5 Things iCloud Storage Can Do (Besides Saving Photos)

There are certain things you should never upload to the cloud, but that doesn't mean your iCloud should only be used to save photos online. iCloud, like other cloud storage services, essentially lets you borrow remote storage servers and store your files there. This is the same process that apps like Google Drive, OneDrive, and Dropbox use, and while these apps differ in specifics, they offer the same underlying benefits: you can protect your data and delete it from local storage.

Apple iCloud does this as well, but if all you're doing is using it to store photos, you're missing out on a majority of its features. Unlike most other cloud storage platforms, iCloud is more of a centralized hub that manages and syncs information across your devices rather than just a backup. It's heavily integrated into the Apple ecosystem, and knowing how to use all its features properly can make your life much more convenient.

For example, you can ensure that data stays consistent across all your devices so you don't have to deal with not knowing which device a picture is on. You can also edit images on one device and have the changes appear on another, and effortlessly transfer all your personalized settings to a different device. iCloud+ offers even more benefits, but even with the free version, Apple gives you many features you're likely not using.

The easiest way to see how iCloud works as a centralized storage hub is with Safari, Apple's native browser. With sync turned on, the tabs you have open, the pages you've bookmarked, and the form data you've filled in on your iPhone are all shared with your MacBook, iPad, and iMac. If you close a tab on one device, it gets closed on another, and if you were reading something on your MacBook before you went out, you can pick it up on your iPhone.

There are some things to keep in mind with this. First, while the feature is turned on by default, it only applies if you're using the same Apple ID on all your devices. It's also worth keeping in mind that these tabs aren't only shared but synced; closing a tab on one device closes it on all others. This also only applies to Safari and not to any other third-party browser, including popular ones like Google Chrome.

Sync isn't enabled for Safari by default, but toggling it on is relatively easy as long as you're already signed in with an Apple ID. On an iPhone, iPad, or MacBook, open your Settings and tap your name. You can then go to iCloud, select Show All, and toggle the switch next to Safari. 

iCloud offers a lot of features related to cloud storage, but if you choose to get the iCloud+ subscription, you additionally get tons of extra perks unrelated to storage. Even if you've been using the subscription for increased storage for a while, chances are that you've never used the Hide My Email feature.

As the name suggests, the feature hides your email address when you subscribe to a service. It does this by automatically creating a proxy email whenever you use your Apple ID to sign in to a website or app. When you receive an authentication code, iCloud forwards it to your Apple ID email address, letting you verify it without sharing your personal email address. This is a great way to avoid scams and protect your data and privacy, as the emails are designed for a specific purpose and leave no digital trail. This disconnects them from your online presence, rendering them useless for companies that hoard user data.

The feature prompts you to use it whenever there's an option to do so if you have iCloud+, but you can also create proxy emails manually. To do this, open the Settings app on your iPhone, iPad, or MacBook, go to iCloud, and then Hide My Email. You can create new emails and label them here, manage existing ones, or tweak settings specific to the feature. There are plenty of amazing iCloud+ alternatives out there, but this is one feature that you can't get with any of them.

When you upload a picture to Google Photos, it creates a copy that you can access from any device. However, this copy is separate from the one on your phone. Editing the picture on your phone doesn't change the file on the cloud, and the copy stored online will stay even if you delete the picture from your smartphone.

This makes Apple iCloud more like Google Drive than Google Photos, but still quite different. Each of your devices that use iCloud has the same copy of each file, which is synced between them. Editing a picture locally on one device automatically updates it on all other devices, and deleting it from one device also erases it from the cloud.

This difference isn't all too important if all you're doing is storing files, but becomes a powerful tool for productivity tasks. If you need to sign a PDF, you can do it on your phone and then send it directly from your MacBook without first transferring it to your computer. In the same way, if you were working on a project on your MacBook and it suddenly dies, you can pick up the same file on your Mac with all changes saved. This also helps with file clutter, as all your changes across different devices are saved in a single file.

Cloud storage is incredibly convenient for backing up files. Your photos and videos don't have to eat up local storage, your app data stays safe even if you lose your phone, and all of your important files, form information, and passwords get an emergency backup that you can access if you ever lose them. All the best cloud storage apps offer most of these, but iCloud goes a step further by letting you back up your entire phone.

This includes downloaded apps and app data, as well as many other important things, such as local message history, customized settings, and personalization features like Focus modes on your iPhone. Even things like your ringtone, custom voicemails, wallpapers, and home screens get backed up. This makes switching from one phone to another incredibly seamless, and even if you lose or break your phone, you can start using your new one with all your personalization settings without having to tinker with it for hours.

Doing this is as simple as opening the Settings app, going to Apple ID settings by tapping on your name, selecting Cloud Backup, and then turning on Back Up This iPhone or a similar option, depending on your device. Keep in mind that these backups get quite big, so unless you're getting additional storage with iCloud+, it's usually not worth it.

iCloud works best when you have multiple Apple devices to make full use of its syncing capabilities, but that doesn't mean the feature's useless just because you only own an iPhone or a MacBook. You still get the same cloud storage and the phone backup in case you switch to a new one or lose your old phone, but you also get certain features that you don't even need an Apple device to make use of.

To make use of Apple apps on a non-Apple device, open iCloud.com. This could be your Android smartphone, your Windows laptop, or a PC running Linux — any OS and device works so long as you have a working browser. Alternatively, you can also get the iCloud for Windows app. Here, you can view all the data you have backed up and see a number of commonly used Apple apps. This includes Photos, iCloud Drive, Mail, Contacts, Keynotes, Numbers, Pages, and you can customize it to show any other app as well.

You can open any of these apps and access the data. For example, you can download pictures uploaded from your iPhone to your Windows laptop here, or edit a budget in Numbers from your PC. This also works with iCloud sync, so any edits you make on the website are synced across your other devices. It's an incredibly convenient way of integrating your non-Apple devices into your daily workflow, especially for those that don't own a ton of Apple products.