What iCloud backup and should I use it?

Yesterday I bought the iPhone 5. I was looking at iCloud I put in my apple I. D and stuff so I'm already signed in. There's a button that says iCloud Backup and its off. If I turn it on it says You iPhone will no loner be able to back up to your computer automatically when you sync with iTunes? What does that mean. I don't plan on relying on my computer to keep all of my stuff on backup because I'm giving it to my sister for college. So if i use iCloud backup will it keep all of my stuff on backup just like my mac would? But the only thing is can I still get on the laptop and get music and stuff from it? I just don't get the 'Won't be able to back up to your computer automatically when you sync with iTunes part".

Okay so there are two differences in iPhones. There's sync and backup. We will explain sync first, syncing is the process of making sure that the music and photos and apps in your Mac are in sync with the ones on your phone. For example, if you have bought four new songs in iTunes on your Mac and you bought them after the last time you synced your phone they won't be on your phone so your mac will put them on your phone for you as soon as you plug it into your computer. Same works vice versa if you buy a song on your iPhone it will put it on your mac. Backup puts all of the technical files your phone needs in order to run onto your mac. If you enable iCloud it won't put the technical stuff on your computer but in iCloud. If you don't know what iCloud is it is basically a server were you can store your stuff in and it will automatically put it on your mac. It won't put your backup on your mac just your pages documents and keynote. You need an Internet connection to use iCloud. Activating iCloud backup will still put your music and pictures onto your phone when you plug it in but it just won't put all the technical files on there

  • When should i backup my iCloud? Okay, so i had an iphone 4 and it kept saying my storage was full and icloud hasn't backed up in like 38 weeks, and i just recently broke my phone, but i have an ipad that i'm using instead so when i logged on to my icloud i deleted my old backup from like 6/24/12 and now i'm confused? What does it mean and now i have enough storage to backup again but should i wait until i get a new iPhone?
  • Is there a way(without computer)to move my texts from my iPad to my IPhone? ICloud backup? Had to restore phone to last backup and lost texts? Hi, yesterday I had to reset my phone (IPhone 8 plus) to factory default and restore it to its last backup (April 15th). I also have an iPad mini, which everything is Synced. I got everything back on my phone (up to date) except my text messages. I'm not able to access my computer right now and have read you can get them back my backing up you messages to ICloud. Is there anything I can do to get them back on my phone (they are still on my iPad mini), without using my Mac?
  • Icloud promblem can't find iCloud Control Panel in setting should I do? I have asked this all ready but got only one answer but did not help me at all. I got an iphone 4 for my b day. Should I unstall it and just restall the Program I'm just confused. Ps its on the computer I'm talking about.
  • Does iCloud Backup Take up more space then iTunes backup? When I backup my iphone on iCloud it takes up 4.7GB of iCloud Storage. When I backup my iphone on my mac with iTunes it only takes up 2.3Gb Apple webstie says itunes backup will backup your phone exactly as it is and that iCloud only backs up important information. So why does backing my iphone take 4.7GB of iCloud space but backing up my iphone with itunes takes up only 2.3gb of space on my mac?