What is iCloud and how to use it on iPhone, iPad and Mac. Change your password and check your messaging settings and associated devices

Every owner of an iPhone, iPad or Mac knows about the existence of Apple's iCloud proprietary Internet service, but most users are content with only a small part of the cloud's capabilities. In this material we will talk about the full functionality of iCloud and methods of its use.

What is iCloud?

Essentially iCloud combines a whole list various web services Apple, significantly simplifying access to data from any device from anywhere in the world via the Internet. iCloud allows users to store on remote servers documents, email, photos, content from iTunes Store, music from Apple Music, and much more.

By default, each user with an account is provided with 5 GB of free disk space. If desired, space in the cloud can be purchased in accordance with.

Data stored in iCloud is automatically synchronized with all devices assigned to the same Apple ID. For example, a new contact card or reminder added to iPhone will immediately appear on both iPad and Mac, provided that all three devices are linked to the same Apple ID account.

How to enable iCloud?

For iCloud activation on an iOS device or Mac Apple recommends installing latest version operating system However, this point of the instructions is advisory in nature. Next, you just need to go to Settings on your iDevice or System Settings on Mac, select the iCloud section and enter your Apple ID account information.

There is a list of services, data from which can be synchronized, as well as items for activating Photo Stream, iCloud Drive, Find iPhone, Keychain and automatically back up your iOS device to the cloud.

iCloud can also be used by: Windows users, for this it is necessary.

The address (accessible only from a computer) contains the management interface for some iCloud services. To get started, you need to log in Apple help ID.

Here you have access to managing Contacts, Notes, Photos, Reminders, Calendars, Find iPhone, cloud iCloud storage Drive and so on.

In addition, the service allows you to run free cloud tools from the iWork package ( analogue of Microsoft Office from Apple). Edit text documents(Word) spreadsheets(Excel) can be done directly in the browser.

iCloud Photo Library

The service allows you to create a copy of content in the cloud with the ability to synchronize with all iOS devices and Mac computers linked to one account Apple recording ID.

iCloud Photo Library supports 3 types of content: photos, videos and music, and iCloud Music Library has a separate switch.

The service allows you to upload photos and videos taken on all devices connected to one Apple ID to the cloud. The same content will be available on all devices in the Photos app.

You can also access iCloud Photo Library for photos and videos using a web browser. All photos and videos will be available in the Photos app on icloud.com.

You can enable iCloud Photo Library for photos and videos by following the path Settings -> iCloud -> Photo.

iCloud Music Library

iCloud Music Library has a separate switch and is activated on iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch along the way: Settings -> Music.

On computers under macOS control and Windows iCloud Music Library is included in iTunes application along the way: iTunes -> Settings -> Basic.

After activating iCloud Music Library, all music, including music added from the Apple Music service, as well as created playlists, are synchronized between devices.

Brief description of the main iCloud services

Mail

Each user can create their own E-mail in the cloud for free like " [email protected]» and receive quick access for correspondence at any time. Directly on the icloud.com website, the service is implemented in the form of a classic mailbox, divided into categories (Inbox, Spam, Drafts, etc.). To activate mail in the cloud, you need to go to the Settings -> iCloud menu on your Mac or iDevice and specify a name Email address, which will be created automatically.

Contacts

All contacts from the device's address book are automatically copied to iCloud and vice versa. At the same time, in the cloud on icloud.com there are all the possibilities for editing profiles, which is quite convenient - for example, it is much easier to attach photos to contacts on a computer than to do it on a smartphone or tablet.

Calendar, notes, reminders

Naturally, if there is cloud service There is no need to transfer information from relevant applications from one device to another - iCloud automatically synchronizes all specified events, created records and other data.

Photo

The photo service on icloud.com is almost identical to the mobile and desktop applications. This is a full-fledged media library for storing photos and videos, divided into albums or moments (depending on the display mode). From here you can easily delete, move or send pictures by email.

iWork on iCloud (Pages, Numbers, Keynote)

A recently appeared iCloud section containing browser analogues of the Numbers, Pages and Keynote applications of the same name. This allows users to create, edit and send spreadsheets, text documents or presentations from any device.

iWork is a free web equivalent of the package Microsoft Office(Word, Excel).

Find iPhone and Find Friends

If your mobile device is lost, the easiest way to locate it is to use the Find iPhone application located on icloud.com, just enter Apple ID ID and password. Here you can completely erase the device, play sound on it, or enable lost mode (see screenshots above).

Web application Find Friends allows you to obtain information about the location of friends on the map.

Among the many branded services Apple created companies exclusively for its users, there are a number of them that are managed in mandatory Everyone should be able to. One such service is iCloud cloud storage.

Don’t know what a “cloud” is yet? Then read this article, in which we will tell you what cloud storage is and how to use the iCloud service on iPhone.

Cloud storage (cloud) is a remote server/servers of a third-party company, which, under certain conditions, provides users with the opportunity to store their data on them. Using the cloud, you can be sure that even if your device is lost or stolen, the information will be restored.

iCloud is a cloud storage created by Apple for users using Apple products. 5 gigs on Apple servers are provided to users for free. If you need more space you have to pay.

iCloud: initial setup

iCloud does not require special installation; it is already integrated into iOS, and not in the form separate program, but as a special section in the “Settings” menu. In order to start using the “apple” cloud, you need to indicate in the appropriate section Apple settings ID.

If installed on iPhone iOS version 10.3 or more later version platform, then to log into iCloud:

If you have, say, an iPhone 4 or 4S, or even more old model(well, you never know), then iOS 10.3 is no longer available to you. This means that the iCloud login scheme will be slightly different:

However, perhaps you have, say, an iPhone 5S or even an iPhone 6, but you have not updated to the latest available iOS, then the second instruction will also work in your case.

iCloud Management

Well, we found iCloud, “registered”, now let’s start studying the functionality and setting the necessary parameters.

Synchronization

IN iCloud menu we see a bunch of incomprehensible sliders that can be turned on or off. All this is great, but what to do with all this? Look, the main option of iCloud is synchronizing your data using your Apple ID, this means that the information that appears on the iPhone is automatically transferred to the cloud, and, in addition, to all other gadgets on which your Apple ID is registered. If you have only one Apple device, the information is synchronized only with remote storage.

Using sliders, you set the types of information that need to be synchronized and which not. That is, if the numbers phone book you need to store it in the cloud, the “Contacts” slider is activated. But, say, you don’t want to store reminders, which means the slider remains turned off. Of course, the temptation to store everything at once is great, they say, everything will be useful in the household, but you need to remember that there is only 5 GB of free space.

As you explore the iCloud menu, you'll quickly notice that some items have subsections rather than just an activation/deactivation slider opposite. Such items in present moment four - “Photos”, “Keychain”, “Find iPhone” and “iCloud Backup”. iCloud Drive also has a separate line. Let's look at each of these sections in order.

Photo

There's really nothing special in this section. It is similar to other “slider” items - contacts, calendars, etc. Simply, since photos weigh a lot, the user is given the opportunity to make additional settings.

For example, there is a slider “Upload photo series”. If you take photos in burst shooting, by default, only the most successful frames are added to the cloud, to save space, of course. Is it possible to have all burst photos uploaded to iCloud? Yes! But then you should activate the “Upload photo series” slider.

Bunch of keys

But this is a more interesting “thing”. There is only one slider in this section, “Keychain Access in iCloud.” By activating it, you automatically transfer all passwords and payment information from the iPhone on which you enable the option to other devices on which your Apple ID is registered. When activating the option, you must confirm the action from a “friendly” device.

Find iPhone

Further - more, “Find iPhone” is perhaps the most useful additional section iCloud. This option implements two mechanisms. The first one will appeal to forgetful people. Imagine this picture - you put your smartphone on silent mode, they put it somewhere and conveniently forgot where. Now you need it, but how to find it?

If you managed to set the “Find iPhone” slider to the active position before losing it, then:

Do you agree, this is a great opportunity? However, the second option “Find iPhone” is even cooler. If you lost your device outside your home, and you don’t know where, or it was stolen from you, then with the help of iCloud.com you can use the “Lost Mode” button to leave a message and your contacts to the person who found the device. This will lock your iPhone and display the message you left on the lock screen.

Moreover, if the smartphone was stolen, the thief will most likely try to bypass the lock screen and reset the lost mode by restoring the device through iTunes. However, if the “Find iPhone” option is enabled, after recovery (as well as after updating and resetting parameters), you will be prompted for login and Apple password Owner ID. If you do not enter the parameters, you will not be able to use your smartphone. There is no way to bypass this request. Thus, the device in the hands of a thief turns into a piece of unnecessary metal and its the only way make money from theft - return iPhone to owner for a fee.

iCloud backup

Another interesting section of iCloud. By going into it, you can activate the “iCloud Backup” slider, which will enable automatic creation backups - they will be performed whenever the iPhone is charging and connected to Wi-Fi. If you want to create backups in manual mode, leave the slider turned off and click Create backup copy"—do not forget to periodically return to the menu and press this button again if you want the data in the copy to be updated.

However, we hasten to note that perhaps the backup option is already an unnecessary measure, because by setting the synchronization parameters using the sliders of the main menu, you are actually duplicating important information in the cloud. The only thing is that when backing up, more types of data are sent to the cloud than during synchronization, but not all of it is actually necessary. No, of course not, if only free place there would be unlimited storage in the cloud, why not store everything at once. But if you save space, why store all your correspondence in instant messengers, but they also go to a backup copy. So think about it, maybe just synchronization is enough for you.

iCloud Drive

And finally iCloud Drive. This option appears in iCloud section, confused everyone quite a bit. However, very quickly everyone figured out what was what. Just above we already mentioned the site iCloud.com, where, by specifying the Apple ID parameters, you can view the synchronized information. However, users for a long time complained that it was not very convenient and it was high time to create something like Dropbox or Yandex.Disk for iCloud. And so Apple came up with iCloud Drive.

To start using iCloud Drive, you need to move the corresponding slider in the iCloud menu on your iPhone to the active position, and then use the levers below to indicate information from which programs are allowed to sync with iCloud Drive.

Now go to the Home screen, look for the application of the same name on it and open it. If you've ever used Dropbox, you'll immediately recognize the interface. Here you can create various folders and throw the contents of authorized programs into them.

For example, you created a document in Pages on iPhone, but want to continue on iPad or Macbook - just drop the file into iCloud app Drive and open it on the device on which you want to edit or complete it, of course, through the same application. On all Apple devices, it is installed by default. If you want to use the drive on a Windows PC, you will have to install it first.

Let's summarize

Well, as you can see, iCloud functionality is quite wide. The main functions of the service are synchronizing data with the cloud and creating backup copies, however additional options are no less interesting and some deserve a separate article. Read more about iCloud service You can read it in a special section of the Apple website, and if this or that moment raises questions, you can always ask for help from the Russian-language support service of the Apple giant.

In this post, I told you how to create and log into iCloud. What is it for and how can you use it to restore your iPhone.

What is iCloud

iCloud is cloud Apple storage, through which information is automatically synchronized between your devices. For example, contacts and notes between iPhone and iPad.

If iCloud has enough free space, then the iPhone stores a backup copy of photos and other information there.

You get iCloud storage automatically when Apple registration ID, which will be needed to use Apple technology.

By default, iCloud has 5 GB of free space available. Of course, this is not enough to backup a phone even with 16 GB of memory. Therefore, I recommend expanding iCloud to at least 50 GB.

50 GB - $0.99 per month;
200 GB - $2.99;
2 TB - $9.99.

How to log into iCloud on iPhone

You can sign in to iCloud directly on your Apple device. To do this, enter your Apple ID in:

Settings ▸ Sign in on iPhone

Sign in to iCloud via iPhone settings. To do this you will need an Apple ID

How to log into iCloud through a browser

If your phone breaks or you lose it, you can always access your photos and contacts through the web version of iCloud.

If in Apple ID, then to log in through the browser you need to confirm your identity digital code, which will come to your other Apple devices or via SMS to the main and reserve numbers phone.

How to set up an iCloud backup

Default backup disabled in iCloud. It only makes sense to enable it when you have purchased additional space of 50, 200 or 2000 GB.

Settings ▸ Apple ID ▸ iCloud ▸ iCloud Storage ▸ Change storage plan

You can also enable iCloud backup in Settings:

Settings ▸ Apple ID ▸ iCloud ▸ Backup

Such a backup will store absolutely all data from the phone, including photos, contacts and videos.

Using a backup iCloud copies you can completely restore your phone if old iPhone broke, you lost it or just bought a new one.

How to set up settings synchronization via iCloud

Even if you haven't purchased additional iCloud storage, your iPhone can still store calendars, contacts, and other settings there. And also synchronize this information between your devices.

You can configure applications that have access to iCloud in:

Settings ▸ Apple ID ▸ iCloud

Remember

1. iCloud storage is provided automatically. Standard volume - 5 GB;
2. iCloud is needed for automatic synchronization settings and data between your devices;
3. If you buy more iCloud storage, you can back up to it. iPhone copies and other devices.
4. Additional iCloud storage will also allow you to free up space on your phone.
5. If you lose your phone, you can access all its information through the web version of iCloud.

Good day, dear readers. Having trouble syncing data between two instances of the same application? You're not alone, and many developers have expressed their displeasure with the problems that have plagued iCloud since its introduction with iOS 5.

Luckily, there are many methods you can use to successfully sync Mac apps OS X and iOS with Apple servers, so don't be afraid to try them all.

Apple recently upgraded iCloud from its previous incarnation, which served only as a repository for developers and applications, to a full-fledged cloud platform like or Google Drive. This transition has caused problems for some users. Fortunately, they are quite easy to solve.

You must make sure you are updating to iCloud Drive on all devices simultaneously. Just because you run an update on your iPad doesn't mean your Mac will automatically update as well. For iCloud work Drive on all devices requires OS X Yosemite and iOS 8. Once updated, you'll be able to access your folder through the Finder.

Update iCloud Drive on iOS by opening Settings > iCloud or go to System Preferences > iCloud on Mac OS X.

Reboot and wait

It may take some time before iCloud responds to your request. According to service users, up to 10 minutes. After waiting a bit, you may find that the problem resolves itself, but while you're at it, it's a good idea to restart all your devices. In addition, try connecting your device to the mains. In my opinion personal experience Photo Stream does not always sync data to iCloud while the phone is not connected to a power source.

This may seem obvious to some, but if you are logged into different accounts iCloud recordings on your devices, you will not be able to synchronize them. Head to Settings > iCloud on iOS or open System Preferences > iCloud on Mac OS X and check which account is currently associated with the device. You can only have one active iCloud account at a time, so make sure the accounts match.

According to one of the recommendations I read, several addresses email iCloud (@me.com, @mac.com and @icloud.com) in sections Settings > Mail, Contacts, Calendar may cause problems, so try disabling additional mail accounts iCloud and see if that helps (probably not).

Sometimes problems occur on the service side. Although most planned outages happen at night while you sleep, you should not forget about unforeseen failures and human error. To check your current iCloud status, go to the System Status page on the Apple website and note the green dots. Description current problems usually located at the bottom of the page.

Check your settings

Before making rash decisions, it is always useful to mobile devices, in case of data loss. We recommend performing this operation before you change too many options in the settings. Here is a list of options that can be changed in Settings(iOS) or System settings(OS X) may resolve synchronization problems:

The verification instructions vary depending on whether you upgraded to iCloud Drive. If the update is completed, on your iOS device go to Settings > iCloud > iCloud Drive and make sure the app whose data you are trying to sync is in the list. Other than that, you can try disabling and re-enabling iCloud for it to restart the sync process.

Apps that have access to iCloud Drive on OS X will appear in the System Preferences > iCloud > iCloud Drive Options.

Cellular App Access

iOS creates a settings panel for each application. You can find it by opening Settings and moving to the end of the list. If you're having trouble syncing while your phone is connected to cellular network but does not have access to Wi-Fi, you may have disabled cellular access for the application in these same settings.

If the date and time on your iPhone are set incorrectly, many applications may refuse to connect to the Internet altogether. To avoid similar problems, you can customize automatic update time that will sync your devices.

On iOS, head to Settings > General > Date and time > Set automatically. On OS X the same can be done in System Settings > Date and Time > Time Zone.

Make sure you are using the correct folder

If you are working with an application that allows you to change the data storage directory, make sure that the path to the folder is the same in both instances of the program. An example of such a utility is the DayOne digital diary. So check which folders your many apps on iOS and Mac are looking for data in.

More extreme measures

If none of the above tips helped you, it's time to move on to more serious measures. Before than follow our instructions, do not forget backup your phone via iTunes.

If your device is under iOS control does not want to synchronize data, you can make a backup copy of it, reset the device using the option Recovery in iTunes and then restore it from your backup. After completion, the state of your device will be identical to the one you started with. However, you will have to log in to all your accounts again (email, Facebook, etc.).

Reset iCloud data

If you haven't updated to iCloud Drive yet, you can reset everything iCloud data, entering your account on iCloud.com and opening Settings > Data and security > Reset my documents. After the update, this option is no longer available.

Many apps leave it up to you to decide whether to use iCloud. By refusing the services of this service, you will save yourself from numerous related problems. Utilities like DayOne and 1Password can work with Dropbox. In most cases, using a third party cloud storage will give you more space for your files, and also save you hassle (you can still use other iCloud capabilities, like email and Find My iPhone).

Of course, this solution is not suitable for all users, but problems with iCloud have forced many developers to integrate support for third-party services into their utilities.

And finally, support from the application

If you have an application that uses data synchronization to transfer information between different versions and instances of the application, the program's developers have likely published documentation to help you troubleshoot any problems you encounter. In most cases, the authors of the utility can indicate which folders and files need to be deleted in order to cope with problems.

DayOne, 1Password, iA Writer and Ulysses utilities have similar guides for solving iCloud problems.

Have you ever had problems with iCloud and iCloud Drive? How did you solve them?

iCloud- this is cloud storage Apple, which allows you to automatically synchronize settings, bookmarks, address book, calendars, photos, messages and other information between your Apple devices.

iCloud saves backups iPhone data, helps the owner find lost devices . If you have several devices at your disposal, all of them are your own purchases from the iTunes Store, Appstore and iBooks automatically become available on all connected devices.

Cloud storage capacity

Regarding the amount of cloud storage, each user with an Apple ID receives 5 GB free. But this does not mean that you cannot expand the memory; you can purchase the required amount of space for a certain amount. You can buy a seat at any time, the money for payment is debited from credit card linked to an Apple ID, if the card is not linked, it is not possible to buy a seat, but you can always link a card in your account settings.

iCloud registration

After entering your username and password, a message will appear on the screen stating that the function "Find iPhone" "Find my phone" included. This is very useful feature, which will help determine the location of your phone on the map (if geolocation services are enabled in the settings and the device is connected to the Internet) in case of loss.

In addition, using the service "Find iPhone" you can send a message to a lost device and play it on it beep, remotely block or erase data from it.

iCloud access

Content can be accessed from any computer, smartphone or tablet via the Internet from web browser, just go to https://www.icloud.com/ and log in with your Apple ID.

Setting up iCloud

In the main window, you can mark the main applications that will synchronize your data. Mail, calendars, contacts, notes, bookmarks need to be synchronized, it definitely won’t be superfluous.

Photostream

All photographs taken with Apple devices, are automatically uploaded to the photo stream and transferred to other devices, if available Wi-Fi networks, through mobile network synchronization does not occur.

There are no size restrictions for photographs, but there are restrictions on the number and shelf life. The cloud will save 1000 photos from the last 30 days. Earlier photos, if the total number of photos exceeds 1000, are deleted from the cloud.

Backups

Now backups are created automatically when the phone is connected to a power source and Wi-Fi is available and sent to iCloud. The backup includes device settings, programs, books, purchased music, and even ringtones and the location of icons on the screen.

Family Sharing

With this feature, users can share content from the iTunes Store, iBooks, AppStore with up to six family members.

Sign out of iCloud

There are situations when you can change your account or simply log out, for example, selling a device or sending it to service center. To sign out of iCloud, go to Settings & iCloud. At the very bottom click Log out, some versions of the operating system may indicate Delete account. For this you will need account details.