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User profile for user: Mann_1591
Mann_1591 Author
User level: Level 1
4 points

If I wipe my MacBook, will the documents and photos previously stored locally on it (and uploaded to iCloud) still remain available to my iPhone and iPad via iCloud

Hi there,


I’ve just purchased an iPad Pro with the intention of using it more or less as my laptop so that I can wipe and get rid of my MacBook Pro and just run with the iPad Pro and my iPhone. Currently, all my files (documents, photos, etc.) are hard-stored locally on my MacBook and uploaded to iCloud so as to be ‘available’ on my iPad and iPhone.


As noted, my plan is to get rid of the MacBook. If I wipe the MacBook, will the documents and photos previously stored locally on it (and uploaded to iCloud) still remain available to my iPhone and iPad via iCloud, or will they be deleted from iCloud altogether when I wipe the MacBook, so that they’re not available to any of my devices?


If the latter, is there a way to migrate the local storage of the (a) documents stored on my MacBook to my iPad Pro, and (b) the photos stored on my MacBook to my iPhone, so that, in each case, they can then still be locally stored on one or the other of the remaining devices, and be made available to the other device via iCloud?


Thanks in advance.


[Re-Titled by Moderator]

Posted on Aug 4, 2024 5:47 AM

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User profile for user: Lawrence Finch
Lawrence Finch
User level: Level 10
212,672 points

Posted on Aug 4, 2024 1:27 PM

You really don’t get it, do you? iCloud is not one thing, it is many things:


  • iCloud Drive is a syncing service
  • iCloud Backup is a TRUE (not “sort of”) backup service, that has nothing in common with iCloud drive except the name
  • iCloud Private Relay is a masking service when visiting websites
  • iCloud Hide My eMail is a service that creates different email addresses for each site where you enter an email address
  • iCloud Custom eMail Domain lets you send and receive email using a registered domain.


Here is a detailed explanation of the difference between iCloud Sync and iCloud Backup:


iCloud+ has 2 independent functions. iCloud backups, and iCloud sync. It’s confusing because they both have the same name prefix. But they have no connection with each other. Go to Settings/[your name]/iCloud. You will see a bunch of switches (with iOS 16 or later also tap Show All). When you turn on a switch that data type will sync to iCloud. If you do this on multiple devices that share an Apple ID the selected data will sync to all of those devices. 


You can also turn on iCloud Backups. This will back up your phone every night if the phone is plugged in, connected to Wi-Fi and locked.


But note that these are independent functions; anything that you sync by the first method will be excluded from the iCloud backups.


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User profile for user: Lawrence Finch
Lawrence Finch
User level: Level 10
212,672 points

Aug 4, 2024 1:27 PM in response to AlWeir

You really don’t get it, do you? iCloud is not one thing, it is many things:


  • iCloud Drive is a syncing service
  • iCloud Backup is a TRUE (not “sort of”) backup service, that has nothing in common with iCloud drive except the name
  • iCloud Private Relay is a masking service when visiting websites
  • iCloud Hide My eMail is a service that creates different email addresses for each site where you enter an email address
  • iCloud Custom eMail Domain lets you send and receive email using a registered domain.


Here is a detailed explanation of the difference between iCloud Sync and iCloud Backup:


iCloud+ has 2 independent functions. iCloud backups, and iCloud sync. It’s confusing because they both have the same name prefix. But they have no connection with each other. Go to Settings/[your name]/iCloud. You will see a bunch of switches (with iOS 16 or later also tap Show All). When you turn on a switch that data type will sync to iCloud. If you do this on multiple devices that share an Apple ID the selected data will sync to all of those devices. 


You can also turn on iCloud Backups. This will back up your phone every night if the phone is plugged in, connected to Wi-Fi and locked.


But note that these are independent functions; anything that you sync by the first method will be excluded from the iCloud backups.


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User profile for user: IdrisSeabright
IdrisSeabright
User level: Level 10
170,015 points

Aug 4, 2024 7:25 AM in response to Mann_1591

If you follow the procedure below, wiping your Mac will have no effect on your iCloud data:


What to do before you sell, give away, trade in, or recycle your Mac - Apple Support


Everything you have stored in iCloud will be available to your iPad if you're signing in with the same Apple ID.


Also, please ignore the post immediately before mine. It's wrong. iCloud most definitely IS a "backup solution" for iPads.


How to back up your iPhone or iPad with iCloud - Apple Support



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User profile for user: IdrisSeabright
IdrisSeabright
User level: Level 10
170,015 points

Aug 5, 2024 11:37 AM in response to AlWeir

AlWeir wrote:

iCloud Drive syncing is a sort of a backup but it more of a synchronization service between device.

Do you have an iPhone or iPad? Or only a Mac? If you've only ever used a Mac, that could explain your confusion.


But you are wrong. People here are trying to help you understand why you are wrong and have provided detailed explanations and links to Apple Support documents. Accept the gift of being able to learn something new.

Reply

If I wipe my MacBook, will the documents and photos previously stored locally on it (and uploaded to iCloud) still remain available to my iPhone and iPad via iCloud

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