wannasurfnow wrote:
Really? The backup was made with Itunes, I thought it should have everything? Including calendar, contacts, notes, messages and photos. I am banking on Notes being in the Itunes backup. Photos was the only thing that was syncing. I tried syncing notes after the water damage but it didn't work.
As described by LD150, files and photos that are synchronised with iCloud (i.e., are available in iCloud and are automatically shared with your Apple devices that are signed-in to iCloud with the same AppleID) are not included in an iCloud or iTunes backup of the device. If you are not synchronising files and photos with iCloud, then this data is included within the iCloud or iTunes backup.
This strategy implemented by Apple is intended to balance potential loss of data against efficient use of available iCloud storage resources - in that it avoids unnecessary duplication of storage; either elements of your saved data is safely synchronised with (and is available to all your devices from) iCloud, or this data is preserved within your backup file - which may itself be stored in iCloud.
It is possible to do both - but to do so you must either create additional copies of data, or use a third-party App to create an additional backup of your data. This is an advanced topic - and should you be interested in the mechanics of doing so, might be discussed separately. It follows that any such measures have to be out in place before disasters occur; retrospective application can only help avoid future complications.
In summary, if you were originally synchronising your data with iCloud, it is still available in iCloud and can be accessed by your replacement device when set-up with the same AppleID (Apple Account). Likewise, if you were not synchronising your data with iCloud - but have a pre-existing iCloud or iTunes backup, this can be restored to your replacement device.
I hope this clarification helps to settle any concerns that you may have.
For future reference, you can control which elements of your data are synchronised with iCloud from device settings - noting that this is set independently for each of your devices:
Settings > [Your Name / Apple Account] > iCloud > [Saved to iCloud] Show All Apps >
Enable Apps and Apple Services, as required, that you wish to synchronise directly with iCloud.
Apps that are not synchronised with iCloud will be included within your iCloud backup:
Settings > [Your Name / Apple Account] > iCloud > iCloud Backup > Backup this [device] - set to ON
