Iphone 6S

Well, your Contacts and Reminders would not be backed up to iCloud, they would be sync'd. You do this by signing into iCloud on your device, and then turn on the Contacts and the Reminders options under Settings>iCloud. The information should be pushed up to your iCloud account.

Cheers,

GB

You might want to browse thru this user guide from Apple. It's a free iBook.

https://itun.es/us/gVOT9.l

About backups in iCloud and iTunes - Apple Support

iCloud backups

1. Have to be turned on from Settings - iCloud - Backup

2. Happen when phone is locked, charging and in a WiFi environment - in many case that is during the nightly charge cycle

3. Can be forced by using the backup now link

Make sure that at least one backup is done - then log in and see if your contacts and notes are in the iCloud

4. Your free space is 5 GB - content more than that can cause further backups to pause

Welcome to the world of the iPhone

Please let us know of any questions

kmh-20 wrote:

Hi Rysz

Is backing up to itunes the same as backing up to icloud? Does the same 'invisible ' back up happen?

iTunes backup is on a computer (Mac or PC) - IF on a PC then you have to download the iTunes application from Apple

The latest version is 12.3.3 - the first time one uses it - one has to use the cable and authorize the computer

The article I linked you to - provides details 🙂

Again, they are not backed up. Are you signed into the same iCloud account on your iOS device and at iCloud.com?

Did you go to Settings>iCloud on your device to see if you had Contacts and Reminders turned on?

They are sync'd to iCloud. A backup cannot be seen. But things that sync with iCloud - Notes, Reminders, Calendars, Contacts, etc. are seen when you open the same app on iCloud.com

Cheers,

GB

Contacts and Reminders are not included in an iCloud backup, and you cannot see the contents of any backup whether it be in iTunes or iCloud. The OP specifically asked about iCloud, and that would not be a backup, but a sync. The article you provided a link to clearly states this:

iCloud backups don't include:

Data that's already stored in the cloud, like contacts, calendars, notes, My Photo Stream, and iCloud Photo Library

GB

OK, let's start at the beginning.

When you say you have backed up using your phone, do you mean that you have initiated an iCloud Backup? If so, that is not how you get that information into the Contacts and Reminders apps on iCloud.com.

You need to go to Settings>iCloud on your device, make sure you are signed into the same iCloud account you are accessing on iCloud.com, then make sure that the Contacts and Reminders options are turned on. You need to be on Wifi for the data to be pushed effectively, however, they can also be pushed over cellular if you do not have Wifi.

Can you clarify what you mean by backed up your phone?

Cheers,

GB

OK, so a backup and an iCloud sync are two different things.

When you did your Backup Now, it created an iCloud backup of anything you have selected on your device to be backed up. You can see what you have selected for backing up by going to Settings>iCloud>Storage>Manage Storage, then click on your device. You will see the Last Backup Date/Time, and below, you will see everything that you have selected to be in your backup. You cannot see the contents of a backup.

Contacts, Calendars, Notes, Photo Stream, etc. are not backed up to iCloud. They are sync'd between iCloud and your device real time. If you make a change to Contacts on your phone, you will see the change in Contacts on iCloud.com. If you make a change to Contacts on iCloud.com, you will see it on your phone.

So, again, under Settings>iCloud, since you already have Contacts and Reminders turned on, switch them off and then back on again to see if that will initiate the push. When you turn off Contacts, it will ask you if you want to keep them on your device. Say Yes. Then when you turn them back on, it will ask you if you want to Merge with iCloud. Say Yes. Once you have done that, check iCloud.com again. When you open the Contacts app there, you should see the same contacts there that you do on your phone.

Are you connected to Wifi? And when you say you have set up an iCloud account, do you mean you set it up under your existing Apple ID? If so, then are you signed on to iCloud on your device with that Apple ID, or with the @iCloud.com email address? If you are signed in with the @icloud.com email address on the device, try signing it out, then sign back in with the Apple ID that your iCloud account is under - Settings>iCloud, scroll to the bottom of the screen to sign out.

One last question - are you using iCloud on a PC or a Mac?

Cheers,

GB

These screenshots may help:

Settings>iCloud: This is where you select which items you want to "sync" with iCloud. Items checked here automatically upload to iCloud in a real-time manner. As you make changes to these items on your phone, they go up to the same app in iCloud. If you make changes to these items on iCloud.com, they go down to your phone. If you have multiple devices and computers signed into the same iCloud account with these options turned on, they all sync automatically. I type up Shopping lists in the Notes app on my Mac so I can then open my iPhone at the store to see my list.

Settings>iCloud>Storage>Manage Storage>click on your device: This is where you select what items you want backed up to iCloud in a backup. Backups are used to restore your device to the state it was at the time the backup was made, or to set up a new device from that backup. With the Backup option turned on, whenever you plug your device in to power, have the Lock Screen on, and are connected to Wifi, an automatic backup will occur (once every 24 hours)

Cheers,

GB

OK, but again, the backup, and what you have in iCloud in Contacts and Reminders are two different things. You have to be syncing your Contacts, Calendars, Notes, etc. with iCloud. If you have the device that has the contacts on it, go to Settings>iCloud, and scroll down to the Sign Out option, and sign out. During that process it will warn you that several things that sync with iCloud will be erased, including Photo Stream. If you are backing up your photos then the Last Month or 1000 Photos of Photo Stream will re-download when you sign back in. Notes will also sync back if you have been syncing them previously. If you have notes you want to sync from that phone, cancel the Sign Out, and:

1. Go to notes on your iPhone
2. select the folder "On My iPhone"
3. select edit
4. select all
5. select move
6. select "iCloud"
7. select Done

The other thing it will ask you about when you sign out is whether you want to Keep your Contacts on your phone. Say Yes. Then, sign back in to iCloud. As you are signing in, it will ask if you want to Merge your contacts with iCloud. Say Yes. Then they will show up in Contacts on your PC. Make sure that anything you want to have syncing to iCloud is turned on as shown it the first screenshot above. This is the only way that data for those items will get to iCloud. A backup will not do that. Backups are solely for the purpose of restoring your device when it has been erased.

Cheers,

GB