- Purchased music backup is not available in all countries and regions. Previously purchased content cannot be restored if it has been removed from iTunes, App Store, or Apple Books.
- To use Family Sharing, you must sign in to iCloud and iTunes with your personal Apple ID. Music and movies can be downloaded to up to 10 devices for each account; five of them can be computers. IOS 8 or later and OS X Yosemite or later are required to set up or join a Family Sharing group; these systems are also recommended for full functionality of all functions. Family Sharing does not apply to all content. Family members can hide certain content; hidden content is not available for download. The Request-to-Buy feature does not apply to content downloaded from family members or purchased using redemption codes.
- ICloud requires iOS 5 or later on iPhone 3GS or later, iPod touch (3rd generation or later), iPad Pro, iPad or later, iPad Air or later, iPad mini or later; Mac with OS X Lion 10.7.5 or later or a PC with Windows 7 or Windows 8 (Outlook 2007 or later or any modern browser is required to access email, contacts, and calendars). Some features require iOS 11 and macOS High Sierra. Some features require a Wi-Fi connection. Some features are not available in all countries and regions. Some services are limited to 10 devices.
Today there are quite a few cloud storages and the iPhone user can use any of the available range of services. However, perhaps the most convenient way for the owner of an iOS device is to back up important information through the iCloud service, a cloud developed by Apple specifically for its users.
Of course, the main advantage of the "native" cloud is that the owner of an iPhone or other iOS gadget does not need to install anything additionally - iCloud is "embedded" in the user settings, in addition, there is a special additional application iCloud Drive - a little later we will figure out why it is need to.
Another plus is, again, the absence of unnecessary hassle with the creation of a special account. You don't need to create any new account to sign in to the iCloud cloud, you use your Apple ID.
And, finally, the third also very important advantage of iCloud - you can conveniently interact with it not only on the mobile device itself. You can also access the cloud from a computer using a special program or through a browser and the iCloud.com portal.
How do I manage iCloud from a mobile device?
The initial iCloud setup starts with the Settings menu of your iOS device. Find the iCloud item in the settings, tap it, enter your Apple ID.
Synchronization
You will see a service menu, which is very easy to manage. You simply select in the section "Programs using iCloud" those applications, the information stored in which you want to back up, and then activate the corresponding slider. As soon as the slider is turned on, the gadget data is synchronized with the cloud and other iOS devices, where the iCloud account is logged in with a single Apple ID. Simply put, if you have two iOS devices, for example, an iPhone and an iPad, and you use the same Apple ID on them (which, of course, is most likely), then the information between them will sync.
It is worth noting that no one forbids enabling synchronization for all programs available to the cloud, however, keep in mind that only 5 GB of storage space is provided to the iOS user for free. So if you want to save money, it's best to tune your sync settings wisely.
Find iPhone
After setting up synchronization, you must also select the options for the sections "Find iPhone" and "Backup to iCloud". We strongly recommend enabling the first option, it will help you in case of loss or theft of your device. The option will allow you to block the device and post an arbitrary message with the owner's contacts on the locked screen.
Backup copy
Regarding the second section, there are subtleties. By creating a backup, you actually "push" all the information on your device into the cloud, including even correspondence in instant messengers. This, of course, is great, because here if we need to clean the smartphone (and such a need may arise if the device began to work slower and / or with errors), then boldly clean it, and then simply restore the data from the cloud and start using it as if nothing had happened ...
But ... Of course, there is a "but". Here, too, the "5 GB rule" applies, so you should think - is all the information stored on the device really needed? If yes, then create a copy - you want to manually - in this case, you need to periodically go to the backup menu and click on "Create a backup". Or you can turn on the "Backup to iCloud" slider and then the backup will be performed automatically whenever the gadget is connected to a charger and Wi-Fi network.
If you do not create a backup copy, do not worry, the data that you marked as synced will not go anywhere from your device. Even if a critical error suddenly occurs and you have to restore the device through iTunes, and then after setting up you select the option "Set up as new ...", as soon as the device connects to Wi-Fi, all synchronized data is transferred to it from the cloud.
iCloud Drive
And finally, about iCloud Drive. This, as we said above, is a pre-installed application. Why is it needed? With it, you can manage the data being synced. In the settings, you specify which programs are allowed to access iCloud Drive using the sliders located below the cloud storage menu item of the same name.
For example, suppose you selected Pages and created a document in this application. When saving, you can save it, including to iCloud Drive, and work with it after that both on your other iOS devices, by opening the application on them, and from your computer.
How do I manage iCloud from my computer?
By the way, about the computer. You have two ways to view information stored in the cloud via a PC.
iCloud.com
The easiest way that does not require pre-installation of any programs is a special page - iCloud.com. To enter your "personal account" on this portal, you need to indicate your Apple ID. As soon as you enter, you will see a menu that may differ for different users - it depends on what synchronization options are specified in the settings.
The most valuable feature of the site is the activation of the Lost Mode, which is available when the "Find iPhone" option is enabled. As for the rest, the functionality of the portal is very prosaic - you can work with all files stored on it, you can create new ones in the appropriate sections, while all changes will be synchronized. That is, if you make changes to a note on the site, it will change on the device.
ICloud program
If you own a Macbook or desktop Mac, of course, for you and if you want to manage the cloud through a program on your computer, there will be no need to pre-install something - the corresponding utility is here by default. If you have a Windows PC, you will need to download and install iCloud first.
We recommend downloading this utility from the official Apple website. Installation is very simple - just run the downloaded.exe file and everything will be done for you automatically. After installation, you can open the program, it will ask for an Apple ID - enter your username and password, then click the "Login" button. Are you in? Now wait for a while for the synced data to load. Once the download is complete, you can start working with them.
Let's summarize
So, now, we hope you are convinced that the iCloud cloud (Icloud) is a very convenient and easy-to-manage service. And it doesn't matter what device you have at your fingertips - mobile or not, you can always access your data, change it or create new ones. That being said, it is worth noting that, like everything Apple has done, iCloud rarely upsets users with errors and problems. And, nevertheless, if you are faced with any problem, you can quickly resolve them in a special iCloud support center, created by the "apple" giant.
iCloud - Apple's cloud service, introduced back in iOS 5. The service has acquired many improvements and additions. In this article, I will cover the most important issues of using iCloud, describe the settings, capabilities and methods of using iCloud.
What is iCloud? General information
iCloud stores your photos, videos, text documents, and more in the cloud and wirelessly syncs that data across your iOS, macOS, and Windows devices.
The best example of iCloud work is shown in the photo below:
To be clear, let's say you took a picture with your iPhone. It goes to the cloud storage and can be automatically available on your other devices: iPad, MacBook, etc.
The iCloud service is tied to an individual user's Apple ID. Each Apple ID is given 5 gigabytes of free cloud space for free. With a monthly subscription, you can grow your gigabytes in the cloud.
Several important services are impossible without iCloud: Find iPhone / iPad, Family Sharing, iCloud Drive, Media Library, Keychain. More on all this below.
Setting up iCloud on iOS
To sign in to iCloud, you must have an Apple ID and password. You can create an Apple ID manually, or when you turn on the gadget for the first time (after purchase or firmware), the iOS setup assistant will help you create it.
Go to Settings-\u003e iCloud... We drive in the Apple ID and password into the appropriate fields. Click the Login button and wait for the system to turn on iCloud for you.
The main iCloud window appears.
your name - if you poke on your name, then you will be taken to the Apple ID settings menu. From useful and related to iCloud, there is an item here Devices, where you can see all the devices that are associated with your Apple ID. These devices can be removed from the list. Useful if suddenly you completely lost or sold one of them.
A family - setting up family access. Allows users with another trusted Apple ID to make purchases using your payment method. Family Sharing also allows you to download purchases from other family members.
Vault - here you can see information on free space in iCloud. Go to Storage-\u003e Management and you can see detailed information on using iCloud. Here you can delete backups of other devices, application data.
iCloud Drive - information on the use of the respective service. iCloud Drive is a subset of iCloud in which files are stored in a structured form (analogous to Yandex.Disk, Dropbox, etc.). To view these files, iOS has a standard iCloud Drive app.
Photo - here you can turn on iCloud Music Library, Photo Stream, and Photo Sharing. As a rule, photos and videos take up the most space on iCloud, so setting up and understanding this particular point is very important.
ICloud Music Library - allows you to sync all photos and videos on your devices. ...
Photo stream is an obsolete subset of iCloud Music Library. The function is relevant if the Media Library is not yet enabled on some of your devices. Allows you to sync the latest 1000 media files to all devices.
Sharing Photos -the function allows you to share photos and videos with selected users, who can also add their own photos, videos and comments .
Mail, Contacts, Calendars, Reminders, Safari, Notes, News - enabling these options allows the respective programs to store and synchronize data. For example, when you enable Safari, the standard browser will store and update bookmarks, reading list, etc. in iCloud. Thus, you will see the same data on your iPhone, iPad and computer.
Bunch of keys - enabling the service allows you to save and use passwords, credit card data in a special encrypted file. After setting up the device, each subsequent one requires setting up with additional confirmation on already approved devices.
Backup copy - Enable the ability to automatically back up to iCloud over Wi-Fi. Difference between iTunes and iCloud backups.
Find iPad is perhaps the most useful and mandatory option that allows you to monitor your devices online, block them remotely and erase data. Be sure to turn it on.
Additional iCloud features
In the previous section, I essentially listed the main features of iCloud. But some of the functionality remained behind the scenes:
The iCloud cloud is used by the creators of many apps and games in the App Store. In games, saves are often stored in iCloud so that you can load the desired save at any time and continue playing from the last place.
Software developers store files and data in the cloud so that the user has relevant data on any of his devices at any time.
ICloud data management does not require a cloud-connected device. Any computer is enough. By logging into the official website iCloud.com With your Apple ID, you can access various iCloud features in your browser.
This is changing notes, viewing and editing documents in Pages, Numbers, Keynote, viewing / downloading photos and videos, managing your devices, etc.
What is iTunes Match?
Let me explain why I raised this issue in the article about iCloud. The thing is, iTunes Match essentially uses the same iCloud cloud and works on the same technologies, BUT ...
iTunes Match allows the user to store their entire music collection in the cloud. These can be either officially purchased songs from the iTunes Store, or imported from a CD. The latter means that Apple essentially doesn't care what kind of music you store in the cloud (even pirated music).
The main principles of iTunes Match are very interesting:
- the service reads your media library and automatically adds to the cloud those songs that Apple already has in its iTunes Store. If there is no composition, then only then does it upload it to the cloud from your device.
- whatever the quality of the audio files on your device, there will be songs from the iTunes Store in good quality AAC 256 Kbps in the cloud
There is a separate subscription for iTunes Match. For the summer of 2016, it is 799 rubles per year. You can subscribe on iOS.
Settings-\u003e Music-\u003e Subscribe to iTunes Match
Or in iTunes on your computer, go to the section with music and find the Match tab:
ICloud rates. Which to choose?
By default, Apple suggests using 5 gigabytes of free space in the cloud. This is a mocking little. Why? I explain. At the moment, Apple allows you to store so much in the cloud that for comfortable use of iCloud you need to switch to a paid tariff plan. The same backup, on average, takes 3 gigabytes for one device. Please note that no matter how many devices you have, 5 gigabytes are allocated for one Apple ID.
How to change your tariff plan:
Settings-\u003e iCloud-\u003e Storage-\u003e Change storage plan.
For the summer of 2016, the tariffs are as follows:
They change periodically and do not say that for the worse. Somehow there was even a drop in prices.
I recommend using 50 gigabytes. If this is not enough, then switch to the next tariff plan. I myself use 50 gigabytes with 5 gadgets storing data in one cloud. I have almost 15 gigabytes of backups alone. Sometimes the storage space runs out and the system annoys me with notifications about it. I even wrote a separate instruction about such a case:
How are iCloud subscriptions charged? This is also an interesting question that requires clarification.
After the first connection, you will be charged the amount indicated in the tariff plan. Now this amount will be debited from your card (or phone number) every month. When you change your tariff plan, you will either need to pay some additional amount, or vice versa, Apple will return the n-th number of rubles.
It is noteworthy that Apple approached this issue honestly. They write off and return not for a whole month, but for the number of days that are not enough for a full month. Example. You were charged 59 rubles per month. After 15 days, you changed your tariff plan to 200 gigabytes for 149 rubles. You will be charged (149-59) / number of days in a month * (number of days in a month-15). And only after the expiration of the calendar month, 149 rubles will be charged from you.
If you don't have enough money in your account, then Apple does not automatically reduce your storage to 5 gigabytes within 30 days, but asks you to pay off the subscription debt. And temporarily disables some iCloud features.
ICloud Security
Well, there is also a special section for the paranoid, to which I partially attribute myself. It would be appropriate to quote Apple itself here:
Apple takes data security and the privacy of your personal information very seriously. Therefore, iCloud features are designed with these requirements in mind. All your iCloud content - photos, documents, contacts - is encrypted when transmitted over the Internet, and in most cases also when stored on a server. If we need to use third-party resources to store your information, we encrypt it, never transferring encryption keys. And a number of additional security measures, such as two-factor authentication, allow you to be sure that important data accessed through your account will be available only to you and only from your devices.
iPhone is a powerful smartphone with a huge range of possibilities - here you have both a study and an entertainment center in one person. With the help of an i-gadget, the user solves a lot of different tasks and, of course, it accumulates a lot of important, interesting, useful information. Of course, losing it overnight, losing it, breaking your phone or becoming a victim of theft, is very sad.
It is noteworthy that most of those who have at least once lost their faithful electronic assistant so unexpectedly do not regret the loss of a materially valuable object and the need to spend money on a new gadget (although Apple smartphones are by no means cheap), but the loss of important data. This is why it is imperative to back up all the information stored on your device.
Fortunately, modern technologies allow you to perform a backup in just two taps. The so-called cloud service - iCloud comes to the aid of Apple users. What is this "beast" and how to use it, we will talk in this article.
Cloud storage (or as modern users have romantically dubbed it - "cloud") is a collection of online servers distributed over a network on which a user can store a backup copy of important data.
Clouds are created by various companies, that is, in fact, the user, by sending information to the online storage, transfers his data to third parties, but, of course, on the basis of an agreement that they will be protected and inviolable.
What if the data from the cloud is stolen?
Should you be afraid for your data, since it is stored with a third party? In general, no more than for jewelry placed in a safe deposit box of some bank. Of course, information leakage can happen, but banks have been robbed for hundreds of years, but this does not mean that money needs to be kept in your apartment - it is still safer in a special institution.
iCloud is the official cloud storage for Apple technology users
The "assortment" of online storages is large today, but the owners of i-smartphones do not need to waste time to find the most reliable and convenient one, because it is already in every Apple device, its name is iCloud, using this service, you can be as calm as possible for your data.
What information does the cloud store?
Almost any type of data stored on your device can be backed up to iCloud, here's a complete list:
- Music (including ringtones, TV shows and other audio material)
- Video
- Books
- Applications and their data
- Basic smartphone settings, including desktop settings
- Messages (sent both via iMessages and in the usual way)
However, you may well limit this range, for more information on how to do this in the section "How to use iCloud?"
More than just storing data ...
Of course, the main option for iCloud on iPhones and other i-devices is to store information that is important to the user. However, if you have several Apple gadgets, you will probably appreciate the ability to synchronize information between them. This option gives you access to really cool features. Of course, all content (music, photos, etc.) will be present on all synchronized devices. But, look what we have with the fact that iCloud is able to remember application data ...
For example, your iPhone and iPad are synced via iCloud, which means that you can start playing a game on your smartphone, and then, well, if your smartphone is running low, for example, continue on iPad, and exactly from the place where you left off ...
Is it all free?
Of course, when you learn about such cool opportunities, the thought immediately arises that all this is not free. In part, the thought is correct. Apple generously provides the user with 5GB of free space, and, in general, it is enough to store really valuable data. But if you need more space, no one bothers you to buy it.
ICloud rates
- 50 GB - 59 rubles per month
- 200 GB - 149 rubles per month
- 1 TB - 599 rubles per month
iTunes Match is another cool iCloud feature you have to pay for
iTunes Match is a service designed for music lovers to save money on music purchases. The service automatically analyzes the library of all music stored on the PC you work on when you connect the i-gadget to iTunes, looks for a copy in the iTunes Store and downloads it (for free!) To all Apple devices synced via iCloud, in good quality from album cover and detailed information about the song and artist.
Thus, up to 25,000 tracks can be processed, and you will not pay anything for them, you will only need to pay for a subscription to the service - $ 25 per year. It is very convenient - you do not need to connect devices to a PC once again in order to throw off music, and for such convenience it is relatively inexpensive.
How do I use iCloud?
Well, now, in fact, about the most important thing - how to set up this wonderful service. Very simple! Follow the short instructions:
1 Open "Settings", we find the item iCloud - if you have not used the service before, you will need to log in. For authorization, use Apple ID - the account you created during the initial setup of the i-gadget. 2 After authorization, a window for working with the cloud will appear in front of you - it is a list of types of information that you can store. Opposite each item is a slider. You just need to select the types of data that you want to store and activate the corresponding slider. 3 If you have a lot of space in iCloud, you can make all the sliders active, otherwise you will have to choose the most valuable one.
Several items on the iCloud menu deserve special attention, including iCloud Drive, Backup, Keychain Access, and Find my Phone. Let's see why you need to activate them.
iCloud Drive
Tap on the iCloud Drive item and you will find yourself in a new menu, which will list applications for which you can set to save data in the cloud, each program has its own slider. Activate the necessary ones and turn off the unnecessary ones.
Backup copy
By tapping on the line "Backup", you, again, will find yourself in a new menu. If you have never created a backup of information before, you must first click on the "Create a backup" link, and then activate the slider opposite the "Backup to iCloud" parameter, and then the backup will be performed whenever new information appears on your device. ...
Bunch of keys
This item is responsible for storing Safari passwords, activate it and you will not have to constantly enter account parameters for a particular personal account when working with the Apple browser.
Find my phone
Finally, Find my Phone is a very cool option. If your phone is stolen and Find my Phone is on, you can perfectly "annoy" the intruder. How? And more on that in the next section.
How to recover data from iCloud?
It is very easy to recover data from iCloud on a new device. During the initial setup of your iPhone (or any other i-gadget), Setup Assistant will ask you if you want to get a "clean" new device or if you need to transfer all the information from the old one to it. To restore, of course, you need to choose the second option. Of course, for a successful transfer, you will need to provide the Apple ID of the old device.
If the smartphone is lost, there is no new one yet, and the data needs to be restored urgently, well, for example, to see an important phone number, take any PC and go to the iCloud.com website (in general, this site can be accessed from a mobile device, but with computer more conveniently), enter your Apple ID information for authorization, and you will have access to all the information that was included in your backup.
The same site allows, if you are sure that the smartphone is stolen, as we said above, "annoy" the thief. If you have previously enabled the Find my Phone option on the device, then through iCloud.com you will have the opportunity to activate the "Lost Mode". After enabling it, the attacker will no longer be able to do anything with the gadget - it will be blocked, and your Apple ID data will be the password.
Let's summarize
So, now you know what the iCloud cloud service is in the iPhone and you can appreciate the full power of its capabilities. And, as you may have noticed, you only need to create a backup once, then everything will be done for you. So don't be lazy and back up right now if you haven't already. Can you imagine how it will be a shame if you are too lazy today, forget tomorrow, and lose your device the day after tomorrow?
