Does my iPhone's Back-Up Assist conflict with the Verizon Cloud?

NNever heard of backup assist on any iOS device.

Where are you seeing it?

iOS offers free automatic backup to iCloud.

Go under settings-icloud.

If you have it turned on, you will see a list of stuff iOS is backing up.

This includes contacts, you can turn it off.

Joe The Author wrote:

I just got my first iPhone 5C through Verizon. When I transferred my contacts from my old LG phone through Verizon, I found that I had multiple entries for each contact. Since I have three Yahoo Email accounts, I assumed that was the cause. I called Verizon and asked if I backed up my contacts from my new iPhone would that supersede the contact list that was on the Verizon website. They couldn't give me a clear answer.

So, my questions are:

1. What is the iPhone's Back Up Assist?

It’s a Verizon app that was likely downloaded when they initially set up you iPhone at the store.

-> http://www.verizonwireless.com/support/how_to_use/backup_assistant.html

Joe The Author wrote:

That's interesting. I purchased my phone online and activated it the same way. Never visited the store. So, I think you are basically correct, except that it must have come preloaded.

iPhones do not come preloaded. Apple does not allow carriers to preload anything.

If it was preloaded, someone opened it loaded something.

and it would have to have some other AppleID used to download it...

Now I need to find out whether or not I still need the Verizon Cloud, or if they work in tandem.

Verizon cloud and Apple iCloud are completely separate and have nothing to do with each other.

Joe The Author wrote:

1. What is the iPhone's Back Up Assist?

2. Does the Back Up Assist serve the same function as the Verizon Cloud? (If so, am I better off using Back Up Assist or the Verizon Cloud…or both?)

3. I don't want to back up anything on the iCloud, so how do I make sure I'm not doing that?

As Chris CA, noted Backup Assistant and Verizon Cloud are both Verizon apps. Backup Assistant is older software and has largely been replaced by Verizon Cloud which will back up more categories of data. They are both cloud based back up services. You should not try to use both. That can result in the type of duplicates you're seeing. If you want to use a Verizon provided back up option, go with Verizon Cloud. It's advantage over iCloud is that, should you ever change to another platform (e.g. Android) on Verizon's network, your data will be easily accessible. It is not, however, as well integrated into the OS as iCloud.

If you do not want to use any type cloud back up, don't use Backup Assistant, Verizon Cloud or iCloud. You can delete both Backup Assistant and Verizon Cloud from the phone. iCloud is built in. You can turn off all the back up/sync options under Settings>iCloud. I would recommend leaving Find My iPhone turned on, though.