Change your iCloud settings

iCloud settings lets you choose which apps on your device use iCloud to stay up to date. Learn how to change your iCloud settings, or turn off iCloud completely. 

When you turn on iCloud for an app, its information is safely stored in iCloud and automatically kept in sync across your devices. When you turn it off, the app will no longer connect with iCloud, so your data will exist only on your device. You can choose which apps on your device you'd like to use iCloud, or turn off iCloud completely. 


Choose which apps to use with iCloud

Learn how to find your iCloud settings on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, Mac, or PC.

On your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch

  1. Go to Settings > your name. 
  2. Tap iCloud.
  3. Tap to choose which apps you want to use iCloud.
    Choose which apps to use with iCloud on your iPhone

On your Mac

  1. Choose Apple menu  > System Settings or choose Apple menu  > System Preferences, then click Apple ID. If you're using macOS Mojave or earlier, you don't need to click Apple ID.
  2. Click iCloud.
  3. Select or deselect each app.
    Choose which apps to use with iCloud on your Mac

Some features aren't available or are listed differently in earlier macOS versions. 

On your Windows PC

  1. Open iCloud for Windows.
  2. Select or deselect each app. Learn more below. 
    Choose which apps to use with iCloud on your Windows PC
  3. Click Apply.

Some features aren’t available on your PC, or are listed differently, depending on whether your computer has Microsoft Outlook 2016 or earlier installed.

iCloud Mail, Contacts, Calendars, and Reminders

If you have Outlook installed, use iCloud Mail, Contacts, Calendars, and Tasks in Outlook. If you turn off Mail, Contacts, Calendars, and Tasks, the iCloud information remains available in Microsoft Outlook, but it isn’t updated in iCloud and on your other devices.

If you don't have Outlook installed, use iCloud Mail, Contacts, Calendars, and Reminders in your web browser on iCloud.com.

iCloud Reminders are called Tasks in Outlook 2016 or later.

Bookmarks

If you select Bookmarks, and your computer has Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox installed, click Options. Here you can select the Windows browsers whose bookmarks you want to keep up to date with bookmarks in Safari on your iOS, iPadOS, and macOS devices. Learn which browsers you can use with iCloud for Windows.


Turn off iCloud

If you sign out of iCloud, iCloud no longer backs up the information on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. Learn more about what iCloud backs up. You can still back up your device from your computer.

To stop using iCloud on your devices, learn how to sign out of iCloud

If you turned on automatic downloads for music, app, or book purchases, your purchases are still downloaded to your devices.

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