How exactly does iCloud backup?

[samos]

Hi. I tried keeping track of all the changes that have been made to iCloud these past few years, but looks like I am a bit lost at this point.
If I switch on E2E on iCloud, can I just setup my friend's phone number as a recovery number, so I can get access to my iCloud data in case I forget the relevant password?

Can you point me to a web link that clearly indicates all the apps-system or otherwise-that use iCloud storage space? e.g., I can see that any app on my iPhone tries to allot its own space on iCloud, but it's unclear if iCloud Drive also uses this space.

Do any of you still prefer the old way of backing up to your computer, and mostly avoiding the cloud? Other than the obvious issue of convenience, is there any other disadvantage with backing up like this?

Thanks!

 

[TonyAguila]

Hi. I tried keeping track of all the changes that have been made to iCloud these past few years, but looks like I am a bit lost at this point.
If I switch on E2E on iCloud, can I just setup my friend's phone number as a recovery number, so I can get access to my iCloud data in case I forget the relevant password?

Can you point me to a web link that clearly indicates all the apps-system or otherwise-that use iCloud storage space? e.g., I can see that any app on my iPhone tries to allot its own space on iCloud, but it's unclear if iCloud Drive also uses this space.

Do any of you still prefer the old way of backing up to your computer, and mostly avoiding the cloud? Other than the obvious issue of convenience, is there any other disadvantage with backing up like this?

Thanks!

Gary at macmostvideo has an easy to understand video which is a good introduction to iCloud Drive. I suggest watching it and then posting any more of your questions about it.

Good luck!

 

[sam1234444]

If you enable iCloud’s Advanced Data Protection (end-to-end encryption), you can’t just use a friend’s phone number for recovery—you must set up a trusted Apple-device user as a Recovery Contact or create a Recovery Key. iCloud storage is shared by system apps, iCloud Drive, backups, and any third-party apps that sync via iCloud, all of which you can view under Settings [your name] iCloud Manage Account Storage. Local backups to a computer avoid cloud reliance but lack automatic sync, require manual upkeep, and are at risk if your computer is lost or damaged.