Set up iCloud Drive

Files and folders that you store in iCloud Drive stay up to date across all of your devices. Learn how to get started with iCloud Drive on your iPhone, iPad, Apple Vision Pro, Mac, PC, or iCloud.com.

How to set up iCloud Drive on your iPhone, iPad, or Apple Vision Pro

  1. Update your device to the latest iOS or iPadOS and sign in to iCloud with the same Apple Account on all of your devices.

  2. Open the Settings app, then tap your name.

  3. Tap iCloud.

  4. Under Saved to iCloud or Apps Using iCloud, tap Sync this [device] to turn on iCloud Drive.

    An iPhone screen showing iCloud Drive settings. Sync this iPhone is a toggle below the description of iCloud Drive.

Find your iCloud Drive files in the Files app

How to set up iCloud Drive on your Mac

  1. Update your device to the latest macOS and sign in to iCloud with the same Apple Account on all of your devices.

  2. Go to Apple menu , click System Settings, then click your name.

  3. Click iCloud.

    In your iCloud settings on a Mac, storage used is at the top of the menu. Below that is Saved to iCloud, where you can select Photos, Drive, Passwords, and other apps that save data to iCloud.

  4. If prompted, sign in to your Apple Account.

  5. Under Saved to iCloud, click Drive. Click Sync this Mac to turn on iCloud Drive.

    A macOS screen showing iCloud Drive settings. Sync this Mac is a toggle below the description of iCloud Drive.

To add the files from your Mac Desktop and Documents folder to iCloud Drive, turn on Desktop and Documents.

  • If you turn on Desktop and Documents folders in iCloud Drive on a second Mac, you can find the files and folders in a folder with the same machine name as your second Mac.

  • If you add a second Mac Desktop, you can find the files in your Desktop and Documents folders in iCloud Drive, in a folder with the same name as your second Mac. The files from your second Mac don't automatically merge with the files on your first Mac.

If you already use another cloud provider to sync or manage your Desktop and Documents folders, turn it off before using the Desktop & Documents feature.

How to set up iCloud Drive on your Windows PC

  1. Set up iCloud Drive on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac.

  2. On a PC with Windows 11 or later, download and install iCloud for Windows from the Microsoft Store.

  3. To open iCloud for Windows, go to Start, open Apps or Programs, and open iCloud for Windows.

  4. Sign in to your Apple Account.

  5. To the right of iCloud Drive, click the arrow buttonNo alt supplied for Image, then turn on iCloud Drive.

  6. Click Done.

How to access iCloud Drive on iCloud.com

  1. Go to iCloud.com and sign in to your Apple Account.

  2. Click Drive (or iCloud Drive).

How to find iCloud Drive on your device

After you set up iCloud Drive, any documents that you already store in iCloud automatically move to iCloud Drive:

  • On your iPhone, iPad, or Apple Vision Pro, you can find iCloud Drive in the Files app.

  • On your Mac, go to the Finder.

  • On your PC, go to iCloud Drive in File Explorer.

  • On iCloud.com, sign in, then click iCloud Drive.

Learn more about using iCloud Drive

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