Definition: iCloud

Apple’s free iCloud service stores subscribers’ photos, videos, documents, apps and more and updates everything on users’ synced devices.

Replacing Apple’s MobileMe storage service in 2011, iCloud allows subscribers to back up their address book, calendar, notes, Safari browser bookmarks and photos on Apple’s servers. Changes and additions made to one Apple device may be reflected on the user’s other registered Apple devices.

What does iCloud do?

The subscription service iCloud starts as soon as users set it up by signing into iCloud with their Apple ID, which they only have to do once on all their devices or computers. Then, any changes made on one device are synced to all other devices that use that Apple ID.

How to configure iCloud?

Users must first set up iCloud on an iOS or macOS device; they can then access their accounts on other iOS or macOS devices, the Apple Watch or Apple TV.

On macOS, users can go to the Apple menu, select System Preferences, click iCloud, enter their Apple ID and password, and enable the features they want to use.

On iOS, users can click Settings and their name, then they can go to iCloud and enter their Apple ID and password, then select features.

Once the initial setup is complete, users can sign in with their Apple ID on any other iOS device or macOS computer.

On a Windows computer, users must first download and install iCloud for Windows, then enter the Apple ID and password, select features, and click Apply. Microsoft Outlook syncs with iCloud Mail, Contacts, Calendar and Reminders. Other apps are available on iCloud.com.

System requirements

The service, which requires an Apple ID, is available on Macs running OS X 10.7 Lion and iOS devices running version 5.0. Some features, like photo sharing, have their own minimum requirements.

PCs must have Windows 7 or later to sync with iCloud. PC users also need to have an Apple device to set up iCloud for Windows.

Main features of iCloud

E-mail
An iCloud account includes a free @icloud.com email address — formerly @me.com. This feature is optional, but users can choose to use the free email address as their iCloud Apple ID.

Find my iPhone
The Find My iPhone feature allows users to remotely geolocate, lock and wipe their iPhone, Mac or iPad in the event of loss or theft. This feature was first made available to paid MobileMe users in 2009, as part of the iOS 3 software update. It was made available for free with the iOS 4.2.1 software update. Next year.

An additional feature, called « Lost Mode », appeared with iOS 6, allowing users to mark their missing iPhones as lost.

iCloud Photo Stream
The Photo Stream service allows photos to be automatically downloaded and stored in the camera roll of one device for access from another device. Every time a user takes a photo or video, it is transferred to all their registered devices.

It also allows users to store their latest 1,000 photos for free for 30 days; When time is up, files are automatically deleted from other devices. The service also integrates with Apple TV.

iCloud Photo Library
Photo Library automatically uploads any photo or video the user takes to iCloud. Users can access their files from iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, Apple TV, Mac or PC, or on iCloud.com. This feature is available on iOS 8.1 or later and requires an internet connection.

Backup and Restore
Users can automatically back up their iPhones and iPads to the iCloud mobile service every day when the screen is locked and the device is connected to Wi-Fi and a power source. Users can also backup their data manually and restore data from an iCloud backup.

Downloads
Users can save downloads – including purchases from the iTunes store, iBooks store and App Store – to a digital locker and allow automatic syncing to other devices, or they can do it manually.

Saved settings
App Store purchases can store settings and data in iCloud so users don’t have to re-enter information across multiple devices.

iCloud Drive
The file hosting service allows users to store all their files in iCloud and access them from any iOS device, Mac or PC.

On a Mac, users can choose to have any files they have saved in their Documents folder automatically saved to iCloud Drive. On an iOS device, files will automatically appear in the built-in iCloud Drive app.

iCloud Storage
Users get 5 GB of storage for free. The iCloud service also offers paid storage plans. Customers can purchase 50 GB of storage for €0.99 per month. 200 GB of storage costs €2.99 per month and 2 TB of storage costs €9.99 per month.