PC don't back up music either.

That's what your iTunes library is for, and why it takes so long to sync after you restore from a backup.

 

[Lostsol]

It doesn't back up your music, and backups on your PC don't back up music either.

That's what your iTunes library is for, and why it takes so long to sync after you restore from a backup.

Understand that but according to apple the cloud can "cut the cord" and make you computer -free. So in theory I could use iCloud and throw away my computer. But then where do I go to "see" my iTunes library?

Like I said --- I guess I feel dumb that I can't figure this out but I'm missing something in the iCloud explanation.

 

[greytmom]

That's a damn good question. I turned off icloud and went back to backing up to my laptop. I don't trust something I can't see.

Why not do both? I am.

 

[dccorona]

Understand that but according to apple the cloud can "cut the cord" and make you computer -free. So in theory I could use iCloud and throw away my computer. But then where do I go to "see" my iTunes library?

Like I said --- I guess I feel dumb that I can't figure this out but I'm missing something in the iCloud explanation.

at the end of the month, when iTunes Match goes live, assuming you pay the $20 to get iTunes match for non-itunes bought songs (or have all your music from iTunes), your music "in the cloud" will appear in the music app like any other song, but will have a little cloud logo next to it

until iTunes match goes live, you can't see your iTunes library, because it isn't there yet

 

[indisguise]

its all in settings

if you go into icloud settings and click on the backup settings you can see how large your backup file is, what is getting backed up, and what iCloud services you have turned on. iCloud and iTunes in the clound are 2 separate things. right now you can redownload any music,tv shows,apps, and books you have previously purchased,thats it.

 

[SR71]

You can check the last time that your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch was backed up to iCloud by going into Settings--->iCloud--->Storage & Backup. Scroll down and there'll be a big "Back Up Now" button and below it you'll see that it says "Last Backup: [Whatever time your iPhone was last backed up at]".

For example, mine says "Last Backup: 8:20 PM (I did this back up manually by hitting the "Back Up Now" button).

I've been using iOS 5 since beta 5 and have noticed that iCloud does daily backups of your iPhone during the late night and it does it completely in the background, so you don't even know it happens. It just works.

Trust in the iCloud. It just works.

 

[greytmom]

It doesn't back up your music, and backups on your PC don't back up music either.

That's what your iTunes library is for, and why it takes so long to sync after you restore from a backup.

What are you talking about? My music is backed up all over the place - it's on my computer and at least 2 external hard drives.

And if your library wasn't in the cloud, how the heck would you have instant download of items you purchased from one device onto another?

 

[donnaw]

I just started a new thread kind of about this. I wanted to sync contacts, etc. but apparently your computer does the actual sync. So even if we use iCloud we can't 'cut the cord' because, as I understand it, you need Outlook (or the Mac equlivant) for Contacts, Calendar, etc. and IE ( or Mac equlivant) for your bookmarks.

I signged on to iCloud and can't see any of the stuff that should be there. While I never minded backing up to my pc I was really excited about not needing it if I was traveling and something happened.

Now I don't know what happens at the next OTA update. Might it wipe some stuff and if it's not stored in iCloud must we restore from our computer? Hopefully the incremental updates won't do this but who knows.

 

[Lostsol]

Let me ask this way. If I go to just iCloud as my itunes source-- say I have 100 purchased songs but I only have 50 synced to my iPhone. Where can I see the list of the other 50 if I decide I want to add some to my iPhone?

 

[greytmom]

Let me ask this way. If I go to just iCloud as my itunes source-- say I have 100 purchased songs but I only have 50 synced to my iPhone. Where can I see the list of the other 50 if I decide I want to add some to my iPhone?

You do it from your phone. Check the "purchased" tab.

 

[Lostsol]

You do it from your phone. Check the "purchased" tab.

The purchased tab in the music app will show all the purchased music in my iTunes account INCLUDING the songs I didn't choose to sync ?

 

[greytmom]

I just started a new thread kind of about this. I wanted to sync contacts, etc. but apparently your computer does the actual sync. So even if we use iCloud we can't 'cut the cord' because, as I understand it, you need Outlook (or the Mac equlivant) for Contacts, Calendar, etc. and IE ( or Mac equlivant) for your bookmarks.

I signged on to iCloud and can't see any of the stuff that should be there. While I never minded backing up to my pc I was really excited about not needing it if I was traveling and something happened.

Now I don't know what happens at the next OTA update. Might it wipe some stuff and if it's not stored in iCloud must we restore from our computer? Hopefully the incremental updates won't do this but who knows.

I just edited a contact in the cloud, and it sent it down to my phone and my iPad pretty much the moment I did it... no wires.

Doesn't mean I won't still occasionally sync to my computer - I will. But contacts DOES work without a computer.

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The purchased tab in the music app will show all the purchased music in my iTunes account INCLUDING the songs I didn't choose to sync ?

Yes - if you bought it, it will be there.

I'm not sure how the Match will work when it becomes available. We'll just have to wait and see.

I wouldn't suggest anyone just trash their iTunes library on their computer, but that doesn't mean they should be afraid of the cloud.

 

[donnaw]

I just edited a contact in the cloud, and it sent it down to my phone and my iPad pretty much the moment I did it... no wires.

Doesn't mean I won't still occasionally sync to my computer - I will. But contacts DOES work without a computer.

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I've synced to iCloud 4 times since updating yesterday and my cloud is empty except for one contact - my apple ID. How do I get my stuff up there without retyping them in? I have well over 100 with a bunch of info on most.

 

[Lostsol]

Okay I just figured out the answer to my own dumb question. You are talking about the purchased tab in the iTunes app not the music app. Under purchased tab there is an "all" tab And a "not on this phone " tab.

Thanks for your helP folks.

 

[vitzr]

Peace of mind comes from the fact that iClouds infrastructure is by Microsoft. They have years of experience. While Apples too tight lipped to reveal it, the other highly successful component is Amazons EC2. This is Apples secret. Azure & EC2 will not fail. They've been proven in the large scale enterprise space.

 

[greytmom]

Okay I just figured out the answer to my own dumb question. You are talking about the purchased tab in the iTunes app not the music app. Under purchased tab there is an "all" tab And a "not on this phone " tab.

Thanks for your helP folks.

Oops, sorry! Yes, iTunes.

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I just edited a contact in the cloud, and it sent it down to my phone and my iPad pretty much the moment I did it... no wires.

Doesn't mean I won't still occasionally sync to my computer - I will. But contacts DOES work without a computer.

----------

I've synced to iCloud 4 times since updating yesterday and my cloud is empty except for one contact - my apple ID. How do I get my stuff up there without retyping them in? I have well over 100 with a bunch of info on most.

Do you have your settings right? Check your settings on your device(s).... Settings - iCloud (right under General) - and you should see the toggle next to Contacts say "on."

Also, check the settings on your computer too. If you are on a Mac, go into System Preferences, choose the iCloud icon, and make sure that iCloud has Contacts listed as one of its "on" items. Lastly, check the Mail, Contacts and Calendars icon (it's the blue @ icon) and you can see what is listed next to iCloud.

 

[Lostsol]

Greytmom: Thanks for your help.
Another question-- when you say you just edited a contact in the cloud....where did you do that? At iCloud.com?

Again-- I guess my actions in my 20's must have fried so many brain cells that this stuff just can't sink in.

 

[greytmom]

Greytmom: Thanks for your help.
Another question-- when you say you just edited a contact in the cloud....where did you do that? At iCloud.com?

Again-- I guess my actions in my 20's must have fried so many brain cells that this stuff just can't sink in.

Yep, picked one at random to see if it would immediately download, and it did.

Next goal is to edit one or add one on one of my devices and see if it shows up in the cloud and on the other device (iPad and iPhone). But, it's 12;45am here, so I'll probably play with that tomorrow!

 

[verwon]

at the end of the month, when iTunes Match goes live, assuming you pay the $20 to get iTunes match for non-itunes bought songs (or have all your music from iTunes), your music "in the cloud" will appear in the music app like any other song, but will have a little cloud logo next to it

until iTunes match goes live, you can't see your iTunes library, because it isn't there yet

For those still asking read this ^^^^^

 

[donnaw]

Oops, sorry! Yes, iTunes.

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Do you have your settings right? Check your settings on your device(s).... Settings - iCloud (right under General) - and you should see the toggle next to Contacts say "on."

Also, check the settings on your computer too. If you are on a Mac, go into System Preferences, choose the iCloud icon, and make sure that iCloud has Contacts listed as one of its "on" items. Lastly, check the Mail, Contacts and Calendars icon (it's the blue @ icon) and you can see what is listed next to iCloud.

Yes, I checked my settings and they are correct on my iPad and my computer. I did some more searching and found one person who thinks syncing contacts and calendar with gmail might be mutually exclusive. I don't sync with gmail but I do with my Live account. I was going to try it but when I went to Mail to unsync wilt Live it asked if I wanted to delete the contacts on my iPad. Well, that would have defeated the purpose. If this is correct I guess I'm SOL for iCloud right now. But I had forgotten about Live so iguess it will be ok.

Still doesn't explain why my bookmarks aren't there. That's the next mystery.

Thanks for the response.