Apple has created quite a few branded services for iPhone users that are successful in varying degrees - some are popular, some are not very successful. ICloud cloud storage definitely falls into the first category. However, there are users who do not understand what iCloud is and how to use it. It's a pity, because this service is fraught with a lot of useful options.
In this article, we will talk about the functionality of the service and its intricacies.
Today, in smartphones, users store a lot of useful and important information and, having lost a device, the owner often regrets more not so much material damage as about the lost data. This state of affairs has forced IT companies to come up with cloud services. In the "cloud" the user can store a backup copy of important data and, if the gadget is lost, restore the necessary information on another device.
iCloud is one of the cloud storage services that is available by default to all iOS users. By purchasing an iOS device of any model - iPhone 4 or iPhone 6 S, iPad Mini 1 or iPad Pro, etc., the user automatically gets 5 GB in the "cloud" (more space - for an additional fee).
Physically, the "cloud" represents the company's remote servers, in other words, it is a huge hard drive belonging to Apple, the place on which the company shares with each user.
Synchronization or backup
ICloud has two main features - sync and backup. Can't you see the difference between the two? And it is also significant. Let's look at it in order.
Backup
The backup copy can be created in automatic and manual mode. In the first case, copying is performed whenever the device is charged and connected to a Wi-Fi network. In the second, the user decides when to make a backup. To create a copy:
That's all! Pretty simple, isn't it? Now, if automatic backup is configured, you can never return to this menu, but if manual mode is selected, periodically go to the section and click "Create backup".
The iCloud backup stores almost all types of information that is available on the iPhone, that is, both useful data, such as phonebook contacts, and not very useful ones, for example, some messages from Whats App and other instant messengers, can get there. Of course, if you bought additional space in the cloud and you have much more than 5 GB of it, such waste is not very disturbing, but if we are talking about 5 GB, the approach - to store everything at once, does not seem very reasonable.
Synchronization
This is where synchronization comes in. If you return to the iCloud menu, to the level where the "Backup" item is located, you will see a bunch of other items, opposite each of which there will be a slider.
If the slider is active, synchronization with the cloud is automatically performed. For example, if the slider opposite the "Contacts" item is green, then all the phonebook numbers are synchronized with the "cloud" through the Apple ID, which is registered in this iPhone. This means the following - if you lose this iPhone, buy a new one and register the old Apple ID in it, you will find all the contacts from the lost device, even if during the initial setup of the device the item was selected not “Restore from backup”, but “Configure as new ".
So, in essence, backup and sync - capabilities that give the user roughly the same practical output - the data is attached to the Apple ID and is easily restored. But! Synchronization can be controlled by enabling and disabling the corresponding sliders, which is efficient use of space in the cloud.
Find My iPhone and iCloud Drive
Above we said that iCloud has two main options and considered them. However, the service also has additional functionality. It's pretty broad, but as part of this introductory article, it's important to mention two special options.
Find iPhone
With Find iPhone, Apple has implemented anti-theft protection. At some point, iPhones were stolen so often that it was simply impossible to sit back. And now Find iPhone appeared. If you turn it on, the so-called Activation Lock is activated. Whenever you update / restore / reset data, iPhone with Activation Lock enabled will ask for Apple ID password.
What does it do? Look, a thief stole your device. First of all, of course, he dumps information, because he will not be able to sell a smartphone with someone else's data. And after the reset, a surprise awaits him - a request for the Apple ID parameters, which without knowing the login and password of this account cannot be bypassed in any way. What's left? Only return the device for parts or return it to the user for a fee.
You can also activate Lost Mode using Find My iPhone. For this you need:
When Lost Mode is activated, the iPhone is locked and the user's message is displayed on the lock screen.
Another fun option "Find iPhone", which is sure to please the forgetful people. Next to the "Lost Mode" button, there is a "Play sound" button, click on it if you don't remember where you put your smartphone. And even if it is in silent mode, there will be a loud beep.
To enable "Find iPhone" - go to the iCloud menu, find the item "Find iPhone", tap it and in the menu that opens, activate the slider of the same name. This way of activating the option is relevant for all iPhone models - both the old 4 S, and the new 6 S and "sevens".
iCloud Drive
Finally, let's talk about the iCloud Drive option. In general, it's easier to say that this is not an option, but an application, it is simply configured through the main iCloud menu.
The iCloud Drive app is preinstalled on iPhones running iOS 9 and later. This is, in fact, Apple's DropBox, or if you are not familiar with DropBox, it is a kind of file manager. Documents can be dropped here manually, or you can set up automatic transfer - for this, in the iCloud menu, move the corresponding sliders under the iCloud Drive item to the active position.
Unfortunately, not all users understand why an iCloud Drive is needed in an iPhone and what to do with it. In our opinion, the easiest way to understand is by example.
Let's say you started working on a file on iPhone, but want to continue on your computer or iPad - you just drop the document into iCloud Drive on your smartphone, then open this application on the device you want to continue working from, and ... actually, continue!
Moreover, directly from iCloud Drive, you can download the document in the desired program. That is, if a file supports, say, working with six programs that are installed on a PC or mobile iOS gadget, you can click on the file and hold your finger on it and select the one you need from all six programs.
Let's summarize
iCloud is a very cool and useful service, and its functionality, of course, goes far beyond the scope of this article. However, now you know at least approximately what is aikloud on an iPhone and, for sure, you have a desire to get to know the service better. Detailed instructions and assistance in managing the service can be obtained on the official Apple website by reading the relevant sections or by contacting the company's support team.
- 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 Windows 7 or Windows 8 PC (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 begins with the Settings menu on 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 be synced.
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 enable the "Backup to iCloud" slider and then the backup will be performed automatically whenever the gadget is connected to a charger and a 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, which does not require pre-installation of any programs, is a dedicated 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 from user to user - 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.
Let's take a closer look at how to create iCloud for an iPhone. Each owner of Apple technology must have an account in this cloud storage.
Thus, you will have access to all the additional functions of your device.
Users of other operating systems can also create their own personal page in the system and store their data on a virtual disk, or simply use the mail service.
What is iCloud?
iCloud is the largest cloud storage environment that has email client functionality.
The site launched in 2011 and was designed as a more refined replacement for MobileMe.
In addition to storing information and messages, with the help of owners of Apple devices, they can store backups of gadget settings in the environment, synchronize data with other devices, work with the Find My Phone function (quick search and).
Figure: 1 - iCloud logo
ICloud benefits
The main feature of the service is that it is designed specifically for iOS and Mac OS, so there is simply no better and more stable storage than iCloud for your iPhone.
Other popular "clouds" cannot provide more organized and intelligent storage and processing of data.
ICloud Benefits:
- Free registration. After creating an account, you get 5 GB of free space on your virtual disk. If you want to remove this limitation, you must subscribe to a paid subscription;
- Lack of advertising. Compared to the clouds from or Yandex, on Icloud you will never see banner ads or annoying pop-ups;
- The repository is well integrated with the mobile IOS platform and Macintosh computers. This allows you to achieve stable operation with a minimum percentage of errors. Data synchronization between devices is instant (if there is a good internet connection);
- Anti-spam and unsolicited system. You can create virtual mailboxes that are linked to an existing account. Unnecessary letters will be sent to them, which allows not to load the main page with letters with unnecessary information.
iCloud - It's All In Detail
ICloud Features | How to use | Why do you need | 2017
Creating a mailbox in Aycloud
Icloud mail with the "@ icloud.com" identifier can only be created by owners of Apple devices.
The mailbox creation function is available on mobile devices, tablets and Mac computers.
Figure: 2 - @ icloud.com mailbox
The function of storing information in the cloud appears immediately after registration or Apple ID.
Owners of other phones and computers can use an existing mailbox by linking it to their Apple ID account.
Thus, you can get the opportunity to use several features in iCloud for free:
- Contacts;
- Apple Numbers - for working with tables;
- Keynote - creating presentations;
- Notes;
- Pages is a simplified analogue of a word processor.
It's worth noting that the storage for non-Apple device users is only 1GB.
Figure: 3 - Cloud settings window
You may also be interested in:
Building iCloud on IPhone or iPad
An active internet connection is required to register.
It is advisable to connect the iPhone to a router or 3G network to ensure normal transmission / reception speed.
If you suddenly forgot your Apple ID password, then you.
Now go to the gadget settings window and follow the instructions:
- Open the tab "Mail, calendars, addresses";
Figure: 4 - start window of settings in IOS
- In the window that appears, information about all synced accounts and notes will appear. Since we need to create a new account, at the bottom of the window, click on "Add an account";
Figure: 5 - window for synchronized accounts
- Next, a page will appear with a list of logos of services, an account in which you can create / add... Select iCloud;
Figure: 6 - adding a service
- You can't create iCloud mail without an Apple ID. Therefore, further you need to click on the "Create Apple ID" button. You need to indicate your date of birth and contact information. Please note that you should only enter valid information about yourself. If in the future you plan to make purchases in the app store, it will be impossible to do so with fake data. Likewise, the caliper will not provide adequate support to fake users.
Figure: 7 - creating an Apple ID
- After entering your name and date of birth, the page for linking your mailbox to Apple ID appears. Please select "Receiving e-mail in iCloud", as it shown on the picture:
Figure: 8 - getting mailbox in iCloud
- In the new window, click on the text box and enter a name for the mailing address. The resulting string, e.g. My [email protected] - this is the created identifier in the Apple ID system. The selected mail name may already be taken. In this case, the system will automatically detect a match and inform you about it. It will be necessary to come up with a new name.
Figure: 9 - enter a new Iclaud address
- At the next stage of registration in the system, you must set a password for accessing your account. Remember that to reduce the likelihood of being hacked, you should specify a complex password. The codeword must be at least eight (8) characters long and contain numbers, lower / upper case letters and special characters;
Figure: 10 - creating an account password
The generated email address and password will be both login data for both the system and the page of the mail service (cloud storage).
After registration is complete, the system offers to select three questions (from the already existing list). For each question, you must write a short answer.
This action is required. If you forget your account login information by answering one of the questions correctly, you can instantly regain access.
Figure: 11 - creating security questions for iCloud and Apple ID
Be sure to enter your backup email address. This can be the address of any other mail service that you have access to.
If you forget the answers to security questions or cannot remember your login, recovery information will be sent to the additional address you specified.
Figure: 12 - page for creating backup email
If you want to set up automatic service updates, activate the corresponding slider in the “Updates” window that appears.
With the latest updates, you will receive the latest information from Apple.
You can cancel your subscription at any time, the function is disabled in the settings of your iCloud account.
Figure: 13 - connecting automatic updates and news from Apple
Before completing the Aycloud registration procedure, read the user agreement.
Further use of the service implies full compliance of your actions with all the established rules.
Figure: 14 - window with the text of the user agreement
After pressing the "Accept" button, Aycloud will be created. The linking of your account to your IPhone and data synchronization will be performed automatically.
It remains only to confirm the entered backup address. Thus, the system checks if you have access to another mailbox.
A letter with a code will be sent to the backup email, which must be entered in the registration confirmation window. If everything is done correctly, the following message will appear:
Figure: 15 - confirmation of registration Aycloud
Registration is complete, however, the account is still inactive on your phone.
You need to enable the iCloud service in the iPhone settings to start automatic synchronization of your account with the gadget.
Go to the Settings-iCloud window. In the window that opens, activate all the items and processes to synchronize the account and the phone.
Figure: 16 - activating your iCloud account on the IPhone
With the help of the data of the created account, you get access to all the official services and services from Apple, namely:
- App Store;
- ICloud Drive storage;
- mail [email protected] ;
- Find My Phone function;
- Communication tools FaceTime, iMessage and others.
Using the iCloud email service as your Apple ID creates better information security.
The risk of hacking a profile is minimal, and data recovery occurs instantly, however, without knowing unique information (answers to questions, backup mail), it is almost impossible for an attacker to do this.
