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Cloud storage is a growing tech trend. Making use of cloud computing technology, cloud storage services give you password-protected access to online storage space. But what is iCloud? It's Apple's cloud storage product. Cloud is designed to work seamlessly with all your Apple devices connected to the Internet. For example, you can upload photos from your iPhone and access them from your MacBook, upload music from your MacBook to listen to from your iPod Touch or upload an important document from your Mac desktop to access from your iPad when you're on the go. MobileMe was iCloud's long-standing predecessor, offering synchronization services for an annual subscription fee. MobileMe's primary purpose was to keep certain files synchronized between multiple devices. This included e-mail, contacts, calendars, browser bookmarks, photo galleries, and Apple iWeb and iDisk services. Though MobileMe was tailor-made for Apple products, it also gave users the option to synchronize data from non-Apple computers. Apple revamped MobileMe and merged its offerings into the iCloud service.
Cloud not only replaces MobileMe, but it also adds features, flexibility, and free service for up to 5 GB of storage space. In addition, digital products you purchase through Apple's iTunes Store are available from your iCloud account without counting against that free 5 GB. Later, we'll take a closer look at iCloud's features and pricing and how they compare to other cloud storage products. That makes iCloud your most convenient cloud storage option if all your computers and mobile devices are Apple products. Apps you use in both macOS and Apple iOS can connect to your iCloud space and automatically store your data there, including your contacts list and photo gallery. Now that you know what iCloud is, let's take a closer look at its features and costs, and how it keeps your data both safe and readily accessible. You can authorize up to 10 devices to access and use iCloud with your Apple ID. This is a leap beyond the iTunes Store authorization, which is limited to five devices.
Plus, iCloud authorization extends beyond iTunes to touch all apps capable of connecting and using iCloud from that device. Developers program each app to connect to and use iCloud content in its own way, so check an app's help pages to find out whether and how it can use iCloud. If you're one of those developers, check out how your app creations can use the iCloud application programming interfaces (APIs) as described at the Apple developer site. Besides its options for apps to connect to and use the service, iCloud features unlimited free storage for anything you purchase through the iTunes Store. This means that any music, movies, TV shows, books, or apps you purchase from iTunes don't count against your free 5 GB of iCloud storage space. In addition, each iTunes purchase is instantly available for download to any of your iCloud-authorized devices, as long as the songs are available from the iTunes store. In short, buy it once, access it everywhere.
This even applies to purchases you made under the same Apple ID long before iCloud existed, provided they're still available in the iTunes Store. However, Apple also realizes that you might want more space, and you can purchase subscription-based upgrades to fill that need. 9. iCloud is capable of taking daily backups of your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch when it's connected to the Internet using WiFi. These aren't full backups, which would include all the data stored on each device. Instead, these are partial iCloud backups that store only the data you've changed on the device. In addition to simplifying the backup process, the iCloud service makes quick work out of restoring an Apple iOS device from the iCloud backup. You'll probably want to restore your device any time you lose important data, reset or replace the device, or upgrade to new hardware. Next, let's see what challenges iCloud faces and how it stacks up to its competition in the cloud storage market.
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