How to Use iCloud on Your iPhone, iPad, Mac, and More

Apple’s iCloud platform is more than just cloud storage, as it includes a huge number of tools and features that take your Apple devices to the next level. What’s more, many of these features are completely free, although you can pay for add-ons if you want more features. This makes iCloud something that is both powerful and flexible for Apple fans.

But how exactly do you use it? What is iCloud+ and how much does it cost? You’ll find the answers to these questions and more in our guide below, so read on to learn the ins and outs of Apple’s cloud platform.

What is iCloud?

Based on the name alone, you might think iCloud is simply Apple’s cloud storage service. That’s definitely part of it, but there’s so much more to the platform.

First, iCloud syncs your files across all your devices that are signed in to your Apple account (formerly known as Apple ID). So you’ll be able to access your photos, messages, contacts, and more on any iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Windows computer that’s signed in to iCloud.

In addition, iCloud offers file storage (as part of iCloud Drive), device backup, Find My, iCloud Keychain password storage, Hide My Email, which keeps your email address private, and more. You can find a full breakdown of what’s covered on Apple’s website.

Everything in iCloud is encrypted end-to-end. This means Apple has no way of accessing anything, giving you peace of mind that your photos, messages, and files will always remain completely private.

How do I access my iCloud?

On your Apple device, you’ll first need to sign in to your Apple account. You can do this in the Settings app on iOS and iPadOS, or the System Settings app on macOS. Once you’re signed in, you can open apps like Messages and Mail to start syncing your content, including anything sent from one of your other devices.

It’s worth noting that you can also download the iCloud app for Windows, which will allow you to access your photos, videos, emails, calendar, files, and other data on your computer.

Another way to access iCloud is to go to icloud.com and sign in. Once you do, you’ll see a dashboard with your photos, mail, iCloud Drive files, and calendar, as well as other apps you can use online.

How much does iCloud cost?

Apple offers a free tier of iCloud, so you don’t have to pay anything if you don’t have to. Keep in mind that this free tier is limited to 5GB of storage, which may not be enough to back up your photos and files.

If you want more space and features, you can play with an iCloud+ subscription. This will give you additional space in the following configurations:

• 50GB: $1/month
• 200GB: $3/month
• 2TB: $10/month
• 6TB: $30/month
• 12TB: $60/month

Paid plans also offer the following features:

• iCloud Private Relay
• Hide my email
• Custom Email Domain
• HomeKit Secure Video
• Share everything with up to five other family members

If you use a lot of other Apple services, it’s worth paying for an Apple One membership instead of fighting over iCloud+ separately. Apple One includes Apple Music, Apple TV+, and Apple Arcade on the Individual and Family plans. The Premier plan also adds Apple News+ and Apple Fitness+ on top of those other services. You also get 50GB of storage (with the Individual plan for $20 per month), 200GB (with the Family plan for $26 per month), or 2TB (with the Premier plan for $38 per month).

What are the disadvantages of using iCloud?

Before you dive in, it’s worth knowing that iCloud isn’t for everyone. It does have some drawbacks that may not make it ideal for your needs or situation, so it’s important to consider them before you start using it.

First, the free version has a very modest 5GB limit, which isn’t much if you have more than a few photos or want to back up your Apple device. In fact, storing a few files on the 5GB version of iCloud can quickly exhaust its limits.

Additionally, iCloud definitely doesn’t work as smoothly on Android as it does on Apple devices. If you’re using an Android device, the only way to access iCloud is through a web browser. But even that has its drawbacks. Some Apple apps that open on the web—like Calendar and Contacts—only work on Android tablets and Windows PCs, and aren’t available on Android phones using icloud.com. This also applies to iPhones, which access iCloud through a browser, and since that’s the only way Android devices can use iCloud, it can be a bit frustrating.

Are deleted photos still in iCloud?

When you delete photos from an iCloud-connected device or from icloud.com, they’re removed from your account and all other signed-in devices. However, they’re not permanently deleted at first. Instead, they’re sent to your Recently Deleted album and stay there for 30 days, allowing you to recover the files if you change your mind. If you’re sure you no longer need them, you can go to your Recently Deleted album and delete the files you want to remove for good.

Keep in mind that if you use a shared library in iCloud, only the person who added the photos or videos you selected can permanently remove them from the Recently Deleted album before they are automatically deleted.

You may have noticed that iCloud has been in the news recently when some users found that previously deleted files had reappeared on their devices, suggesting an iCloud sync issue. Apple has released a fix for this issue in iOS 17.5.1, so you should no longer see deleted files mysteriously returning.

What is iCloud+?

As we mentioned, iCloud+ is Apple’s paid iCloud subscription service. It offers varying amounts of cloud storage, all of which go beyond the basic 5GB you get with the free tier of iCloud.

It also offers a number of additional features, including:

• iCloud Private Relay
• Hide my email
• Custom Email Domain
• HomeKit Secure Video
• Share everything with up to five other family members

As detailed earlier, some iCloud+ features are also available with Apple One subscription plans.