iCLOUD TIPS & TRICKS

From humble beginnings as MobileMe, Apple's iCloud service has grown into an excellent facility. But what is iCloud, and what can it do for you?

- IAN OSBORNE

APPLE’S iCLOUD WAS launched in October 2011, replacing the unsuccessful MobileMe service. As well as an iCloud email address and 5GB of free online storage, it brings a range of services such as syncing your Contacts, Calendar, Reminders, Notes and Messages apps between your Apple devices, storing and syncing documents and data on iCloud Drive, real–time collaboration on Pages, Numbers and Keynote projects, and the ability to locate your Apple gear, items such as AirPods and AirTags, and even other people.

The service also powers a lot of features offered by macOS, iOS and iPadOS. Your passes and cards stored in Apple Wallet, for example, are kept in sync across your devices using iCloud, with no user intervention needed. This is also the case for your Apple Home settings and devices, Safari bookmarks, iPhone call history, Siri settings and interactions, Books app highlights, and more. It can even sync your passcodes and passwords using iCloud Keychain.

Yet there’s so much more to iCloud than syncing and data storage. Apple’s famous service can also access key Mac, iPhone and iPad apps through any computer with a web browser, offers online storage and extra services (for a monthly fee), and provides security features such as Private Relay and Hide My Email. Let’s take an in–depth look at iCloud, and what it can do for you.

What is iCloud?

In a nutshell, it’s a range of services made possible by connecting your computer or mobile device to Apple’s servers. Here’s a breakdown…