iCloud Does “Messages in iCloud” store SMS on iCloud or on device?

[6thDAY]

Can anyone confirm 1000% whether all SMS messages are stored in the iCloud when turned on, or is it stored locally on the device itself?

I’ve been going crazy the past few weeks trying sync SMS messages from my old iPhone 12 Pro with my new iPhone 17 Pro Max , with “Messages in iCloud” turned on with both devices. All iMessages are synced between both devices, but no SMS messages. I don’t understand this, based on research, SMS “should” be synced to iCloud.

I only wish to do a “clean install”, not through iCloud backup or transfer from old device to new device.

These are some of the steps I took to try and get all my messages synced over from my old to new device:

1. Turned off “Messages in iCloud”, in an attempt to let the “old” device download messages from iCloud, if any, perform an iCloud backup of old device, restore new device from old device iCloud backup. All messages from old device restored on new device. Turned on “Messages in iCloud” on new device, hoping SMS messages synced to iCloud. Performed a clean install on new device and synced messages from iCloud, only iMessages appears…FAILED
2. Perform a direct data transfer restore from old device to new device. All messages from old device restored on new device. Turned on “Messages in iCloud” on new device, hoping SMS messages synced to iCloud. Performed a clean install on new device and synced messages from iCloud, only iMessages appears…FAILED

This tells me there is a HIGH possibility SMS messages are not included as part of the syncing process in iCloud.

My last hope is to perform a “Turn Off and Delete from iCloud” to delete all messages from iCloud. Then perform a sync of all messages from the old device, and once finished, do a sync on the new device after a clean install. Maybe there’s an issue with the old messages currently synced in iCloud. However, I’m just concerned by deleting all messages in iCloud, I may inadvertently delete SMS messages that were synced before my old iPhone 12 Pro, and just didn’t sync successfully on the 12 Pro, thereby facing the same issue I have with the 17 Pro Max.

Can anyone PLEASE confirm if they recently did this, were able to successfully sync SMS messages from iCloud on their old device to their new device after performing a clean install? I’m going up the walls with this!!!

 

[BagODonits]

I am not 100% but here is the challenge. SMS messages are stored in iMessage if that feature is turned on, if not locally. When you back-up messages it is stored in the backup, not in iMessage. If you turn messages in iCloud on your messages will be uploaded and they are removed from future device back-ups. I am guessing you have a mix of locally stored and synched. If these are important you might back-up you iPhone to your Mac first, I don't trust iCloud.