iCloud is Apple's cloud platform that serves and secures all Apple devices. It can save and synchronize all your photos, contacts, files, reminders, and notes, and you can also use it to store device backups. You can access and manage your ‌iCloud‌ data on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Windows, and the web. Keep reading to learn how.

mac iphone ipad apple tv
‌iCloud‌ stores your content securely and keeps your apps up to date across all your devices. That means all your data is safe and accessible wherever you are where there's an active internet connection available.

‌iCloud‌ Backups are another indispensable service from ‌iCloud‌. With an ‌iCloud‌ Backup of your ‌iPhone‌ or ‌iPad‌, you can restore it on a new device, or use it if you need to erase or restore a device.

‌iCloud‌ comes with 5GB of free storage and you can add more storage at any time. The 50GB plan costs $0.99 per month, while the 200GB and 2TB plans cost $2.99 and $9.99 per month, respectively.

How to Access iCloud on iPhone and iPad

  1. Launch the Settings app on your ‌iPhone‌ or ‌iPad‌.
  2. Tap your name in the banner at the top.
  3. Tap iCloud.
  4. Use the toggles next to the apps and data for syncing or unsyncing them to ‌iCloud‌.
    icloud settings
  5. Scroll down and tap iCloud Backup to automatically make backups of your iOS device to the cloud.
  6. Keep scrolling down to manage any third-party apps you have installed that can sync with ‌iCloud‌.

How to Access iCloud on Mac

  1. Click the Apple  symbol in the top-left corner of your screen.
  2. Click System Preferences.... apple menu system preferences
  3. Click iCloud.
    system prefs
  4. Use the checkboxes next to the apps and data for syncing or unsyncing them to ‌iCloud‌.
    2how to access icloud mac

There's no option to back up your entire Mac to ‌iCloud‌, but you can do so locally by using an external drive and Time Machine.

How to Access iCloud in Windows

With ‌iCloud‌ for Windows, the photos, documents, and bookmarks on your PC are updated automatically on your Apple devices.

  1. Download iCloud for Windows.
  2. Restart Your Computer.
  3. Make sure ‌iCloud‌ for Windows is open. If it doesn't open automatically, go to Start, open Apps or Programs, and open iCloud for Windows.
  4. Enter your Apple ID to sign in to ‌iCloud‌.
    iCloud windows
  5. Use the checkboxes to select the features and data that you want to keep up to date across your devices.
  6. Click Apply.

How to Access iCloud From a Web Browser

  1. Visit the iCloud.com website on your web browser of choice.
  2. Enter your ‌Apple ID‌, password, and two-factor authentication code if the feature is enabled.
    icloudsettings
  3. Once logged in, you can use the ‌iCloud‌ web apps to access your data, documents, and photos. You can also use tools in Settings -> Advanced to recover files that have been deleted from iCloud, as well as recover Contacts, Calendars, and Reminders that have been lost.

Note that ‌accessing ‌iCloud‌‌ via the web is also handy for immediately signing out of all browsers that are signed into ‌‌iCloud‌‌ should you suspect someone has gained unauthorized access to your account and for managing apps that let people look you up using your ‌Apple ID‌. It also displays all devices you're signed into, offers up a look at available storage, and displays the members of your Family Sharing group.

Tag: iCloud

Popular Stories

iOS 18 Siri Personal Context

Report Reveals Internal Chaos Behind Apple's Siri Failure

Thursday April 10, 2025 7:15 am PDT by
A new report from The Information today reveals much of the internal turmoil behind Apple Intelligence's revamped version of Siri. Apple apparently weighed up multiple options for the backend of Apple Intelligence. One initial idea was to build both small and large language models, dubbed "Mini Mouse" and "Mighty Mouse," to run locally on iPhones and in the cloud, respectively. Siri's...
M6 MacBook Pro Feature 1

Waiting for the Perfect MacBook Pro? 2026 Might Be the Year

Thursday April 10, 2025 4:19 am PDT by
Apple in October 2024 overhauled its 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models, adding M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max chips, Thunderbolt 5 ports on higher-end models, display changes, and more. That's quite a lot of updates in one go, but if you think this means a further major refresh for the MacBook Pro is now several years away, think again. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has said he expects only a small...
Apple 2025 Thumb 1

10 Products Still Coming From Apple in 2025

Friday April 11, 2025 4:14 pm PDT by
Apple may have updated several iPads and Macs late last year and early this year, but there are still multiple new devices that we're looking forward to seeing in 2025. Most will come in September or October, but there could be a few surprises before then. We've rounded up a list of everything that we're still waiting to see from Apple in 2025. iPhone 17, 17 Air, and 17 Pro - We get...
maxresdefault

The MacRumors Show: New iOS 19, iPhone 17, and Apple Watch Ultra 3 Leaks

Friday April 11, 2025 7:13 am PDT by
On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we catch up on the latest iOS 19 and watchOS 12 rumors, upcoming devices, and more. Subscribe to The MacRumors Show YouTube channel for more videos Detailed new renders from leaker Jon Prosser claim to provide the best look yet at the complete redesign rumored to arrive in iOS 19, showing more rounded elements, lighting effects, translucency, and...
Alleged iOS 19 Icons Front Page Tech

iOS 19 Leak Reveals Alleged New Design With Rounder App Icons, Floating Tab Bar, and More

Monday April 7, 2025 3:13 pm PDT by
YouTube channel Front Page Tech is back today with another video that provides a closer look at iOS 19's alleged design changes. The video contains re-created renders of iOS 19, which are allegedly based on real footage of the software update, provided by sources within Apple. Overall, iOS 19 is expected to have a more glass-like, visionOS-inspired design, with added translucency for user...
Apple Northbrook

Apple Store in Chicago Area Permanently Closing Later This Month

Wednesday April 9, 2025 9:56 am PDT by
Apple will be permanently closing its store at the Northbrook Court shopping mall in the Chicago suburb of Northbrook on April 26, the company has announced. Apple has added the following notice to the store's web page:Thank you Northbook. Apple Northbrook is closing on April 26 at 7pm. We're still here for you. Please visit apple.com/retail to find your nearest store.Apple Northbrook opened ...
iOS 18

iOS 18.5 Includes Two Changes So Far

Wednesday April 9, 2025 9:09 am PDT by
Apple released the first beta of iOS 18.5 last week, and so far the software update includes only two minor changes. The changes are in the Mail and Settings apps. In the Mail app, you can now easily turn off contact photos directly within the app, by tapping on the circle with three dots in the top-right corner. In the Settings app, there is some new AppleCare+ information. For ...
apple intelligence black

NYT: Apple's AI Struggles Began with 2023 Chip Budget Dispute

Friday April 11, 2025 4:33 am PDT by
Apple's current struggles with Apple Intelligence and Siri began in early 2023 when AI head John Giannandrea sought approval from CEO Tim Cook to purchase more AI chips for development, according to a new report from The New York Times. Cook initially approved doubling the team's chip budget, but CFO Luca Maestri reportedly reduced the increase to less than half that amount, and instead...
iPhone Fold Vertical Feature

Apple's 18.8-Inch Foldable Device to Enter Mass Production in Late 2026

Thursday April 10, 2025 1:33 am PDT by
Along with an iPhone "Fold," Apple is believed to be working on a larger foldable device that's somewhere around 19 inches, and one analyst suggests it could arrive as soon as late next year alongside Apple's rumored foldable iPhone. In a new research note covering likely post-tariff scenarios for Apple, investment firm GF Securities' lead analyst Jeff Pu says that both 18.8-inch and...