The article explores the capabilities of Apple iCloud, highlighting its evolution from mere cloud storage to a comprehensive synchronization tool for Apple devices. It details features like iCloud Drive, extensive synchronization across apps, and photo management, emphasizing collaboration tools in the online office suite. The article also discusses security measures, automatic backups, pricing options for storage upgrades, and family sharing benefits, ultimately noting that while useful, iCloud may not offer as much free storage as some competitors.
Apple devices are celebrated for their effortless integration, allowing for smooth collaboration between iPhones, Macs, and more. A significant contributor to this synergy is iCloud, which has evolved beyond merely syncing data. This review delves into the extensive capabilities of iCloud.
iCloud Drive
iCloud Drive serves as the central storage component of Apple’s cloud service. It integrates seamlessly into Windows Explorer and macOS Finder, maintaining synchronization across different platforms.
One feature that is notably absent is the ability to selectively sync subfolders within iCloud Drive. Mac users have the advantage of synchronizing all files stored on their desktops to the cloud, which proves beneficial for those with multiple Macs.
iCloud and its Drive component come pre-installed on both iOS and macOS devices. Users on Windows can download iCloud software, while Android users can only access Drive through a web interface, lacking a dedicated application. A complicated workaround exists for Android users who want to utilize iCloud without using the web version.
The free tier of iCloud provides 5 gigabytes of storage. While this is sufficient for newcomers, details about upgrading to iCloud+ can be found later in our review.
Comprehensive Synchronization
iCloud ensures that all your Apple applications stay updated across your devices. Emails, calendars, contacts, and reminders sync in real-time, so any changes are reflected immediately on all devices.
This synchronization extends to smaller elements like Safari bookmarks and phone numbers added on your iPhone. Thanks to this seamless sync, you can effortlessly continue conversations from where you left off.
Collaboration Features
Similar to Microsoft and Google, Apple offers an online office suite—comprising Pages, Numbers, and Keynote—at no cost to its cloud users. This suite includes essential editing tools, allowing users to create and modify documents, spreadsheets, or presentations collaboratively.
Users can invite others to collaborate using their iCloud email or via link sharing, with the option to add password protection to links. This feature sets Apple apart, especially since it is not available in competitors like Google Drive. People can edit shared content without needing an iCloud account if they own the link. This is a strong point for iCloud.
Collaboration tends to be smooth and often surpasses Microsoft’s offerings, though Google delivers slightly quicker live updates during document changes.
You can share files and folders on iCloud Drive simply through links. While Apple has been less flexible in sharing options compared to Google and Dropbox, it has improved significantly, making it easy to share without requiring an Apple account. However, to access shared files, recipients must have an iCloud account, unless you share entire folders.
iCloud Photo Library
iCloud excels at photo management. Once set up, images and videos captured on your iPhone or iPad automatically upload to the iCloud Photo Library, where they sync with all your compatible devices.
Apple showcases your photos in an aesthetically pleasing manner, unlike the basic upload function of services like Dropbox or OneDrive. While iCloud Drive works flawlessly on Windows, the photo library is limited to a viewer for Windows users.
On Apple devices, the photo library includes robust facial recognition that groups images by individual, all functioning offline. Apple also categorizes photos by subjects or events, making it easy to locate images from specific occasions like beach trips or festivals.
Additionally, you can check your photos based on location, with Apple displaying them beautifully on a world map—ideal for visualizing your travels.
Effortless Photo Management
iCloud can create short highlight videos from your photos, and basic editing features are readily available within the service, surpassing even Google Photos in terms of user experience. Thanks to device-based image analysis and secure cloud encryption, users can trust the privacy of their data.
True to Apple’s reputation, the photo library operates smoothly, and uploads occur seamlessly in the background. The ‘Optimize Storage’ feature on macOS and iOS is especially practical, keeping high-resolution originals in iCloud while storing smaller versions on devices for offline accessibility.
This process adapts dynamically based on your available storage. Notably, the Photos app on macOS now supports bulk imports of images, addressing a previous limitation.
Automatic Backups
For iPhone and iPad users, the iCloud backup feature offers automatic backups of data and content on mobile devices. When setting up a new i