What is iCloud and how to use it. ICloud: what is it and what is it used for? How to connect iCloud on iPhone, iPad, Mac and Windows computers Cloud service icloud

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Today there are quite a few cloud storage services and an iPhone user can use any of the available range of services. However, perhaps the most convenient way for the owner of an iOS device is to back up important information through the iCloud service - a cloud developed by Apple specifically for its users.

Of course, the main advantage of the “native” cloud is that the owner of an iPhone or other iOS gadget does not need to install anything additional - iCloud is “built in” to the user settings, in addition, there is a special additional application iCloud Drive - a little later we will figure out why it is need to.

Another plus is, again, the absence of unnecessary hassle with creating a special account. To log into the iCloud cloud, you do not need to create any new account; the user's Apple ID is used.

And finally, the third, also very important advantage of iCloud is that you can conveniently interact with it not only on the mobile device itself. You can also access the cloud from a computer using a special program or through a browser and the iCloud.com portal.

How to manage iCloud from a mobile device?

The initial iCloud setup begins in the Settings menu of your iOS device. Find the iCloud item in the settings, tap it, enter your Apple ID.

Synchronization

A service menu will appear in front of you, which is very easy to manage. You simply select in the “Programs using iCloud” section those applications in which you want to backup the information stored in them, and then activate the corresponding slider. As soon as the slider is turned on, the gadget data is synchronized with the cloud and other iOS devices where you are logged into your iCloud account using a single Apple ID. Simply put, if you have two iOS devices, for example, an iPhone and an iPad, and you use the same Apple ID on them (which, of course, is most likely), then the information between them will be synchronized.

It is worth noting that no one prohibits enabling synchronization for all programs available to the cloud, however, please note that only 5 GB of storage space is provided to the iOS user for free. So if you want to save money, it's better to configure your synchronization settings wisely.

Find iPhone

After setting up synchronization, you must also select the options for the “Find iPhone” and “iCloud Backup” sections. We strongly recommend enabling the first option; it will help you in case of loss or theft of your device. The option will allow you to lock the device and place a random message with the owner’s contacts on the locked screen.

Backup

Regarding the second section, there are subtleties here. By creating a backup, you actually “put” all the information on your device into the cloud, including even correspondence in instant messengers. This, of course, is great, because here if we need to clean the smartphone (and such a need may arise if the device begins to work slower and/or with errors), then we can safely clean it, and then simply restore the data from the cloud and start using it as if nothing had happened .

But... Of course, there is a “but”. The “5 GB rule” also applies here, so you should think about whether all the information stored on the device is really needed? If yes, then create a copy - if you want manually - in this case you need to periodically go to the backup menu and click on “Create a backup copy”. Or you can turn on the “Backup to iCloud” slider and then the backup will be performed automatically whenever the gadget is connected to a charger and a Wi-Fi network.

If you don’t create a backup copy, don’t worry, the data that you marked as synchronized will not disappear from your device. Even if a critical error suddenly occurs and you have to restore the device via iTunes, and then after setting up you select the “Set up as new...” option, as soon as the device connects to Wi-Fi, all synchronized data will be transferred to it from the cloud.

iCloud Drive

And finally, about iCloud Drive. This, as we said above, is a pre-installed application. Why is it needed? With it you can manage the synchronized data. In settings, you specify which programs are allowed access to iCloud Drive using the sliders located below the cloud storage menu item of the same name.

For example, you selected Pages and created a document in this application. When saving, you can save it in iCloud Drive and work with it after that both on your other iOS devices by opening the application on them, and from your computer.

How to manage iCloud via computer?

By the way, about the computer. You have two ways to view information stored on the cloud via PC.

iCloud.com

The easiest way, which does not require preliminary installation of any programs, is a special page - iCloud.com. To log into your “personal account” on this portal, you need to indicate your Apple ID. As soon as you log in, you will see a menu that may differ for different users - depending on what synchronization parameters are specified in the settings.

The most valuable feature of the site is the activation of the lost mode, which is available when the “Find iPhone” option is turned on. Otherwise, the functionality of the portal is very prosaic - you can work with all the files stored on it, you can create new ones in the appropriate sections, and all changes will be synchronized. That is, if you make changes to a note on the website, it will change on the device.

iCloud program

If you own a Macbook or desktop Mac, of course, for you and if you want to manage the cloud through a program on your computer, there will be no need to pre-install anything - the corresponding utility is available here by default. If you have a Windows PC, you will need to first download and install iCloud.

We recommend downloading this utility from the official Apple website. Installation is very simple - run the downloaded .exe file, and everything will be done for you automatically. After installation, you can open the program, it will ask for your Apple ID - enter your username and password, then click the “Login” button. Are you in? Now wait a while for the synced data to load. Once the download is complete, you can start working with them.

Let's summarize

So, now, we hope you are convinced that the iCloud cloud (iCloud) is a very convenient and easy-to-manage service. Moreover, it doesn’t matter what kind of device you have at hand - mobile or not, you can always access your data, change it or create new ones. At the same time, it is worth noting that, like everything made by Apple, iCloud rarely upsets users with errors and problems. And, nevertheless, if you encounter any problems, you can quickly resolve them in a special iCloud support center created by the Apple giant.

You may need to log into iCloud from your computer in different situations: to save photos to your hard drive, view contacts, notes, or even find a lost iPhone. To authorize on the service, you can use both the web version and the Windows application.

Sign in via iCloud.com

This is the easiest way to log into iCloud, which can be used on any device with Internet access.

Open a new browser tab and go to icloud.com.
Log in to the site using your Apple ID details.

You can work with documents and notes directly through the iCloud web interface, which is also very convenient. But if you want more storage management options, download the Windows app.

iCloud for Windows is available for free download on Apple's official website. It can be installed on all modern versions of Microsoft OS: 7, 8 and 10.

After authorization, you will have to wait a little while the cloud storage and the application are synchronized. After successful synchronization, the program window will display the contents of iCloud Drive and your photos. A status bar is also displayed here, which shows the available storage capacity, indicating which data takes up how much space.

In fact, the capabilities of the application for Windows are limited to this. After installing the program, all main iCloud sections appear in the Start menu: KeyNote, Notes, Calendar, Contacts, Find iPhone, etc. But when you launch them, you will be taken to the storage web interface on icloud.com, that is, these are regular links, not stand-alone applications.

If, after installing the iCloud utility, you want to disable iCloud Drive, then all data previously downloaded to your computer will be automatically deleted from your hard drive. They will remain on the cloud, but you won’t find them on your computer.

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Switched from iPhone to Android smartphone? Are you satisfied with everything, but almost immediately you realize that you left important materials in the iPhone mail? Unfortunately, users quite often encounter a similar problem and are interested in how to log into iCloud from Android and what is required for this.

iCloud on Android: is it possible?

Apple and Google software constantly conflicts, and there is no official login to iCloud via Android. It will not be possible to install the application for this mail via Google Play, and it is impossible to find it on the Internet.

If you try to transfer iCloud via Bluetooth to your phone and install it that way, the system will definitely give an error. It’s the same with the online version: by entering your email address into a search engine, you end up on a gray non-working page with the text “This connection is not supported” or “Your browser is not suitable.”

But don't despair, there is still a way out. Apple services can be made to work on Android, and we’ll figure out how now.

To do this, you will need regular mail already installed on your Android device. Gmail is absolutely not suitable, but the standard application called “Email” is an ideal option. Yahoo and Outlook are also allowed. Have you decided on mail? Great, now open it and begin to perform the following steps strictly according to the instructions:

We enter the first necessary data: full iCloud address and user name (text indicated before the “@” sign);
Necessarily click "Manual setting". If you try to log into iCloud using only your address and password, nothing will work;
Next, enter the password. Please note that it is almost impossible to restore it on Android, so be careful!
In the next column we write "mail.me.com". No commas, spaces or capital letters;
We choose the type of protection, most often it is SSL, according to the certificate;
We indicate the port 993 . Don't bother changing the numbers to suit your operating system. All data must be indicated only from the instructions;
The last line, namely "IMAP Path" skip;
Click “Next” and proceed to the necessary fine-tuning SMTP server;
In the “Address” field we duplicate the one already entered, only instead of « imap» we write « smtp»;
We indicate the same protection, it is also allowed TSL;
In place of the port we enter the numbers 587 .
Ready. All necessary data has been entered. Click “OK”, and if an authentication notification appears, we agree.

Now it is possible to work with messages from iCloud on Android. But photos, videos, documents are still inaccessible because they are located in the Cloud. We will discuss how to solve this problem below.

Other mail login options

You can try other applications; Google Play provides a huge number of email services to choose from. If the above method seemed too complicated and convoluted to you, you can simplify the task a little. We use the postal service for this. myMail. It only requires an email address and password, no other network information is required. Unfortunately, this method does not always work.

How to access the iCloud cloud on Android

You won't be able to access the Cloud directly from an Android phone. The only way out is to select a different method for each type of information. Let's look at an example of the most used materials.

Transferring contacts

To do this, you will also need access to a computer, since Google has a built-in service specifically designed for storing the phone book. After synchronization, contacts from iCloud will be placed there. Let's start:

Open the main page of your Google account on your PC, log in with your password and login;
Click "Contacts", Then you can choose from import and export. Accordingly, import suits us. Click on "Other postal service";
Enter your iCloud details. Made.

After a successful procedure, all the necessary numbers will appear on your Google account, from where you can freely use them on your Android device.

It is advisable that before this, contacts are stored directly on the phone, and not on the SD card.

Transferring data from the calendar

Your Apple calendar stored important data such as scheduled meetings, urgent events, birthdays of friends and colleagues, but after switching to Android, you lost access to it? Don’t worry, the situation here can be corrected, everything can be solved in a few clicks using a special application Sync for iCloud.

This application is specially released for smartphones running Android, so the operating system will not conflict with it. The program does not have any special functionality, but it copes with its main task: transferring calendar data from iCloud. It also has useful advantages:

Completely free, all options are provided to the user at no additional cost;
It is possible to easily work with iCloud on Android. That is, you will not only get access to a previously registered calendar, but in real time you will be able to carry out the necessary operations with it;
You can create multiple accounts on one device;
Do you want to make the iCloud calendar the main one on your phone, because for some reason the built-in one doesn’t suit you? No problem, just turn on "Default" in the settings.

Transferring music

Here, too, the situation is quite simple, you just need to use a well-known application Google Play Music. This player program, surprisingly, works well with iOS devices. By installing it on your smartphone, you can easily access media files in the Cloud. Don’t forget also about special products from Amazon that allow you to connect several accounts. The ideal solution is Amazon Cloud Player.

Depending on the device you're using, logging into iCloud storage may vary. Therefore, we will analyze the implementation of the task for computers, as well as for smartphones and tablets with different OS.

1. iOS

If you have an iOS operating system, logging into your account will be easy.

It is worth saying that Apple developers did not bother to create a normal and full-fledged application for this. iTunes has only bits and pieces - some allow you to view text documents, some work with photos, and so on.

In fact, there is only one tool that allows you to fully view the contents of the cloud - a file manager, for example, Cloud Drive Explorer, File Explorer (aka File Manager) or any other. Just connect the cloud, log in with your details and view files.

Rice. No. 1. File Explorer

It is also worth remembering that in iOS you can see the contents of iCloud in standard applications - “Mail”, “Calendars”, “Photos” and so on. If this is not the case in your case, enable all options in iCloud settings.

Rice. No. 2. Enable iCloud on an iOS device

2.Windows

Apple.com has a full-fledged program that allows you to view the contents of your storage. Just download it to your Windows computer, install, log in and start working!

Rice. No. 3. iCloud for Windows

As you can see, such a program looks like a classic cloud. All sections are located on the left, and their thumbnails are displayed in the center.

During installation, the software will ask for a username and password in the Apple system, so you can easily log in.

3. OS X

Let's say right away that only users of OS X Yosemite have the opportunity to use ICloud, and not everyone who is on a Mac.

To see all the files in their storage, go to “System Preferences”, select “iCloud”, then “iCloud Drive”. Actually, that's all you need to do.

Users of Apple products can be confident that no matter what the situation, valuable information will always remain safe. The iCloud cloud storage is responsible for this, which can be accessed from a computer through any convenient browser.

iCloud is a popular cloud storage from Apple, which is used to store a wide variety of information: photos from various Apple devices, backups, notes, calendar entries and much more. If necessary, partial access to this information can be obtained directly in the browser window.

How to sign into iCloud from a computer?

1. Launch your browser and follow this link to the iCloud login page. In the window that appears, you will need to enter data from your Apple ID - login and password.

2. After successful login, familiar application icons will appear on the screen, which allow you to view one or another type of information.

These icons include the following items:

Mail. The web version of the post account differs little from the version that you previously saw in your gadgets. Here you can view your inbox, send letters, and more.

Contacts. A section that allows you to access your contact list, and also, if necessary, export contacts to your computer in vCard format, for example, if you want to transfer contacts to another device, for example, on Android OS.

Calendar. The Calendar application is actively used by users to plan the day, week and even month. View your calendar content right in your browser window.

Photo. The Photos feature allows you to store photos taken on any of your Apple devices directly in the cloud. All photos are synchronized quite quickly, so you can have access to your pictures anywhere, with only an Internet connection.

iCloud Drive. A special section of iCloud, which is responsible for storing files made in various applications. For example, if you have saved text documents created in Pages, they will appear here.

Notes. Almost every Apple product user uses the Notes app to save important notes and sketches. You'll never lose your notes because they're stored securely in your iCloud account.

Reminders. Reminders will allow you to remember in time about an important event or action that you must complete.

Pages, Numbers, Keynote. These applications are a suite of office applications that include a text editor, a spreadsheet tool, and a presentation maker. iOS 10 introduced a collaboration feature that allows multiple users to work on a project at once. If for some reason you cannot create a new or edit an existing document from your Mac, iPhone or iPad, web versions of popular office applications will allow you to cope with this task.

My friends. A useful application that allows you to track the location of your family and friends. In order for them to appear on the map, you must first use the Find Friends iOS app.

Find iPhone. Apple devices are renowned for their excellent protection against theft and hacking. If you have a password enabled on your device and the Find My iPhone function is activated, then, if you have access to the Internet, you can track its location, turn on a forced sound notification, place a message on the screen, and even perform a hard reset if you hope to return the device disappeared.

Settings. This section manages your Apple ID account, as well as working with backup copies of all your devices.

Wherever you are, if you need to access and, if necessary, manage your personal information, the web version of iCloud makes this task easy.