Backup does not show messages or contacts

anonymous-username wrote:

I am backing up my iphone but do not want to sync with icloud - only using icloud for backup. Want to keep the data on the phone and for messages, for example, syncing deletes older messages off the phone, as I understand. Question: when I open backup on my phone, it shows all the apps that are backed up, with a green slider button. It shows photos and lots of apps in the backup list, but messages and contacts are NOT listed in the backup list. I can't check in icloud on the web, because I don't have syncing turned on and don't want to turn it on (so icloud on the web is empty). I know I can turn on syncing for messages, but I don't want to do that. How do I know if my phone has backed up messages and contacts? If they are not on the list (and no option to add them other than syncing, so far as I can see), are they not backed up?

Contacts aren't part of the backup as outlined here What does iCloud back up? - Apple Support they are synced to whatever mail or cloud program you use.

And the apps you mentions above means they are synced to icloud, not a selection of what gets backed up.

If message isn't turned on then it is part of the backup as outlined in the link I provided.

anonymous-username wrote:

Thank you, I am new to this. The guide states that text messages *are* backed up so long as you do not have icloud for messages turned on, and I do not have icloud for messages on. However, there is a long list on the phone itself under "backup details" stating what has been backed up and text messages are *not* on the list. Is that because text messages are not an app, but they are backed up anyway (like settings, etc., which are also backed up, but not on the backup list because not an app)? Or is something awry?

if you didn't enable this Set up iCloud for Messages on all your devices - Apple Support

then message SMS, MMS and imessage is part of the backup.