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Apple iCloud

Apple iCloud

Overview

What is Apple iCloud?

Apple iCloud is a document management software offering from Apple. It includes features such as access to music, photos, calendars, contacts, and documents, and it is built into every new iOS device.

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Recent Reviews

TrustRadius Insights

Apple iCloud is relied upon by users to securely store and backup their photos, videos, and other media files. This provides peace of mind …
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Apple iCloud Review

10 out of 10
July 29, 2021
Incentivized
I use Apple iCloud and have used it for a long time now. I use it to back up everything across multiple platforms. It has my contacts, …
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Awards

Products that are considered exceptional by their customers based on a variety of criteria win TrustRadius awards. Learn more about the types of TrustRadius awards to make the best purchase decision. More about TrustRadius Awards

Popular Features

View all 13 features
  • Reliability (74)
    9.6
    96%
  • Performance (74)
    9.6
    96%
  • Device sync (73)
    9.4
    94%
  • Video files (70)
    9.2
    92%
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Pricing

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50GB

$0.99

Cloud
per month

200GB

$2.99

Cloud
per month

2TB

$9.99

Cloud
per month

Entry-level set up fee?

  • No setup fee

Offerings

  • Free Trial
  • Free/Freemium Version
  • Premium Consulting/Integration Services
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Features

File Sharing & Management

Features that allow collaborators to view, work on, and organize files.

9.1
Avg 8.4

Cloud Storage Security & Administration

Features related to security and administration for cloud storage platforms

8.7
Avg 8.6

Cloud Storage Platform

Features around the functionality of the cloud storage platform.

9.4
Avg 8.5
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Product Details

What is Apple iCloud?

Apple iCloud Technical Details

Deployment TypesSoftware as a Service (SaaS), Cloud, or Web-Based
Operating SystemsUnspecified
Mobile ApplicationNo

Frequently Asked Questions

Apple iCloud is a document management software offering from Apple. It includes features such as access to music, photos, calendars, contacts, and documents, and it is built into every new iOS device.

Reviewers rate File search highest, with a score of 9.7.

The most common users of Apple iCloud are from Small Businesses (1-50 employees).
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Comparisons

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Reviews and Ratings

(577)

Community Insights

TrustRadius Insights are summaries of user sentiment data from TrustRadius reviews and, when necessary, 3rd-party data sources. Have feedback on this content? Let us know!

Apple iCloud is relied upon by users to securely store and backup their photos, videos, and other media files. This provides peace of mind for nomadic travelers and ensures data security for business endeavors. Business teams find value in iCloud as it serves as an additional data repository, automatically backing up media files like photos, mobile settings, calendars, and contacts. This ensures accessibility from any device and promotes collaboration within the team. The standout feature of iCloud is the ability to access documents, photos, music, and videos from any device, making it convenient for presentations and effective teamwork. It is particularly popular among all-Mac shops due to its seamless syncing and compatibility with various Mac and iOS apps. Additionally, iCloud facilitates the syncing of videos, photos, and documents across different Apple devices, allowing for easy editing and sharing. Organizations utilize iCloud for storage and synchronization of documents and applications on Apple devices, especially in fieldwork scenarios and BYOD environments. Individual users appreciate iCloud for its quick on-the-go backup of mobile files and the convenience of accessing files from any Apple device. In educational settings, iCloud enhances learning experiences by creating cloud backups of Apple applications, enabling students to access their documents from different devices.

Users have provided several recommendations for using Apple iCloud. The most common recommendations are as follows: Start with the small storage option to test compatibility, be fully invested in the Apple system for optimal use, consider pricing and multi-platform access when choosing a storage plan. Additionally, it is recommended to consistently back up devices, check compatibility with current device ecosystem, configure settings for automated backups, and be cautious with settings to avoid unintended consequences. Users emphasize that Apple iCloud is a reliable tool for keeping data safe and accessible but caution that iCloud Drive may not be suitable for non-Apple users.

Attribute Ratings

Reviews

(26-50 of 73)
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Score 7 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Backing up data.
  • Easy and convenient backup of phone data and documents.
  • Integrate, manage and classify various data, emails, phone calls, text messages, and documents.
  • Price-point for the amount of data purchased.
  • Automatic reminders are too frequent.
  • The time required to re-upload backup.
February 22, 2019

Best in class.

Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • It is a part of the Apple ecosystem and Apple's ecosystem is the most secured ecosystem.
  • I can access my documents from my mobile device also.
  • Its auto backup feature continuously backs up my data.
  • I cannot share data with other cloud services.
  • Its subscription is very expensive.
  • Sometimes Windows users find it difficult to navigate this app.
Jeff Eaton | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Zero set up integration with Apple and many third-party apps.
  • MacOS and iOS document sharing is smooth to the point of being effortlessness.
  • Enough storage on the "free" tier that many team members can get by without an upgrade.
  • Weak to non-existent shared multi-user storage. i.e. "Here's a shared collection of presentations we all use".
  • Built-in iCloud support on an app-by-app basis is necessary to achieve "super seamless" workflow. Without that, it's just Apple's brand of a cloud-synced folder.
February 21, 2019

LOVE!

Emily Hammell | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Convenient! So easy to access files anywhere!
  • Affordable. iCloud is a very competitively priced cloud service.
  • Speed. I don't have any issues with load time—all my files are right there, right away.
  • Tutorials may be helpful. I'm sure that I'm not utilizing all its features.
  • The interface on desktops seems a little elementary—could use some updates.
  • Mail integration could be easier.
Score 7 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Notes app sync across devices. Easily the only thing that iCloud does really well. It is super helpful.
  • iCloud allows seamless and good backup for desktop files from the Mac to the web.
  • You will constantly run into issues where iCloud is optimized or available only for Apple's own product line. That's frustrating.
  • Apple's Mail app and service are just beleaguered by the likes of Gmail. Perhaps even Zoho does better than them on the web.
  • iCloud seems optimized more for a mobile user, so desktop apps & services feel a bit force-fitted.
February 21, 2019

Apple iCloud for the win

Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Apple iCloud integrates beautifully with the entire Apple ecosystem. Whether you are using a MacBook, iPhone, and/or iPad they will all sync at a moments notice through iCloud.
  • As a company, Apple has a strong reputation for security. Many cloud storage providers share huge amounts of user data, however, Apple prides themselves on avoiding that.
  • Even though Apple iCloud is optimized for Apple devices, data stored on the cloud can be accessed through a web browser on a computer running essentially any operating system.
  • The user interface of the web version of iCloud is in need of a facelift.
  • Sometimes it seems like sharing large files from iCloud to other users who are not using iCloud can be problematic. I've had people report to me that they were unable to view the information that I shared with them.
  • iMessages on Mac needs to have more efficient keyboard shortcuts.
Michael Timms | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Provides a cost-effective way to store big data
  • Gives the user access to all of their files, on any device anytime and anywhere
  • Provides added security to mobile devices.
  • My biggest gripe is the difficulty of resetting your password. More on this later in the review.
  • More data could be provided for free (Apple gives you 5G, Google gives you 15G)
  • Customer support is basically non-existent.
Ravinder Gupta | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • File sync across devices is great and seamless.
  • It works great for Apple's three platforms: iOS, Mac OS and Watch OS.
  • Provides free 5GB cloud storage when you buy an Apple phone or computer.
  • Ability to access your cloud files through a web interface. However, it lacks the ability to search through the web interface.
  • It nags for upgrading the storage if you have free limited 5 GB storage.
  • It is not available on the Android platform, which is a bummer if you want to access your files on an Android device.
  • It is not truly cross-platform and is more suitable for the Apple ecosystem.
  • Collaborative editing on iCloud is not good.
  • Sharing files on iCloud with friends and co-workers is only possible through email attachments. This is a limitation as compared to some other popular vendors who provide sharing through links and having an expiration time on the shared permissions.
Matt Heerema | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • File sharing - since its recent updates to allow you to share any type of file and access the whole file system through Finder on Mac and an app in iOS, iCloud is becoming the easiest to use file sharing and collaboration app in our toolkit.
  • Document collaboration: iWork apps and Handoff make document collaboration extremely easy across our organization. I even am able to use it with non-Mac users via their iWork in iCloud apps.
  • Handoff - the ease of transitioning between devices (handheld, desktop, laptop) has been extremely useful for client presentations and on-the-fly capturing of ideas.
  • Sharing interface - the sharing interface is a little bit clunky (relative to most Mac apps) at the moment, it is sometimes difficult to tell whether the sharing functionality is working properly.
  • Windows integration - as a Mac-first platform, windows users may find working with iCloud to be difficult. iCloud is perfect for mac-only environments, but will not be as ubiquitous as Google Suite until this improves.
February 14, 2019

Mac Users, Get iCloud!

Shawngela Pierce | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Documents are synced almost instantaneously.
  • Photo sharing
  • Backup feature
  • I have an old Mac so it takes a little longer than I like for my photo library to load.
  • Base storage is very limited, which requires you to purchase more space.
  • Transfer of files is very slow for large file sizes.
Michelle Kelly | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Username and password storage
  • Secure password suggestions
  • Safari browser memory
  • Difficult to set up the first time
  • Does not remember browser settings within google chrome (many websites function best with google chrome)
  • Works better on mobile
December 17, 2018

Convenient Apple iCloud

Score 7 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Reliably backs up data.
  • The ability to do automatic backups is extremely beneficial.
  • You can access your data anywhere, and you don't have to have your primary device on you.
  • Could be more user-friendly when it comes to navigating through your iCloud account.
  • It is not well-explained at times. My first experience with deleting data on my iCloud, I was unaware that it would sync and delete data from my primary device as well.
December 14, 2018

A necessary evil :)

Score 5 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • It's integrated into the operating system
  • It syncs in the background with out requiring my engagement
  • It is inexpensive
  • It does not play well with all vendors / apps.
  • It is one of many services that others do better - depending on what aspect you are talking about. For example, DropBox is a much more platform neutral product that works everywhere
  • It is difficult to share some information through iCloud with other parties - even though that is the intention. For example - sharing a spreadsheet or analysis in Numbers via a link to collaborate. The recipients rarely can access without creating an account unless they already use iCloud. Even then it may be awkward
December 10, 2018

Why I like iCloud?

Buck Buchanan | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Able to move between an iPhone and iPad.
  • Able to retrieve information from iCloud without having to worry if my document was backed-up or not.
  • Apple iCloud has been very easy to use. I can't think of anything negative.
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Document sharing - enabling teams to have access to the same resources.
  • Time saving - saves users the time of having to send documents back and forth.
  • Security - Stores documents in a secure manner and prevents loss of important data.
  • Apple iCloud could find a way to compress files so that more could be stored. I have run out of space on many occasions.
  • Pricing for upgrades is a bit steep.
  • Better transferability between Apple and PC products.
Manuel Aguilar | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
  • The ability to share any type of information easily and without any type of additional hardware.
  • You can synchronize every Apple product to keep all the information accessible, and since iPhones, iPads and Macs are really common devices this compatibility comes in really handy.
  • With iCloud backup, no document is going to get lost. If something is deleted from a device, you can retrieve it from iCloud
  • If you pay for a song to be downloaded from iTunes and then pay to store it in iCloud, it's like paying twice so it can be costly in comparison to other cloud software.
  • There has been several hacks to iCloud so security is always a concern.
  • It works better with Apple products. In business based on Windows there are some better options
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Sync across multiple devices
  • Update contacts in address book
  • Share documents for easy access
  • I’m having a problem with duplicate contacts when I sync with other email accounts
  • Sometimes the software updates cause it to be a bit buggy
  • Upload settings can be different on different devices
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Always backed up, backs up automatically when you are on wife
  • Reliable, haven't lost a file yet
  • Relatively inexpensive
  • The look and feel is not particularly good looking
  • I feel like I am saving a lot in the root directory because of the layout
  • Annual billing at a discount instead of a monthly fee
January 12, 2018

iCloud for Apple Shops

Mike McCloskey | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • There is almost no downtime.
  • It is truly seamless.
  • There is no performance hit, even on mediocre networks.
  • It is an attractive interface.
  • Basic iCloud gives 5GB free per account - but that really needs to be per device. It is way too small when you have multiple devices.
December 06, 2017

iCloud vs. Flickr

Score 6 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Set it and forget it
  • Free for iPhone users up to a certain amount of data
  • I find the “unable to backup” warning annoying.
  • Free version is only 5Gb.
  • Web interface version can be a little confusing to navigate
December 06, 2017

iCloud is Great!

Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Store documents and photos- I think this is pretty self-explanatory.
  • Allow for simpler collaboration- a few of us have started using Pages and Notes on iCloud.com to work on a few projects together. This isn't always as simple in Microsoft Office, I've found.
  • Set reminders- iCloud.com has the Reminders app that we've used as a quick, dirty system to remember to make calls or follow up with one another. It's cut down on the number of sticky notes on my desk and in my notebook.
  • The Notes app in iCloud.com lacks the same functionality as iOS/Mac, in that it doesn't recognize when you've inserted a table into a note.
  • Pages, Numbers, and Keynote aren't as up-to-date as their iOS and Mac counterparts.
  • The level of editability (adding colors, etc.) isn't there in iCloud Drive like it is with Google Drive.
Anand Chhatpar | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Backup of login credentials with KeyChain works particularly well. No other competitor can match the fully integrated nature of iCloud because Apple owns the operating system.
  • Seamless syncing with iCloud Backup works to a decent degree. Competitors like Dropbox are catching up, but iCloud comes out of the box and ready to go on new Apple devices, so it saves time for IT.
  • iCloud contacts helps with organization-wide syncing of contacts.
  • There's lack of configuration options for most iCloud services. You cannot tune things to your IT department's requirements often.
  • It would be nice to have unlimited iCloud Backup by default across all devices.
  • iCloud Mail needs improvement of UI/UX.
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