I’ve been paying for iCloud storage for years, here’s why I don’t regret it

• Having iCloud backup for devices like iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch requires a fair amount of iCloud storage, but the peace of mind is worth it.

• iCloud Photo Library supports media syncing and backup for easy access across Apple devices and the web.

• iCloud Drive is perfect for storing files and syncing frequently used documents, and is used by apps like Notes and Health to keep your personal data safe and up to date.

• 50GB of iCloud storage is available for just $0.99 per month, but even higher tiers may be worth it if you see the value (just remember the costs go up as you become more dependent on the service).

iCloud is a big part of Apple’s modern ecosystem, helping you get the most out of your iPhone, iPad, Mac and other devices. The bad news is that iCloud isn’t free. On the other hand, it may be a monthly fee worth paying.

Back up (almost) all your Apple devices

With the exception of my MacBook, iCloud means I never have to make local backups of any device. My iPhone and Apple Watch are backed up to the cloud daily, and the same would apply to my iPad if I had one.

Backups are essential, but they’re only useful if you do them often. Human error and sheer laziness mean I don’t know how to connect and initialize local backups. Using a system that automates the process and backs everything up in the cloud wherever I am is a huge bonus.

Cloud backups aren’t perfect, but they work well for me. If your internet connection is weak, restoring it can be a challenge. If I’m traveling and can’t connect to a reliable network, it may take days or weeks for the backup to complete. In most cases this is not a problem. iCloud only backs up changes, so most backups are completed within minutes.

This convenience requires a paid iCloud plan, as you can’t back up your iPhone using Apple’s paltry 5GB free offering. All iPhone models now ship with at least 128GB of storage (just like my iPhone 13 Pro). I outgrew Apple’s basic iCloud+ 50GB plan years ago and now I’m hoping the 2TB plan will last me long enough to see a significant reduction in my monthly fees.

Unfortunately, there is no true, native iCloud backup for Mac devices. You’ll still need to connect an external drive and run Time Machine (or use a local alternative).

Sync your media library

iCloud Photo Library is another great source of comfort for anyone who is afraid of losing their precious photos and videos. Since Apple discontinued its “Photo Stream” sync service in 2023, iCloud Photo Library is the easiest way to transfer media between devices and back up everything.

To do this, you will need enough space in iCloud for all your media. You can then enable iCloud Photo Library in the Photos settings on mobile and desktop devices, and then wait for the initial upload to complete.

Any photos or videos I take on my iPhone will appear on my Mac within minutes (I can also force sync over cellular or if the battery is low). Any images I import from my digital camera to my Mac also appear on my iPhone. I can share them directly with family members using iCloud Shared Albums, and even access my entire library from anywhere by signing in to iCloud.com.

I could download all my media from iCloud to almost any device, but given the size of my library, that’s not advisable. The ability to upload media to the cloud ensures that I always have free space on my iPhone for apps. The same goes for my Mac, although I made sure to buy enough internal storage to last me the life of my MacBook this time.

Once you turn on iCloud Photo Library, your device’s backups will appear much smaller because your media is already backed up separately in the cloud.

Cloud storage when you need it

iCloud Drive is another cloud storage platform, albeit one tailored for Apple devices. I use it to store and share files using Finder on Mac or Files on iPhone. There are no significant restrictions here, I have ROMs in folders for use on iPhone emulators and plenty of MP3 and WAV samples for creating music.

I also copy my Mac’s Documents and Desktop folders to iCloud (you can do this in the iCloud settings on your Mac). Thanks to this, I can access these folders from virtually anywhere, even through a browser. It’s not exactly the same as a “proper” backup, but it adds a small layer of redundancy and is perfect for accessing your most frequently used files on the go.

As an avid Apple Notes user, it’s nice to know that all my data is backed up safely in the cloud and synced across my devices. I store many receipts, important scanned documents, tax invoices, and even photos in Apple Notes. Not having to worry about whether I have enough space for this digital clutter means I have one less thing to micromanage.

And then there’s everything else: Messages attachments (which I basically never delete), Apple Health data (which will definitely come in handy one day), Mail, Reminders (many of which also have attachments), and all three Journal entries, that I once made are safe.

Don’t forget about accessories

Paying for iCloud storage gets you an iCloud+ membership, which comes with several benefits. My favorite of these is Hide My Email, which gives me an unlimited number of disposable email addresses that I can turn on and off at will. These are great for avoiding spam or signing up for free trials (and then doing it again).

There’s also iCloud Private Relay, a privacy feature similar to Apple’s VPN, which I used before I decided to pay for a “real” VPN. You also get HomeKit Secure Video, which I know will come in handy when I eventually set up some security cameras.

Is it worth paying for iCloud storage?

I pay $9.99 a month for 2TB of iCloud storage and it’s worth every penny. I say this as someone who has had his last MacBook for almost a decade and is upgrading from his iPhone Maybe every four years. I don’t buy new devices unless I have to, but $120 a year for iCloud? Sold.

It’s a price I’m willing to pay for peace of mind and comfort. I don’t worry about storage on my iPhone because iCloud takes up the slack. My Mac will never get bogged down with too many videos of my cats, even if I record a whole terabyte of cat antics.

The only problem with paying for iCloud is that the more you use it, the more you rely on it; and the more you rely on it, the harder it is to let go. It’s not impossible to download all your data (you can do it relatively easily at Privacy.apple.com), but it still has a lot of problems.

My iCloud subscription costs less than Xbox Game Pass, Apple Music, and Netflix, and yet it’s probably more useful than any of them. If you’re just starting out, $0.99 per month for 50GB seems like a steal, but remember that you’ll eventually outgrow that and need to spend more.

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iCloud costs are roughly comparable to other cloud storage services, and it’s not like the alternatives are significantly different. Google Drive storage is similarly priced, convenient, and just as easy to love.