How to understand and utilise the full power of Apple’s iCloud service

Apple’s iCloud service is what keeps all of our Apple devices in sync and allows you to access key files and documents from anywhere. Every Apple ID is allocated 5GB of free online storage space, which is about the bare minimum one requires for basic use, but a cheap upgrade to your plan will unlock a plethora of additional iCloud+ features, as well as extra storage.

You can access your iCloud settings by going to Settings/System Preferences>Apple ID>iCloud and we would certainly recommend enabling iCloud for all of the Apple apps that you use, to keep the documents and data synced for these apps across Mac and iOS. Over the following pages, we’ll fill you in on the new iCloud+ security features and show you how to get the most out of iCloud across all of your Apple devices.

What is iCloud+?

Introduced alongside macOS Monterey and iOS 15, iCloud+ is an enhancement to the service that offers more online security options. Here is an overview of what it is and what it offers.

Upgrade to iCloud+

If you are currently operating on Apple’s free 5GB iCloud storage plan then you will need to upgrade to a paid-for plan to utilise the new privacy benefits of iCloud+. Thankfully, you can get tons of extra storage for very reasonable prices these days.

1 Open the settings

Go to System Preferences/Settings>Apple ID>iCloud and then click on the ‘Manage’ button in the lower-right corner. From there, click on ‘Add Storage’/‘Change Storage Plan’.

2 Pick one of the options

All of the available storage plan upgrades will be listed, so pick on the one that is right for you. Any paid storage plan will unlock the privacy benefits of iCloud+.

3 Downgrade options

Click ‘Downgrade Options’ if you find that you aren’t maximising your current storage, or click ‘Change Apple One Plan‘ to consolidate all of your Apple subs into one monthly cost.

What apps use iCloud?

All of Apple’s own suite of apps that are universal across Mac and iOS use iCloud in some capacity. Some just use it for syncing info, others go even deeper. Here is a round-up of how the key apps use this service.

Photos

You can use iCloud to keep photos and videos up to date on all of your devices and access them at iCloud.com. You can also collaborate on shared photo and video albums.

Mail

Create an @iCloud.com email address and send and receive mail on all of your devices and on the web at iCloud.com. You can also get a custom email domain with iCloud+.