Set up iCloud Drive on all of your devices (2024)

FAQs

Set up iCloud Drive on all of your devices? ›

On your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud. Do one of the following: iOS 16, iPadOS 16, or later: Tap iCloud Drive

You can use iCloud Drive on your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac, and Windows computer, and on iCloud.com. For an overview of what you can do with iCloud Drive, see Keep your files up to date and share them with iCloud Drive.

To set up iCloud on your devices, sign in to each of them with the same Apple ID and password. You can choose which apps store information in iCloud and which iCloud features you're using separately on each device.

Does iCloud automatically sync? Yes. iCloud operates in the background, constantly syncing your data across devices. It works by storing your data in the cloud and ensuring that changes made on one device are reflected on all other devices connected to the same iCloud account.

Simply select the “Automatically sync when this [device] is connected” checkbox in the General pane, then turn on syncing for each type of content you want to sync. Your Mac and iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch update to matching content whenever you connect them.

Choose Apple menu  > System Preferences, then click Family Sharing. Click iCloud Storage. Click Share. Follow the onscreen instructions.

While iCloud focuses on syncing and storing data across Apple devices, iCloud Drive is primarily a file storage and synchronization service. It offers similar features to iCloud but with a greater emphasis on file organization and management.

You can use iCloud Drive to share files and folders with others so you can collaborate on projects together. The people you invite can download the shared items from iCloud to any of their devices, where they can view them and—depending on the privileges you set—collaborate.

When you use iCloud, you can access your photos, files, passwords, and other data on any device you choose. Because your data is stored in the cloud and not on a single device, it stays up to date everywhere. For example, if you turn on iCloud Photos on your iPhone and Mac, you see the same photos on both devices.

Why is my iCloud not syncing across my devices? ›

iCloud sync requires a functioning internet connection to work. If the status is displaying No internet connection or any other error message, ensure you are connected to the internet. Maybe check if websites in your device's browser are loading or whether your device is set to flight mode.

One of the easiest ways to sync multiple devices is to use a cloud service, which is a platform that stores your data online and lets you access it from any device with an internet connection. Some popular cloud services are Google Drive, iCloud, Dropbox, and OneDrive.

At the device detail view, tap the gear icon in the top right corner. This brings you to the Device Settings page. Select the Manage tab to the right of the Details tab. On the Manage page, tap Merge Device.

Device storage is the available storage on your iPhone, iPad, Mac or other Apple device. iCloud storage keeps your photos, files, notes and more up to date and available across all of your devices.

For example, if you're using iCloud Photos, iCloud Drive, or Notes, your information automatically syncs to the cloud and is kept up-to-date across all of your devices whenever you make a change. Any data on your device that isn't regularly synced is stored in your iCloud Backup.

Your entire family can share a single iCloud storage plan large enough to store everyone's photos, videos, and files. Each person's files and documents remain private, but it's easy to see how much storage everyone is using. If you need more space, you can upgrade to a larger plan at any time.

Once you've set up a family and invited members, and they've accepted, they will automatically have access to whatever iCloud storage you have in your plan. So, for example, if you pay for 200GB, that will be split across the family, and you will all be able to use it.