IsaYonah
Level 1 (13 points)

Q: I simply want to know how to turn off iCloud* without losing my contacts

Call me old fashioned, but I really do NOT want to use iCloud EXCEPT for ONE THING*: and that's to find my phone, ipad or laptop if it goes missing.


Having said that, I have figured out how to turn off icloud on my ipad and my iphone (I am not using the phone as a phone, just as a glorified ipod) while keeping the "find my ipad/iphone" function active, BUT

 

I can't quite figure out how to do it on my laptop.

 

I seem to have done it already for photos, and for the calendar, (I know this from checking iCloud to see what it's got) but just cannot figure out how to turn it off for contacts.

And YES, I've backed up all of those things at LEAST 3 different ways, I just don't want the Cloud to be one of them.

 

So can anyone tell me how to turn off contacts in the cloud without it also magically deleting them in my laptop? (I had it happen on the ipad, that's why I'm worried.)

 

Thank you for understanding-I'm older and this stuff just keeps getting more complicated and I'm a simple person. I'll back up my own stuff!

MacBook Pro, OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.5)

Posted on May 2, 2015 5:23 PM

by Linc Davis,Apple recommended
Linc Davis Linc Davis
Level 10 (208,037 points)
Applications
A:

When you uncheck the Contacts box in the iCloud preference pane, you'll be prompted to save or delete your iCloud contacts. Choose to save them.

Posted on May 2, 2015 10:30 PM

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IsaYonah

Q: I simply want to know how to turn off iCloud* without losing my contacts

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  • Helpful answers

  • by Linc Davis,Apple recommended

    Linc Davis Linc Davis May 2, 2015 10:30 PM in response to IsaYonah
    Level 10 (208,037 points)
    Applications
    May 2, 2015 10:30 PM in response to IsaYonah

    When you uncheck the Contacts box in the iCloud preference pane, you'll be prompted to save or delete your iCloud contacts. Choose to save them.

  • by IsaYonah,

    IsaYonah IsaYonah May 2, 2015 11:12 PM in response to Linc Davis
    Level 1 (13 points)
    May 2, 2015 11:12 PM in response to Linc Davis

    I'm guessing you mean in System Preferences/iCloud? Nothing is checked...don't know whether it has an old or current version of my contacts but it does have them.

    Or would the "iCloud preference pane" be in the www.icloud.com area?


    I am SO not techno-savvy!

    Thanks

  • by Linc Davis,Helpful

    Linc Davis Linc Davis May 3, 2015 6:17 PM in response to IsaYonah
    Level 10 (208,037 points)
    Applications
    May 3, 2015 6:17 PM in response to IsaYonah

    Nothing is checked.

    Then you're not using any iCloud services on the computer.

  • by Michael Paine,Helpful

    Michael Paine Michael Paine May 3, 2015 6:17 PM in response to IsaYonah
    Level 2 (349 points)
    Mac OS X
    May 3, 2015 6:17 PM in response to IsaYonah

    Best to archive your contacts first because it is easy to lose them trying out iCloud options:

     

    Contacts menu bar

    File

    Export

    Contacts Archive

    Choose a folder and filename

     

    (works the same for Calendar)

  • by IsaYonah,

    IsaYonah IsaYonah May 3, 2015 6:27 PM in response to Michael Paine
    Level 1 (13 points)
    May 3, 2015 6:27 PM in response to Michael Paine

    Yep, I've archived, three different ways (on calendar and contacts) so I'm just going to delete anything on the cloud.

     

    Thanks everyone!

  • by shelime,

    shelime shelime Oct 18, 2016 3:18 PM in response to IsaYonah
    Level 1 (8 points)
    iCloud
    Oct 18, 2016 3:18 PM in response to IsaYonah

    To protect your contacts (phone numbers and addresses, etc.)

    Try this:  [use check off boxes]

    [_] (1) GET a GMAIL account first. at [gmail.com]  

    [_] (2) setup gmail to keep a copy of your contacts.  (this is the main reason for gmail!, so it works fine.) 

    [_] (3a) turn off: CONTACTS, on icloud,

    [_] (3b) and then turn off: ICLOUD, itself.  

    [_] (4) go to your gmail account (like 'yourname@gmail.com' ) and go to gmail settings.

    [_] (5) there should be some "contacts" info there.  [make a second gmail account, if you like--just for safety. just don't get confused what your "real email" is. 

     

    Everything you do with computers is a gamble, especially with Apple.  So, be safe. 

    Have 3 backups of everything. When floppy disks were used i had a "SON, FATHER, GRANDFATHER DISKS" 

    or A, B, C.  EXAMPLE:  Copy todays [A disk] stuff to "B disk" then tomorrow use [B disk]; copy that days stuff to [C" disk] and then [C disk] back to [A disk]...and so on.... now you just use 3 "thumb drives" or USB sticks.  [they are cheap, buy a dozen, but get name brand good ones!  and run a storage test on all of them before commiting valuable data to them,Try NOT  to keep too much on the computer!  If it crashes you can lose everything. Or worse, turn over your PC/MAC to a "honest technician"  Good luck!  even if you totally trash your computer, its just a computer.  You can erase and re-partition then reformat the hard drive... then reload all your programs and applications.  Everything can be recovered from your backups.... you did make BACKUPS, right???

     

     

    Shelli