Are inotes stored “on my iPhone “ or “on my iPad” included in the iCloud backup. I know they are included in the backup using iTunes, but not sure if included in iCloud backups

A lot of what Apple describes is as clear as mud, IMHO.

I should also state that I use iCloud Notes as well as Notes on my iPhone/iPad. The fact that the Notes on my iPhone restored indicates to me that they are stored in the backup. Those notes are data that is stored locally, so it makes sense that they would restore from the iCloud backup.

I have done restores form both iTunes and from iCloud.

The advantage to using iTunes is that if you have content that you synced from your computer, you will need to sync that content again no matter which way that you restore, so if you are already restoring from iTunes, you can just sync after the backup restores. When you restore the iCloud backup, you are going to have to hook up to iTunes at some point if you need to sync content.

iCloud backups are encrypted so your health data and passwords will restore when you use an iCloud backup. iTunes will only back that information up if you encrypt the backup first.

I bought a new iPhone in December and I encrypted an iTune backup before I bought the new phone. I also created a new iCloud backup at the Apple Store when I bought the phone. I restored the iCloud backup at the Apple store and when I got home, I synced with iTunes in order to get my photos and ripped CD music back onto my phone. So as it turned out, I did not need the encrypted iTunes backup. If you do encrypt the backup, make sure that you write the password down and store it in a safe place. If you forget the password for the backup, you will not be able to use it.

In either case, you have to let all of you apps download again from the cloud since apps can no longer be synced in iTunes 12.7.

Based on my last experience with my iPhone, your apps will download in the same arrangement that they were in on the device. That is one of the things included in a backup - app arrangement.

Your purchase history is also part of the backup. Even if you restore an iTunes backup, the apps will download on their own as long as you stay connected to WiFi. You do not have to initiate anything with regard to apps downloading.

When we (me, my wife and daughter) set up our phones at the Apple Store, the apps stopped downloading when we left the store’s WiFi, and resumed downloading when we got home to our own WiFi network. If we had been connected to a WiFi network anywhere along the way, the apps would have continued to download.

While Apple does not specifically state this in so many words, I interpret what they are saying here to mean that Notes store locally, are included in your iCloud backup, even if you use Notes with iCloud.

What does iCloud back up? - Apple Support

Your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch backup only include information and settings stored on your device. It doesn’t include information already stored in iCloud, like Contacts, Calendars, Bookmarks, Mail, Notes, Voice Memos3, shared photos, iCloud Photos, Health data, call history4, and files you store in iCloud Drive.

Actually, I just checked the Notes on my own iPhone XR which was set up at the Apple Store in late December, using an iCloud Backup. I do in fact have Notes in the “on my iPhone” section from 2016, and 2017, which would indicate that they did restore with the iCloud backup.

You are quite welcome and thank you for the very kind words. :)