If you have an iPhone, iPad or Mac, you probably use Apple's online storage system called iCloud. And while you might not use it in the same way as your Dropbox, OneDrive, or Google Drive account, it's just as important. iCloud lets you store and back up essential data, like photos, documents, and passwords — and keep them in sync across all your Apple devices.
There are a lot of ways to optimize your iCloud experience and get the most out of this service. Here are 11 tips and tricks for working with iCloud on your iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
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Perform an immediate iCloud backup
Before you troubleshoot a problem with your iPhone or iPad, or perform a system update, it's a good idea to backup your device to iCloud. While you can set iCloud to backup automatically, you should also know how to trigger an immediate iCloud backup. Here's how to manually backup your iPhone, iPad, or Mac computer.
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Sync your iCloud data on all your devices
This is arguably the best reason to use iCloud, especially if you have multiple Apple devices like an iPad, iPhone, and Mac. When set up, iCloud will keep information from apps like your photos, contacts, calendar, mail, and more in sync so it's available no matter which device you use.
To sync all your iCloud data, you need to use the same Apple ID on all your devices and make sure your apps are enabled in iCloud settings. On your iPhone and iPad, do this:
1. Start the Settings app and then tap your name at the top of the page.
2. Tap iCloud.
3. For any apps you want to keep in sync, turn them on by swiping their buttons to the right.
On your Mac:
1. Click the Apple logo at the top left and then choose System Preferences.
2. In the System Preferences window, click Apple ID.
3. On the iCloud tab, turn on app syncing by clicking the checkbox to the left of each app.
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Access your Mac's desktop files from anywhere
Want to be able to see any file or folder on your Mac's desktop in a browser on any computer? Make sure you enable Desktop and Document folders in iCloud settings.
1. On your Mac, click the Apple logo at the top left and then choose System Preferences.
2. In the System Preferences window, click Apple ID.
3. On the iCloud tab, click the checkbox next to iCloud Drive and then click Options.
4. Make sure there's a check next to Desktop & Documents Folders, then click Done.
Now you can open iCloud in a browser and get access to any files stored in the desktop or document folders on your Mac, even if the Mac is not turned on.
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Choose which apps you back up
iCloud does a lot of things, but for most people, it primarily is responsible for backing up their mobile devices. If you use the free 5GB iCloud plan and find yourself running low on storage space, you can control which apps iCloud backs up. By skipping nonessential apps (or apps like Facebook, which don't really need to be backed up at all), you can save a lot of space.
1. Start the Settings app and then tap your name at the top of the page.
2. Tap iCloud and then tap Manage Storage.
3. Tap Backups.
4. In the Backups section, tap the device you want to customize, such as your iPhone or iPad.
5. It might take a few minutes for the list of apps to appear, but when you see apps tap Show All Apps to see the complete list. You can turn off the backup on any apps by swiping its button to the left.
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Save space on your iPhone by archiving large photos and video
Photos and videos take an enormous amount of space, but you probably don't want to throw any of them away. iCloud can help with that; you can optimize your iPhone by preserving the full size, full-quality images in the cloud and keeping a smaller version on your phone. To turn this feature on:
1. Start the Settings app and then tap your name at the top of the page.
2. Tap iCloud and then tap Photos.
3. Tap Optimize iPhone Storage.
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Share a photo album with someone
The Photos app lets you create albums which you can share with other iOS, iPad, or Mac users — but what about Android and Windows users? It's easy to let literally anyone view a Shared Album in the Photos app.
1. Open the Photos app and open a Shared Album.
2. Tap the People icon at the top of the screen.
3. In the Edit Shared Album page, turn on Public Website by swiping the button to the right.
4. Tap Share Link and then, in the Share pop-up, copy or send the link to another user.
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Get your passwords anywhere
You might already use a third-party password manager like Dashlane, LastPass, or Bitwarden, but Apple's Keychain offers a similar capability. Keychain can securely save all your login information and sync it across all your Apple devices. There's even an extension for Chrome which you can use in Windows, making Keychain potentially the only password keeper you ever need. Here's how to turn it on on your iPhone and iPad:
1. Start the Settings app and then tap your name at the top of the page.
2. Tap iCloud and then tap Keychain.
3. Turn on Keychain by swiping the button to the right.
On your Mac:
1. Click the Apple logo at the top left and then choose System Preferences.
2. In the System Preferences window, click Apple ID.
3. On the iCloud tab, click the checkbox next to Keychain.
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Let the whole family share your iCloud account
If everyone in your family has their own iPhone and iPad, it can get expensive to pay for separate iCloud accounts. Thankfully, you don't need to — up to six people can all share the same account. To enable Family Sharing, just start the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad and tap your name at the top of the page. Then tap Family Sharing and follow the instructions to add other family members to this Apple ID's iCloud account.
Automatically install App Store purchases
If you have both an iPhone and an iPad, you can automatically "mirror" your App Store purchases — install an app on your iPhone, for example, and it'll automatically install on your iPad as well. To make sure this is turned on, do this on each of your devices:
1. Start the Settings app.
2. Tap App Store.
3. In the Automatic Downloads section, make sure Apps is on by swiping the button to the right.
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Get more iCloud storage space
You get a modest 5GB of iCloud storage space when you purchase a new iPhone or iPad, but you will probably run low on space quickly. If you need more space, you can purchase it from Apple. There are several storage plans available, though the 200GB tier for $2.99 per month is probably about right for most people.
1. Start the Settings app and tap your name at the top of the page.
2. Tap iCloud and then tap Manage Storage.
3. Tap Change Storage Plan.
4. On the Upgrade iCloud+ page, choose the plan you want to subscribe to.
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Access iCloud like a drive on your computer
You're probably used to using cloud services like Dropbox and OneDrive on your computer as if it were a local drive. You can do the same thing with iCloud. To do that, install the iCloud desktop app for Windows. After it's installed, start the iCloud app and check the box next to iCloud Drive. You should see iCloud appear in your computer's list of devices.
Freelance Writer
Dave Johnson is a technology journalist who writes about consumer tech and how the industry is transforming the speculative world of science fiction into modern-day real life. Dave grew up in New Jersey before entering the Air Force to operate satellites, teach space operations, and do space launch planning. He then spent eight years as a content lead on the Windows team at Microsoft. As a photographer, Dave has photographed wolves in their natural environment; he's also a scuba instructor and co-host of several podcasts. Dave is the author of more than two dozen books and has contributed to many sites and publications including CNET, Forbes, PC World, How To Geek, and Insider.
