There are various ways to store information in today’s world. Unfortunately, only a few are safe or protected against hacking.
Therefore, it’s best to choose your storage option carefully. One of the most recommended storage methods is iCloud.
iCloud is the trademark name for all of Apple Inc.’s services delivered through the Internet, whether on a Mac, iPhone, or Windows PC.
Its services include iCloud Drive (which is similar to Google Drive and Dropbox), iCloud Photo Library, an offshoot of Apple Music, iTunes Match, and even Photo Stream.
iCloud also allows you to back up your iPad in case you need to reconstitute it soon.
iCloud was launched on October 12, 2011, as an online cloud storage and computing service from Apple Inc.
Since 2018, the service has had approximately 850 million users, compared to 782 million users in 2016.
iCloud enables users to store data such as documents, photos, and music on remote servers for download to iOS, MacOS, or Windows devices.
It allows the sharing and transmission of data to other users, giving users control over their Apple devices if they are lost or stolen.
Features of iCloud
iCloud works by letting you amass information online and then giving you access to the information stored on all your devices – iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac, or Windows PCs.
Other features that iCloud has include:
Contacts, Calendar, Reminders, Notes, and More
If permission is given, iCloud syncs contacts across your iOS and macOS devices.
This means you need to manage one list of contacts, given that any changes you make on your iPhone will affect the Contacts on other devices(Mac and other devices).
Many essential apps on the iPad can sync between devices using iCloud, so accessing notes from your iPad or iPhone is easy.
You can turn on Notes in the iCloud section by clicking the iPad’s settings icon.
Likewise, if you turn on Reminders, you can use Siri to set up a reminder on your iPad, which will also appear on your iPhone and vice versa.
Back-up and Restoration
Apple supplies 5 GB of free iCloud storage for Apple ID accounts (but more are available for specific prices).
They can be used for many purposes, including storing photos, but it’s probably best for backing up your devices.
This can be done by following these steps:
You can manually execute a back-up by opening the Settings app and navigating to iCloud > Back-up > Back Up Now.
You can restore information saved on a backup by sequentially following the process needed to configure your iPad back to factory default and then choosing to restore from the backup during the device’s setup process.
Find or Tracking of an “iDevice”
Another important iCloud attribute is the Find My iPhone/iPad/MacBook option. This option allows you to discover the location of your device.
It can also lock the iPad if lost or remotely reset it to factory default, erasing all data.
While tracking your iPad wherever it travels can seem spooky, it also allows you to secure your iPad by locking it with a passcode.
iCloud Photo Library and Photo Stream
Photo Stream is a service that downloads pictures(taken to the cloud) onto every other device signed up for your Photo Stream.
Not all photos are uploaded to the Internet, so the Photo Stream photos are not permanent. They disappear after 30 days, and the stream can hold a maximum of 1,000 photos at a time.
The Photo Library is the latest update of the Photo Stream service.
The difference is that it uploads the photos to iCloud permanently, so you don’t have to worry about the limitation of storage to store photos.
It can also upload the entire image or an optimized version that uses less storage space.
Unfortunately, iCloud Photo Library isn’t recognized as part of iCloud Drive.
Apple was determined to keep the photos apart, and, while they advertised, the images are easily acquirable on your Mac or Windows-based PC, even when the actual usability is very poor.
Notwithstanding, iCloud Photo Library is still very useful as a service option, even though Apple has yet to nail the idea of cloud-based photos.
Apple Music
Apple Music is Apple’s response to Spotify, a subscription-based service that offers an incredibly large music collection.
This music option is a great way to save up instead of always buying songs. Users can download music tracks from Apple Music to listen even when they aren’t connected to the internet.
They can also organize your library into playlists.
Cost
iCloud is free and can be set up without paying a dime. However, this comes with a limited amount of cloud storage, which is 5GB across all your devices.
That is not a lot of space, but if more is needed and you plan to back up multiple devices to the cloud or store significant collections of videos, photos, or documents off-device, then you will need it.
Here is what it costs to upgrade your iCloud storage:
- 50GB: 79p/99c per month
- 200GB: 2.49/$2.99 per month
- 2TB: 6.99/$9.99 per month
How to Create an iCloud
An iCloud can be set up on various devices. Each has a different process, which is listed below:
- On iPad or iPhone: Halfway through the iPhone or iPad setup process, iOS will ask if you want to use iCloud. If it wasn’t activated during setup, you could go to Settings later, tap the option that says your name at the top (or tap to sign in), select iCloud, and input your Apple credentials.
- On Mac devices, Open System Preferences and click on the iCloud option. Then, sign in with your Apple ID and tick the services(iCloud) you want to use.
- On PC: Download and install the iCloud application for Windows. Execute the app and sign in with your Apple credentials. Afterward, put a tick next to the iCloud services you want to use.
