What is iCloud?
iCloud securely stores your photos, videos, documents, music, apps, and more—and keeps them updated across all your devices. With iCloud, you can easily share photos, calendars, locations, and more with friends and family. You can even use iCloud to help you find your device if you lose it.
To get started, sign in to your Apple ID to set up iCloud on your Mac, iOS and iPadOS devices, Apple Watch, Apple TV, and Windows computer.
To set up iCloud on your iOS or iPadOS device, Apple TV, or Windows computer, see Set up iCloud on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch.
Here are some ways you can use iCloud.
iCloud feature | Description | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | All your photos and videos. Always available. iCloud Photos securely stores all your photos and videos and keeps them up to date on your Mac, your iOS devices, iPadOS devices, Apple TV, and iCloud.com. Any edits you make in the Photos app are automatically updated everywhere. And with Shared Albums, it’s easy to share photos and videos with the people you choose and invite them to add photos, videos, and comments to your shared albums. Learn more about Photos. | ||||||||||
 | Get your desktop and documents on all of your devices Use iCloud Drive to automatically store your Desktop and Documents files and folders in iCloud so you can access them on all your devices and on iCloud.com. You can also invite other to work on files with you. You can use iCloud File Sharing to share documents with other iCloud users who can work on them and share their changes with you. Learn more about iCloud Drive. | ||||||||||
 | Share music, books, apps, subscriptions, and more with your family Family Sharing makes it easy for you and up to five family members to share iTunes Store, App Store, and Apple Books purchases, an Apple Music family plan, an iCloud storage plan, subscriptions to News+ and Apple Arcade, and more. Your family can also share a photo album and a family calendar, and even help locate each other’s missing devices. Learn more about Family Sharing. | ||||||||||
 | Find your missing Mac Use the Find My app to locate your Mac on a map, play a sound on it, lock its screen, or erase its data. Set up the Find My app to locate a missing Mac. | ||||||||||
 | Your favorite apps are even better with iCloud Keep your mail, calendars, notes, contacts, reminders, messages, news, and stocks up to date, as well as your and HomeKit accessories settings, using the apps on your Mac, iOS and iPadOS devices, and iCloud.com. Learn more about the apps included on your Mac. | ||||||||||
 | iCloud Tabs, bookmarks, and reading list in Safari See the webpages you have open on your Mac and iOS devices (your iCloud Tabs). Read articles from your Reading List, even when you’re offline. Plus, use the same bookmarks on your Mac, iOS devices, iPadOS devices, and Windows computer. Learn more about Safari. | ||||||||||
 | iCloud Keychain Keep your passwords, credit card information, and more up to date, and have it entered automatically on your Mac, iOS and iPadOS devices. Learn more about iCloud Keychain. | ||||||||||
 | iCloud storage Everyone gets 5GB of free iCloud storage to get started and it’s easy to upgrade at any time. Your apps and iTunes Store purchases don’t count toward your iCloud storage space, so you need it just for things like photos, videos, files, and device backups. Learn more about iCloud storage. | ||||||||||
Note: iCloud requires an internet connection; some iCloud features have minimum system requirements. See the Apple Support article System requirements for iCloud. iCloud may not be available in all areas: iCloud features may vary by area.