I was told by an Apple support person that I did not need to sync messages. That text forwarding allows message access on all devices. And phone carriers (verizon, tmobile, att, etc.) take care of the actual messages backup. Is this accurate? Trying to decide on the amount of iCloud storage that I need.
iPhone 6s Plus, iOS 15
gnosislibrarian wrote:
I was told by an Apple support person that I did not need to sync messages. That text forwarding allows message access on all devices. And phone carriers (verizon, tmobile, att, etc.) take care of the actual messages backup. Is this accurate? Trying to decide on the amount of iCloud storage that I need.
You're responsible for your own backup How to back up - Apple Support
IF you sync message to icloud it isn't part of the backup Set up iCloud for Messages on all your devices - Apple Support
here info on text forwarding Forward SMS/MMS text messages from your iPhone to other devices - Apple Support
gnosislibrarian wrote:
razmee209, really?
I asked the senior support person:
Why is there iCloud syncing for Photos and backup for Photo Library, but messages are NOT an option that a user can enable under iCloud =>iCloud Backup=>select device=>show all apps?
How to back up messages?
And the support person said, syncing is not a backup of messages, so I asked how to backup messages? And this is when the support person said, 'the carrier backs up your messages' and syncing has a similar function to text forwarding.
Read here What does iCloud back up? - Apple Support and read all the links I posted in my first response.
I see it now:
What does iCloud back up? - Apple Support
iMessage, text (SMS), and MMS messages
If you haven't turned on Messages in iCloud, your messages are included in iCloud Backup. If you use Messages in iCloud, your messages automatically sync to iCloud so they aren’t included in your daily backup.
So is there a preference? Also, are we sure of this information? Because my message storage is 9GBs and I have messages turned off in iCloud, but my backup is only 1GB.
gnosislibrarian wrote:
I see it now:
What does iCloud back up? - Apple Support
iMessage, text (SMS), and MMS messages
If you haven't turned on Messages in iCloud, your messages are included in iCloud Backup. If you use Messages in iCloud, your messages automatically sync to iCloud so they aren’t included in your daily backup.
So is there a preference? Also, are we sure of this information? Because my message storage is 9GBs and I have messages turned off in iCloud, but my backup is only 1GB.
Those are Apple supported link, so pretty sure it is good information, not sure who you talk to at the Apple store.
Read the links again and you can decide what preference you want.
Photos have
iCloud sync via Photos and iCloud =>iCloud Backup=>select device=>Photo Library
Messages has only iCloud sync
razmee209 pointed me to:
What does iCloud back up? - Apple Support
Which says:
iMessage, text (SMS), and MMS messages
If you haven't turned on Messages in iCloud, your messages are included in iCloud Backup. If you use Messages in iCloud, your messages automatically sync to iCloud so they aren’t included in your daily backup.
However, I do not have messages enabled in iCloud and my iCloud backup is only 1GB and my messages alone are 9GBs on the phone, so I think this is poor design or documentationI
gnosislibrarian wrote:
Not syncing messages, because, again I was told by support not to waste my storage on that redundant function. However, the documentation says if message syncing is not enabled, then backups handle messages, but this is definitely not true. My last backup is only 1GB, but my messages alone occupy 9GBs of storage on my phone.
https://discussions.apple.com/content/attachment/8cf1f4a2-98e5-4921-ba54-f146eee23852
https://discussions.apple.com/content/attachment/455cc047-b35c-472f-bda4-9572715f3c61
https://discussions.apple.com/content/attachment/a06143d1-aea2-45f3-a913-32510f18a10a
Screenshots says it can't back up due to lack of icloud storage space, which could be why you see the discrepancy.
Not syncing messages, because, again I was told by support not to waste my storage on that redundant function. However, the documentation says if message syncing is not enabled, then backups handle messages, but this is definitely not true. My last backup is only 1GB, but my messages alone occupy 9GBs of storage on my phone.
razmee209, really?
I asked the senior support person:
Why is there iCloud syncing for Photos and backup for Photo Library, but messages are NOT an option that a user can enable under iCloud =>iCloud Backup=>select device=>show all apps?
How to back up messages?
And the support person said, syncing is not a backup of messages, so I asked how to backup messages? And this is when the support person said, 'the carrier backs up your messages' and syncing has a similar function to text forwarding.
gnosislibrarian wrote:
If you work with Apple, I can share the support ticket number.
A bug? Or an oversight? I do not think messages are included in backups. However, maybe syncing allows for backups?
Nobody in these user to user technical forum works for Apple.
Whatever you sync to icloud isn't part of the backup.
Not sure where you're seeing message is 9GB and icloud backup is only 1Gb.
post of screenshot of your manage storage.
There is no bug or oversight, you're just no understanding it.
If you work with Apple, I can share the support ticket number.
A bug? Or an oversight? I do not think messages are included in backups. However, maybe syncing allows for backups?
Why is my messenger saying sync is paused
Message syncing in iCloud
