How does iCloud update when you have two of the same devices on your account

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I spilled coffee on my ipad (dumb move!) and the screen went black. I thought it was a goner, so I bought a new one. But I left the other one to dry out and a couple days later, it seemed to be working. I am leaving it to dry for a while longer. The new ipad restored from iCloud. I am using it now. My question is how does iCloud update when you have 2 of the same devices?

I assume when I turn on the old iPad, it will contact icloud and update its data from icloud, not the other way around – e.g. ipad data will update the cloud. I was a little worried that once the old one booted up, it would overwrite my current iCloud data, but that is not the way it works, is it? The data on the old ipad will be updated with what is on icloud since that is the most recent date. Is that the way it works?

Just didn’t want to lose anything – I‘ve updated photos, files, documents on the new iPad and do not want to go back to what was on the old ipad last week. thank you!! Donna

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If you are syncing through iCloud:
It will identify the two devices by some unique identifier. I’m not sure which, but some examples are serial number, MAC address, or the like. In other words, it will know the difference between the two.
When you turned on the new one and added it to your account, it would have uploaded all the data from the old to the new device. After that, each time you add or change data on one, the other gets the new/changed data, so that each are the same. If you use them when neither is connected, then when you connect, the data goes both ways, comparing date, size, content, etc, until both have the latest. If you have updated on the new device, when you turn on the old one, it will sync the new/changed data to the old device.

It works quite well, as a matter of fact. I sync important things like Contacts, Calendar, Keychains between all my devices. I do not sync pictures (big GBs of data), for example, b/c I do not use iCloud Drive. I only have the default (free) 5GB storage. I do not even have email set up on my phone, as I do all the email and messaging from Desktop or laptop I am on constantly. However, all messaging syncs to my phone and all my devices. I use AirDrop to transfer pics that I have taken on my Phone. Nice to have Macs.

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Myst, WCHS, dmt_3904

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I have two iPads, an Air 2nd gen from 2014 and an Air 5th gen from 2022. On each iPad, I see them both listed when I go to Settings > Your Apple ID {Name & Icon at the very top on the left side} > scroll to the very bottom. You can open the right-caret beside each one to see its model, software version, and serial number.

On each one, at Settings > Apple ID > iCloud > iCloud Backup, you will see them both listed, as well. On each one, I can see when both were backed up and the size of the backup. My older iPad is limited in what more it can tell me about the backup of the newer one, but the newer one is less limited in its additional backup info about the older one; I think this is due to the fact that they are not using the same iOS and the architecture of each model is different such that the latest version that the older one will accept is 15.x.but the latest version that the newer one will accept to date is 17.x.

But, if your two iPads are the same model (or perhaps closely related models), I would guess that the type of info that one gives about the other is similar.

So, yes, each iPad distinguishes itself from the other and they each have their own backup, and iCloud will sync whatever you mark on each iPad to sync.

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If you need more storage/syncing space, you probably should invest in space on iCloud Drive or some other syncing Service.

I use an online service, SugarSync. It syncs my important data on my Macs with my Windows devices. I do not use it for whole computer backups. Imaging is done locally, as well as additional file backup to a NAS drive for my “important” data.

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Thank you all for your feedback. I have SugarSync – I was using Carbonite on the PC, but switched when I got the Mac, based on  your usage/recommendation PK,  it’s been great : D

One thing I love love love (and this may have been available on Carbonite but IDK) is the ability to upload a document from my Ipad and have it show up on my hardrive and the ability to view my hard drive anywhere, anytime I’m connected! Carbonite did allow that, but it was as not as easy to use.  So I am loving SS.

I have a subscription to MS365 w/1TB on One Drive. I have been moving videos over there and that is keeping my iCloud storage below 50gb. I don’t want to keep going up in storage! I will try to make use of One Drive, it’s really easy to switch between iCloud and MS.

I am backing up my Mac to an SSD with TimeMachine.  iPad, iPhone to iCloud. I also backed up my iPad to my Mac this morning.

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AirDrop is handy it you are in the same area.

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Sorry I don’t understand, airdrop for what?

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Right click on a file (or several). Choose Share, choose AirDrop, pick the device you want to send it to, look in Downloads on that device for the file.

Works like WiFi for close devices. Easy peezy.

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dmt_3904

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