It looks like the main "about backups" page [1] on Apple Support misleads about this issue: > iCloud backups include nearly all data and settings stored on you

It looks like the main "about backups" page [1] on Apple Support misleads about this issue: > iCloud backups include nearly all data and settings stored on your device. iCloud backups don't include: > Data that's already stored in iCloud... iMessages... Health data Only the more technical "about encryption" page [2] that most users wouldn't seek out contains the full story, providing a list of regular encryption vs. E2EE services and admitting the key issue: > Messages in iCloud also uses end-to-end encryption. If you have iCloud Backup turned on, your backup includes a copy of the key protecting your Messages. This ensures you can recover your Messages if you lose access to iCloud Keychain and your trusted devices. When you turn off iCloud Backup, a new key is generated on your device to protect future messages and isn't stored by Apple. The problem is that the first page makes it sound like no iMessage related data is backed up, when the truth is that the messages themselves aren't but a backdoor copy of the encryption key is, and lists it along with other E2EE services like Health data that do not have a key backed up and remain E2EE protected with iCloud backup. A user would have no reason to even seek out the second article to learn that it's not the same. Concerningly, iCloud Photos are not E2EE at all. It's no more secure/private than Google Photos or any other app. [1] https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204136 https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204136 [2] https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202303 https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202303