How Apple tree's iCloud Drive works — and how to use it

Here's how to have consummate control of iCloud Bulldoze on Mac, iOS, iPad and Windows.

Table of Contents
  • How iCloud Drive works
  • How to fix iCloud Drive
  • Online and on device
  • iCloud for Windows
  • How to share files and folders with iCloud Drive
  • How to get more iCloud storage
  • iCloud Drive FAQs

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iCloud Drive is Apple tree's essential connection between all your devices, Mac, iPhone, iPad, even your Windows PC.

While the price of storage seems expensive in comparison to other online storage services, its advantage is that it works natively across all your devices.

Yous tin use it to maintain access to all your documents and other items across your Apple tree devices, Macs, iPhones, and  iPads. Information technology besides works with Windows using an application. Ameliorate yet, it works to ensure all your items are up to date across all your devices.

You demand to be running iOS xiii or afterward or macOS Catalina or after on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac. A PC must run Windows 10 to access iCloud for Windows.

How iCloud Drive works

Yous can shop documents, images and spreadsheets using iCloud Bulldoze; you can likewise keep files and folders up-to-date across devices, work on them, and access these items from anywhere.

On iOS devices, you access your iCloud Bulldoze through the Files app. Open Files and yous'll notice iCloud Drive as a location. Changes applied to a re-create of a file on one device will automatically sync across all your other systems.

This is a real file organization, so you lot can create and save items to your ain self-created folders, which is useful if you work across multiple devices.

If you utilize iCloud Drive beyond multiple Macs so changes made to the Documents and Desktop files on both Macs will sync. The Mac you actuate last will create its own folder for the contents of its Documents and Desktop, and this volition also sync.

How to set up iCloud Bulldoze

iCloud Drive is automatically set on any current Apple tree device running the latest operating system. (More data is available here.)

Apple'south macOS volition automatically save files saved to your Desktop and Documents folders to iCloud, making these files bachelor across all your devices. That'due south useful but volition eat into your online drive capacity, peculiarly as (at 5GB) Apple tree still doesn't provide sufficient gratuitous bulldoze space.

iCloud Drive Apple

iCloud Bulldoze lets you lot open, edit, and sync documents and files across devices.

You tin can buy more storage if you lot like, or disable the characteristic in Organization Preferences>iCloud>iCloud Bulldoze Options – Uncheck Desktop & Documents folders at the top of the listing.

You lot tin can store whatsoever file format on iCloud Drive with an upper limit of 50GB.

Hint: iCloud Drive will sync data using your mobile connection unless you lot tell it not to do so. That's fine if yous can afford the information, but (peculiarly) if you lot travel away, you may want to disable this. To do so, open Settings>Cellular Information> iCloud Drive and toggle 'Mobile Information' to Off (it'south Green – On – past default).

Online and on device

If you use Desktop & Documents and then you will find everything you file there on iCloud Drive or via the Files app on your Mac or iOS device.

You lot tin also access these files online through your business relationship at world wide web.icloud.com, which means these files can easily be edited on a Windows PC.

iCloud for Windows

Apple tree offers iCloud for Windows, an awarding that makes photos, videos, post, files, and bookmarks attainable on both your Windows PC and iOS devices. Any changes you make on these files on whatever device, online, or Windows or Mac, volition be replicated across your other devices.

There'southward a more than detailed caption of iCloud for Windows here.

Hint: You tin likewise access these files from some Macs running older operating systems. Open up a new Finder menu, click the Go carte particular and select iCloud Drive. If you piece of work on files, don't forget to manually save those changes to the iCloud Drive, every bit they volition not save automatically as they do on macOS.

mac911 sharing files in icloud drive IDG

Files and folders can exist shared in iCloud Bulldoze.

How to share files and folders with iCloud Drive

Taking a lead from Dropbox, y'all can share and collaborate on specific files and entire folders of documents, images, and other items using iCloud Drive. When you share an particular with someone this mode, they volition receive a link that lets them admission the original file — and if you lot move that file, they no longer take access.

Here is how to share an item with others using iCloud Bulldoze:

  • Affect and hold the binder or file;
  • Tap Share and then choose Add People;
  • You then cull your share options and how you lot desire to share the item.

At that place are iv different share options when you share items from iCloud Drive. You lot also choose how to send the person(s) a link to the folder or file once the required share option is created:

  • Allow only invitees to view and edit the contents: Tap Share followed by "Only people you invite," and "Can make changes."

  • Allow only invitees to view the contents: Choose "Only people you invite," and "View only," to fix this up.

  • Permit anyone with the link to view and edit the contents: The least secure option is to choose "Anyone with the link," and "Tin brand changes."

  • Let anyone with the link to view the contents: Select "Anyone with the link," and "View but," if y'all want everyone to see the particular.

In one case yous begin sharing something, you can add together other people to the share. If you own a shared file or binder, you can alter the access choices for one person or all the people concerned retrospectively. To practise so, select the item, tap Share, so cull Testify People.

windows10 icloud for windows10 icloud drive Microsoft

You can likewise choose specific folders and files to download.

How to get more iCloud storage

You begin with a miserly 5GB of gratuitous storage, which is swiftly consumed if you make use of multiple devices, forcing most users to upgrade to a different storage plan.

Before you practise upgrade, make sure to follow this communication on how to get the all-time possible use of the free storage resource allotment Apple tree provides.

But once you do decide to invest in a unlike plan, the easiest way to do and then is to open iCloud in your Settings or System Preferences.

There y'all should see an item called iCloud Storage, which will show you the current state of your storage. For most people, a huge chunk of space is used by Photos and videos.

To switch to a dissimilar storage plan, tap Manage and then choose Buy More Storage. Or tap Downgrade Options if you lot want to reduce your storage.

Storage is bachelor in 5G (costless), 50GB (99 cents/month), 200GB ($two.99/month) and 2TB ($9.99/month). You can also get storage included within your Apple 1 plan.

iCloud Bulldoze FAQs

Controlling apps:Many third-party apps desire to employ iCloud Bulldoze to store their own data. This is useful for some apps you plan to use across all your systems, but may not always be what you desire. To control which apps can store data to your online bulldoze:

On iOS: Open Settings>iCloud> and switch any app you don't desire accessing your drive off (toggle to white).

On Mac: Arrangement Preferences>Apple ID>iCloud Drive> choose Options and uncheck the apps you don't want to support.

Time Zones:If you notice that emails and calendar entries have begun showing the wrong time zones its possible your account settings are incorrect.

To cheque, login to your account online at www.icloud.com and tap Settings. At the top of the next page, you should run across Time Zone/Region, which should state where yous are. If it doesn't, you can change this and the time zone problem will be resolved beyond all your devices.

Reclaim deleted files:If you accidentally delete something stored on iCloud Drive, you lot can easily become it dorsum once more from iCloud.com. All y'all need to do is login to the business relationship, cheque Settings>Avant-garde and click Restore Files. Wait a few moments and y'all volition be presented with a list of files that you take previously deleted in the Restore Files window. Tick the box beside the file(s) you lot want to restore and tap Washed. Files are just available in this way for 30-days.

Version conflict:If you have files open on two devices at one time, modifications made on one device may exist out of sync. iCloud Bulldoze should warn you when this kind of version conflict takes identify. When it does, y'all tin can double-click a version's thumbnail to see its contents, and delete the other i.

How to sync fast: Y'all may sometimes find files aren't syncing beyond your devices as swiftly as you want. You can strength sync some iCloud apps by turning your device off and switching it on once more, though there are several additional approaches available.

What about Android? You tin can admission some iCloud features (Photos, Notes, Reminders, and Find iPhone) using the Android browser.

Learn more about iCloud:

  • How to utilize iCloud Keychain
  • 5 clever trivial iCloud tips yous'll probably utilize
  • How practise I see what's in my iCloud storage?
  • How to prepare iCloud when it stops working
  • How to use iCloud with Windows

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Jonny is a freelance writer who has been writing (mainly about Apple and technology) since 1999.

Copyright © 2021 IDG Communications, Inc.