Master iCloud Drive

Do even more with your files, photos and music today!

We’ve come a long way from the days when that sole copy of an important document went up in smoke if your computer

happened to keel over. Today, the internet enables you to store all manner of content in the cloud, safe in the knowledge you can later retrieve it, while simultaneously adding the convenience factor of easy access across a range of devices: all your Macs and PCs, iPhones, iPads and other mobile devices.

The snag is that cloud-based storage can be a tricky concept to get your head around, and available services each have various limitations and quirks you must be aware of. Apple’s iCloud Drive is – as of macOS Sierra and iOS 10 – perhaps the most intuitive example of cloud storage on the market and yet even it is something you need to figure out and master.

Fortunately, MacFormat has done the heavy lifting for you. In this feature, we explore how iCloud Drive works across the Mac, iPhone and iPad, how to share your Desktop and Documents folders, privacy concerns to be aware of, what eats into your storage allocation, and the importance of backing up your iCloud Drive data.

In macOS Sierra, you can store your Desktop and Documents folders in iCloud Drive, thereby making them accessible on other Macs, iOS devices, and on the web at iCloud.com.

Many apps save directly to their own folder in iCloud Drive. Those folders can be easily accessed using the iCloud Drive app on iOS, or by choosing Go > iCloud Drive in Finder on a Mac.