How angry should I be that updating my settings deleted my contacts from my 4s?

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Level 1

8 points

How angry should I be that updating my settings deleted my contacts from my 4s?

Last night I noticed that the settings Icon on my 4s indicated that an update was available. So I updated. This morning I woke up to find five years of contacts deleted. Spent over an hour on the phone with Apple and could not restore; their engineering department promised to contact me within 48 hours. So this afternoon i will be driving to Verizon with my old Envy phone to have them retransfer my contacts from my boat anchor Envy to my 4s. At least then I will have my contacts restored to the moment that I came over to the Iphone. How angry should I be? And yes I know that Im a tool for not backing up my contacts on my computer but isnt that a Red Herring when considering that we are discussing Apples having deleted my contacts? Sure I own a part of this problem for not backing up, but what portion does AAPL own?

iPhone 4S, iOS 6.1, And Apple could not restore within

Posted on Feb 1, 2013 11:23 AM

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Answer 1

John Galt

Level 10

140,942 points

Feb 1, 2013 11:26 AM in response to Augustgerard

Augustgerard wrote:

... what portion does AAPL own?

None. RTFM:

iOS: How to update your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch

Additional Information

Tips for updating your iOS device

Ensure that your device is backed up to iCloud or back up with iTunes before updating. Find more information about backing up your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch.

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Answer 2

paulcb

Level 6

19,239 points

Feb 1, 2013 11:31 AM in response to Augustgerard

So, you have 5 years of contacts, not synced with anything and not ever backed up. You should be very angry... at yourself.

Never rely on one source for any important info... even Apple stuff is not perfect.

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Answer 3

SergZak

Level 6

10,338 points

Feb 1, 2013 11:43 AM in response to paulcb

paulcb wrote:

Never rely on one source for any important info... even Apple stuff is not perfect.

Agreed. I backup my contacts using a free app called My Contacts Backup which saves your contacts in a file (vCard or CSV) which you email to yourself for offline storage/archival. To restore the contacts, email the file back to yourself as an attachment (if you've deleted the original email that contained the backup file), tap on the attached file and your contacts are restored. I simply don't trust iCloud (or -any- cloud storage), especially with important data/info.

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Answer 4

Augustgerard Author

Level 1

8 points

Feb 1, 2013 11:48 AM in response to paulcb

P, It was backed up on my boat anchor LG ENVY, previous phone. I came over to Iphone a month ago. So Verizon will be my savior. I fuc.ed up I trusted Apple. Do you get the irony that icloud, the mythical asll powerful Apple back up, erased my contacts never to be recovered again. Like I said, Im a tool for not backing up since I came to AAPL a month ago but isnt that an off target criticism considering we are talking about icloud erasing contacts, like they have occasionally been doing since 2012 - should we not be able to rely on Apple to fix something that has complaints on the net going back over a year? Its disconcerting that you find no fault not even one percent falls to the Apple. Me, I take 50% apple needs to take 50% responsibility.

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Answer 5

Augustgerard Author

Level 1

8 points

Feb 1, 2013 11:50 AM in response to John Galt

J. Gault. You see no irony that icloud washed away my contacts. Me i see it as the epitome.

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Answer 6

Augustgerard Author

Level 1

8 points

Feb 1, 2013 11:52 AM in response to paulcb

Paul, Apple is not perfect. That is an understatement. To have scrubbed contacts seems much more than slacking an iota of perfection. It seems an even larger bungle than me not backing up. IM off to Verizon in my internal combustion machine to do what Apple could not do online - imperfect - far from it.

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Answer 7

KiltedTim

Level 10

195,189 points

Feb 1, 2013 11:55 AM in response to Augustgerard

iCloud did not erase your contacts. You're daft if you think it did. Contacts are only part of the backup to preserve the favorites list and the recent calls list. They are intended to be synced to a cloud service or to a compatible contact manager on your computer.

If you were not syncing them to something, then it's your own fault. The only thing Apple could have done here would have been to send someone to your house to tie you to a chair while they read you the manual for the phone before you were allowed to start using it.

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Answer 8

paulcb

Level 6

19,239 points

Feb 1, 2013 11:57 AM in response to Augustgerard

Have you logged into iCloud from a computer to see if they are there?

If you think iCloud isn't fixed, why did you use it? That's precisely why I don't use it... too many complaints. Try Google... nearly perfect in my experience.

Look, we all rely on these gadgets and expect them to work but they're not perfect and never will be. Blaming them does no good... preparing yourself for potential problems does.

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Answer 9

paulcb

Level 6

19,239 points

Feb 1, 2013 11:59 AM in response to Augustgerard

This is a perfect microcosm of our culture today... no personal responsibility.

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Answer 10

KiltedTim

Level 10

195,189 points

Feb 1, 2013 11:59 AM in response to paulcb

I don't believe he was actually syncing his contacts with iCloud, paulcb... If he was, he wouldn't be here complaining. No, I think he assumed that backing up to iCloud would back up the contacts that he wasn't syncing with anything at all.

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Answer 11

paulcb

Level 6

19,239 points

Feb 1, 2013 12:01 PM in response to KiltedTim

Yeah, after reading this again, I think you're right.

Too bad, he had dozens of ways to backup or sync and nothing.

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Answer 12

John Galt

Level 10

140,942 points

Feb 1, 2013 12:05 PM in response to Augustgerard

iCloud did nothing to your contacts. If you have a technical support question ask. If your question is How angry should I be that updating my settings deleted my contacts from my 4s that is for you to decide, and contrary to the Apple Support Communities Terms of Use which you agreed to but apparently did not read either.

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Answer 13

Augustgerard Author

Level 1

8 points

Feb 1, 2013 1:26 PM in response to John Galt

John, Here is the chink in the icloud worship. I was on Icloud, I am on Icloud and it didnt back up my shizit when as you say settings scrubbed my contacts. Apple tried to restore using the restore backup but it didnt restore - because I guess Acid Rain killed the icloud. I just returned from Verizon where in four minutes they were able to restore my contacts to the moment I went to iphone a month ago - THANK YOU VERIZON. I just went and bought a seagate product that will creat my own icloud and I wont rely on icloud for anything except to not back me up when settings scrubs next time. This is not a unique event, its all over the internet.

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Answer 14

Augustgerard Author

Level 1

8 points

Feb 1, 2013 1:29 PM in response to KiltedTim

Kilt, you are correct that icloud didnt scrub. What icloud also didnt do is anable me to restore when settings scrubbed. I was on icloud and am on icloud but now will rely on seagate to back me up. Apple dropped the ball on this one and given that I own their stock and their products I hope this doesnt mean that they have jumped the shark. This is not a unique problem its been happening since Aug 12 according to what Ive been reading. Disappointing that Apple is allowing it to continue to happen - but I guess that is just status quo.

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Answer 15

Augustgerard Author

Level 1

8 points

Feb 1, 2013 1:33 PM in response to paulcb

Paul I took responsibility for not backing it up; likely the problem is reading comprehension, Id have expected more from an aggie. My complaint is that, its as if I bought life insurance for my family and the insurance company killed them and Im supposed to say ****, thank God I had insurance. Point is icloud didnt back up what settings scrubbed - its almost as if Apple is saying **** if you had icloud you would have been backed up. I was on icloud am on icloud but wont rely on it again - Ive gone to seagate GO FLEX home.

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