Syncing sans iCloud?

[CrashX]

For whatever reason, iCloud just isn't working for me.

Can I set up calendar, notes, contacts, and messaging to automatically sync over the same wireless connection (bluetooth/wifi) if I turn off iCloud?

Thanks for any info.

My confusion with iCloud at this point is that - from what the Apple rep told me when I called in about it - iCloud storage becomes the "master" of my info. If I delete from iCloud, the info is deleted from ALL of my connected devices.

I don't care for that "relationship" whatsoever. It's fine for syncing - but when I try to disconnect apps from iCloud, Apple seems to be indirectly threatening me for doing it - paraphrasing "Are you certain you wish to remove all [contacts, photos, whatever] from ALL devices you f'd up and connected to your new master iCloud?"

I'll certainly NEVER share photos with it again - as using the iCloud.com interface to "reclaim" the photos Apple was threatening to delete due to my "insubordination" did not seem the least bit cool.

I'm also very wary of the next round of OS's if the data I create continues to become ever more "ruled" by master iCloud. Not having it.

I sincerely hope that the rep was wrong and that I'm wrong about all of this.

But for now, just wish to get off iCloud as much as possible and stay off it.

 

[M. Gustave]

You have a very strange way of viewing it. If you prefer to be tied to pc/mac for your backups, Apple offers that too.

If my phone gets lost, stolen, or breaks, I buy a new one and load that iCloud backup on it with no loss if data. That's the power of iCloud.

 

[BrianBaughn]

You can sync calendar, notes, and contacts with other services if you turn off iCloud. You just have to get all of the applicable data over to the alternate service if it's currently in iCloud.

Messaging (iMessage) isn't synced via iCloud as it is tied to your Apple ID in a different way. You can't use iMessage with any other service. You can turn it off on an iPhone and use SMS only.

 

[CrashX]

You can sync calendar, notes, and contacts with other services if you turn off iCloud. You just have to get all of the applicable data over to the alternate service if it's currently in iCloud.

Messaging (iMessage) isn't synced via iCloud as it is tied to your Apple ID in a different way. You can't use iMessage with any other service. You can turn it off on an iPhone and use SMS only.

Thanks Brian - what are the alternative services? Prior to iCloud, didn't iTunes offer the transfer when you connected your iPhone to your computer?

I'm primarily frustrated that I can't seem to do anything to make my contacts sync anymore - so anything that actually works would be nice.
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You have a very strange way of viewing it. If you prefer to be tied to pc/mac for your backups, Apple offers that too.

If my phone gets lost, stolen, or breaks, I buy a new one and load that iCloud backup on it with no loss if data. That's the power of iCloud.

I don't get why no one seems to care that iCloud assumes "ownership"? Even if I were to be tossing $600 losing or breaking my phone, I don't have Google Fibre in my area, so no clue how long it would take to recover 64GB through iCloud. It very regularly "hangs" on me all the time just doing backups - "Preparing..." "Backup failed."

 

[M. Gustave]

I don't get why no one seems to care that iCloud assumes "ownership"? Even if I were to be tossing $600 losing or breaking my phone, I don't have Google Fibre in my area, so no clue how long it would take to recover 64GB through iCloud. It very regularly "hangs" on me all the time just doing backups - "Preparing..." "Backup failed."

I don't know what you mean by "ownership". Where did you read that, in the TOS?

My 128GB 6s+ has a backup size of 416MB in iCloud. I also have Photos turned on, which is another 2GB. Your phone backup will not be 64GB!