What is iCloud?
iCloud stores your content securely and keeps your apps up to date across all your devices. That means all your information—photos, files, notes, and more—is available wherever you are. iCloud comes with 5 GB of free storage and you can add more storage at any time.
With iCloud, changes you make on one device appear on all your other devices. You can also access web versions of your favorite apps, like Photos, Mail, and Notes, on iCloud.com. Just sign in from any supported web browser. See the Apple Support article Which iCloud.com features are available in the browser on your device.
Here are some ways you can use iCloud:
Icon | Description |
|---|---|
 | Keep your photos up to date iCloud Photos automatically and securely stores all your photos and videos, and keeps them up to date on all your devices and on iCloud.com. Your original, full-resolution photos are uploaded to iCloud, while lightweight versions are kept on your device. And with Shared Albums, it’s easy to share photos and videos with just the people you choose, and invite them to add comments and share photos and videos with you. See Use iCloud with the Photos app. |
 | Keep all your files securely stored in iCloud Drive Securely store and organize your files in iCloud Drive. Access them across all your devices and on iCloud.com, and share them with a private link. You can also add your Mac Desktop and Documents folders to iCloud Drive so they’re available everywhere. See What is iCloud Drive? |
 | Keep Mail, Contacts, Calendar, Notes, and Reminders up to date Keep apps like Mail, Contacts, Calendar, Notes, and Reminders up to date across all your devices with iCloud. When you make a change on one device, your information is updated everywhere. You can also use web versions of Mail, Contacts, Calendar, Notes, and Reminders on iCloud.com. |
 | Collaborate with Pages, Numbers, and Keynote Create a document, presentation, or spreadsheet, and access it on all your devices with iCloud. You can even edit it on the web with iCloud.com. Share a file with your friends and colleagues—collaborators can see any edits as they’re made. Learn more about Pages, Numbers, and Keynote. |
 | Access your messages across all your devices Turn on iCloud Messages to store messages from your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, and Mac in iCloud. Your messages are kept up to date on all your devices. You can start a conversation on one device and finish it on another. Learn how to store messages in iCloud. |
 | Use iCloud Tabs, bookmarks, and reading list in Safari See the websites you have open on your iOS devices, iPadOS devices, and Mac (your iCloud Tabs). Read articles from your Reading List, even when you’re offline. Plus, use the same bookmarks on your iOS devices, iPadOS devices, Mac, and Windows computer. See iCloud Tabs, bookmarks, and reading list in Safari. |
 | Back up and restore iCloud can automatically back up your iOS and iPadOS devices over Wi-Fi when your device is turned on, locked, and connected to a power source. You can use your iCloud backup to restore your iOS or iPadOS device or seamlessly set up a new one. See What is iCloud Backup? |
 | Locate your devices or your friends Use Find My on your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or Mac to locate a lost device, lock and track it, or remotely erase it. You can also share your location with friends and family and see their locations on a map. On iCloud.com, use Find My iPhone to locate devices and Find My Friends to locate people. See Use Find My to find people and devices. |
 | Use iCloud Keychain Keep your passwords, credit card information, and more up to date, and they’ll be autofilled automatically on your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or Mac. You can also access Safari passwords on a Windows computer. See Intro to iCloud Keychain and iCloud Passwords. |
 | Get as much storage as you need With iCloud, you get 5 GB of free storage for your mail, documents, photos, and iOS and iPadOS device backups. It’s easy to upgrade at any time. Your purchased music, apps, TV shows, and books don’t count against your available storage. See What is iCloud storage? |
 | Share music, books, apps, and more with your family Family Sharing lets up to six family members share their iTunes Store, App Store, and Apple Books purchases without sharing accounts. Pay for family purchases with the same credit card and approve kids’ spending right from a parent’s device. Plus, share iCloud storage, photos, calendars, reminders, locations, and more. See Use Family Sharing with iCloud. |
Note: Some iCloud features have minimum system requirements. iCloud might not be available in all areas, and iCloud features might vary by area. See the Apple Support article System requirements for iCloud.