iCloud Drive is a great tool for storing and accessing your documents from anywhere. It's integrated with other Apple services, making it a seamless experience.
To set up iCloud Drive, you'll need to have an Apple ID and an internet connection. You can access iCloud Drive on multiple devices, including your Mac, PC, or iOS device.
iCloud Drive offers 5GB of free storage space, which is a good starting point for most users. You can upgrade your storage plan if you need more space.
To get started with iCloud Drive, go to System Preferences on your Mac or Settings on your iOS device and select iCloud.
Additional reading: Do I Need Onedrive on My Android Phone
Setting Up iCloud Drive
Setting up iCloud Drive is a straightforward process on both your iPhone or iPad and your Mac. On your iPhone or iPad, go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud and tap Drive (or iCloud Drive), then turn on Sync this [device]. A list of apps appears below iCloud Drive.
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To view your iCloud Drive files and folders, open the Files app and go to the iCloud Drive section. You can also add apps to store data in iCloud by turning them on.
On your Mac, choose Apple menu > System Settings, then click your name at the top of the sidebar. If you don’t see your name, click “Sign in,” enter your Apple Account email address or phone number, then enter your password.
To view your iCloud Drive files and folders, open the Finder, then click iCloud Drive in the sidebar. Note that if your Home folder isn’t located on your internal disk, or is a non-APFS volume, you must move the Home folder to an internal disk before you can set up iCloud Drive.
Here's a quick summary of the steps to set up iCloud Drive on your iPhone or iPad and Mac:
- iPhone or iPad: Settings > [your name] > iCloud, tap Drive, and turn on Sync this [device].
- Mac: Apple menu > System Settings, click your name, and click iCloud, then click Drive.
- Mac: Open the Finder and click iCloud Drive in the sidebar.
Accessing and Managing Files
You can access your iCloud Drive files from any device, including your iPhone, iPad, Mac, Windows PC, or Android device.
To access iCloud Drive on your iPhone or iPad, use the built-in Files app.
You can view, edit, download, or delete any files in your iCloud Drive account using File Explorer on your Windows PC after installing iCloud for Windows.
To manage your iCloud storage on your Mac, go to System Settings > [Your Name] and select iCloud.
You can see which apps are linked to your iCloud account, as well as a storage usage chart at the bottom of the preferences window.
You can delete iCloud data, buy more storage, or change your iCloud storage plan by clicking the Manage button under the storage breakdown.
Here are the four different share options when you share items from iCloud Drive:
- Allow only invitees to view and edit the contents: Tap Share followed by “Only people you invite,” and “Can make changes.”
- Allow only invitees to view the contents: Choose “Only people you invite,” and “View only,” to set this up.
- Allow anyone with the link to view and edit the contents: The least secure choice is to choose “Anyone with the link,” and “Can make changes.”
- Allow anyone with the link to view the contents: Select “Anyone with the link,” and “View only,” if you want everyone to see the item.
Managing Desktop and Folders
You can manage your Desktop and Documents folders in iCloud Drive by following a few simple steps. If you want to store your files in iCloud Drive and another cloud storage service, you can keep copies of your files in both, but you can't keep folders from a third-party cloud service in iCloud Drive.
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To turn on Desktop and Documents, go to System Settings, click on Apple Account, then click on iCloud. Under Saved to iCloud, click on Drive, and then toggle on the button next to Desktop & Documents Folders. A new Desktop and Documents folder will be created on your Mac in the home folder.
If you turn off Desktop and Documents, your files will stay in iCloud Drive, and a new Desktop and Documents folder will be created on your Mac in the home folder. You can move files from iCloud Drive to your Mac as needed.
You can also share files and folders with others using iCloud Drive. To do this, touch and hold the folder or file, tap Share, and then choose Add People. You can choose from four different share options: Allow only invitees to view and edit, Allow only invitees to view, Allow anyone with the link to view and edit, or Allow anyone with the link to view.
Here are the four share options:
If you have a local copy of your files in iCloud Drive, you can move them to your new local Desktop and Documents folder. If you don't have enough iCloud storage for the Desktop and Documents folders on your Mac, you can free up iCloud storage space or upgrade to iCloud+.
Understanding iCloud Drive
iCloud Drive is a real file system that lets you store documents, images, and spreadsheets, and keep files and folders up-to-date across devices.
You can access your iCloud Drive through the Files app on iOS devices, where you'll find it as a location. Changes applied to a file on one device will automatically sync across all your other systems.
You can create and save items to your own self-created folders, which is useful if you work across multiple devices.
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What Happens When You Turn Off
If you turn off iCloud Drive or sign out of iCloud, a new Desktop and Documents folder is created in your home folder.
You'll also have the option to keep a local copy of your files that are in iCloud Drive. This local copy will be stored in a folder called iCloud Drive (Archive) in your home folder.
If you keep a local copy of your files, you can move any files that were in your iCloud Desktop and Documents to your new local Desktop and Documents folder.
For your interest: New Google Drive Shortcuts
Here's a summary of what happens when you turn off iCloud Drive or sign out of iCloud:
Works
You can store documents, images, and spreadsheets using iCloud Drive, and it's also great for keeping files and folders up-to-date across devices.
iCloud Drive is a real file system, so you can create and save items to your own self-created folders, which is useful if you work across multiple devices.
You can access your iCloud Drive through the Files app on iOS devices, and you'll find it as a location.
Changes applied to a copy of a file on one device will automatically sync across all your other systems.
If you use iCloud Drive across multiple Macs, changes made to the Documents and Desktop files on both Macs will sync.
The Mac you activate last will create its own folder for the contents of its Documents and Desktop, and this will also sync.
A unique perspective: How to Create Onedrive
Sharing Files and Folders
You can share files and folders with others using iCloud Drive, a feature that's similar to Dropbox. Simply touch and hold the folder or file, then tap Share and choose Add People.
There are four different share options to choose from: allowing only invitees to view and edit, allowing only invitees to view, allowing anyone with the link to view and edit, or allowing anyone with the link to view. You can also change the access choices for one person or all people concerned retrospectively.
To share an item, you'll need to choose how to send the person(s) a link to the folder or file. You can select from "Only people you invite" or "Anyone with the link" options.
Here are the four share options in more detail:
If you own a shared file or folder, you can change the access choices for one person or all people concerned retrospectively by selecting the item, tapping Share, and then choosing Show People.
Broaden your view: Refer People to Dropbox
Accessing iCloud Drive on Different Devices
You can access iCloud Drive files from any device, and the method changes depending on the device you're using.
On an iPhone or iPad, you can access all your iCloud Drive files using the built-in Files app.
No matter where you are or what device you're using, you can edit documents, upload files, or free up some iCloud storage with iCloud Drive.
To access iCloud Drive on a Mac, the process is not specified in the provided article sections.
On a similar theme: Using Usb Drive to Sync Google Drive
Overview and Troubleshooting
iCloud Drive Desktop & Documents is a great way to access your files across all your Apple devices. You can store and retrieve any kind of file with iCloud Drive from your Apple devices or an online browser.
To upload files from Mac to iCloud Drive, you can drag-drop local files from Mac to iCloud Drive located in Finder's sidebar. This method is quick and easy.
The iCloud Drive Desktop & Documents folders option enables you to easily add Desktop and Documents folders to iCloud Drive. This way, you can keep your files organized and synced across all your devices.
If you sync the Desktop & Documents folders to iCloud Drive, the files on your Mac can be accessed on all your devices with the same Apple ID logged in. This means you can work on a document on your Desktop, and then access it later from your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, and on iCloud.com.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is my Documents folder in iCloud Drive?
Your Documents folder is in iCloud Drive because it allows you to access your files from any device with an internet connection, and also ensures they're backed up and synced across all your devices. However, local copies of your documents are still stored on your hard drive for offline access and Time Machine backup.
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