The Back Story…

What is iCloud?

iCloud is Apple’s cloud-based storage service that lets you keep your important files, photos, and data safe and accessible from any Apple device (and even Windows). It’s super-useful and has loads of practical applications, so let’s dig in…

Apple iOS 18 The Complete Guide...

What You Get With Your iCloud Account

iCloud Guide

You can store your photos, backup your devices, and sync things like contacts, calendars, and documents across all your devices — all automatically!

It’s the backbone of your Apple ecosystem, seamlessly integrating with iPhones, iPads, Macs, and more. And the best part? It’s baked seamlessly into iOS so setup is super-simple.

But here’s the kicker: Apple only gives you 5 GB of free storage, and that can fill up quickly. More on that later!

Key Features of iCloud

iCloud Drive – Your Personal Storage in the Cloud

iCloud Drive lets you store files and access them on any device. Need that document you saved on your Mac while on the go with your iPhone?

iCloud Drive has your back.

Everything is synced and organized automatically.

Pro tip: Organize your folders within iCloud Drive for easy access across all devices. If you’re a Mac user, it’s like having your “Documents” folder everywhere.

iCloud Photos – The Photographer’s Best Friend

All your photos and videos are stored in iCloud, so you can access them on any device.

You can even log-in on a computer in a hotel on the other side of the world and access all your videos and pictures.

As long as you have your Apple ID and password, you can login to iCloud from literally anywhere.

Plus, iCloud Photos helps save space by storing full-resolution images in the cloud while keeping optimized versions on your devices.

Pro tip: If you’re low on storage, enable “Optimize iPhone Storage” in your Photos settings to keep your device running smoothly without sacrificing your media collection.

iCloud Backup – Automatic Protection for Your Data

One of the best things about iCloud is that it automatically backs up your iOS devices daily when connected to Wi-Fi and power.

It backs up app data, settings, messages, and even your home screen layout.

Pro tip: Always ensure that iCloud Backup is enabled, especially before upgrading iOS or getting a new device. It makes setting up a new iPhone a breeze.

iCloud Keychain – Your Password Manager

Say goodbye to forgotten passwords! iCloud Keychain securely stores your login details, credit card info, and Wi-Fi passwords, syncing them across all your devices. It even generates strong passwords for you.

Pro tip: Use iCloud Keychain for automatic form-filling, making your online experience faster and safer.

Find My – Locate Your Lost Devices

Lose your iPhone, iPad, or Mac? Find My can help you track it down. It’s also great for keeping tabs on your friends or family, if they’ve shared their location with you.

And if your device is stolen, you can lock or erase it remotely.

Pro tip: Enable “Send Last Location” in Find My settings to get the most out of this feature.

6. Family Sharing – Share the Love (and Storage)

With Family Sharing, you can share your iCloud storage plan (and other purchases) with up to six family members.

Pro tip: If you’re on a family plan, make sure everyone has their own Apple ID and turn on Family Sharing so everyone benefits from shared purchases.

The Features…

Setting Up iCloud For The First Time…

Setting up iCloud is super easy, and it’s built right into iOS and macOS devices. Here’s what you need to know…

iCloud Guide

iCloud Setup Options: iPhone, iPad & Mac

The first thing you’ll need to have to hand is an email address. You can use whatever one you like – I use my personal Gmail for mine. But you can use any address you have.

On iPhone or iPad:

iCloud Guide
  1. Open Settings.
  2. Tap [Your Name] > iCloud.
  3. Sign in with your Apple ID and turn on the features you want to use.

On Mac:

iCloud Guide
  • Go to the Apple Menu > System Preferences > Apple ID.
  • Select iCloud and sign in with your Apple ID.

Setting up iCloud is that simple. All you have to do is enter your email address and Apple will do the rest.

However, every so often the sh*t hits the fan and something just isn’t working properly.

And for this, well… we have this little troubleshooting guide.

Troubleshooting Common iCloud Sign-In Issues

iCloud is generally smooth and user-friendly, but like any service, it’s not immune to occasional hiccups—especially when it comes to signing in or creating an iCloud.com mail account.

If you’re running into sign-in or setup issues, don’t worry — you’re not alone!

Let’s walk through some common problems and solutions.

Unable to Create an iCloud.com Mail Account

One of the more frustrating issues users face is when trying to create an iCloud email (e.g., yourname@icloud.com) and finding that the option to set it up just isn’t there.

Here’s the most common scenario: You follow Apple’s instructions and go to Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud, expecting to see a toggle for iCloud Mail.

But instead, you find an arrow (>) that leads to nothing — or worse, the Settings app crashes.

Solution:

  • Sign out and sign back in to iCloud. This refreshes the account settings and often resolves the issue. Go to Settings > [Your Name] > Sign Out, then sign back in. Several users have found that after doing this, the toggle for iCloud Mail reappears.
  • Check your Family Sharing setup. If you’re part of a family plan, this might affect how iCloud Mail is set up. Family Sharing can sometimes introduce restrictions on certain features, so it’s worth checking with the family organizer or toggling some family settings.
  • Try a different device. If you have access to another Apple device, such as an iPad or Mac, try setting up your iCloud email there. Some users have found that the issue is device-specific and can be bypassed by setting up on another device.

Stuck on iCloud Sign-In

If you’re trying to sign in to iCloud but the system just won’t let you—maybe the sign-in screen keeps refreshing or you’re seeing error messages—don’t worry, it happens.

Solution:

  • Check your internet connection. iCloud relies heavily on a strong and stable internet connection. If your Wi-Fi is acting up, this could prevent you from signing in.
  • Update iOS. Make sure you’re running the latest version of iOS. Outdated software is one of the top culprits for sign-in issues.
  • Verify your Apple ID. Make sure you’re using the correct Apple ID credentials, and if you’ve recently changed your password, try signing out of all devices and signing back in.

Pro Tip: If none of these steps work, try resetting your network settings. Go to Settings > General > Reset > Reset Network Settings. This won’t delete your data, but it will reset your Wi-Fi passwords and other network-related settings.

Can’t Access iCloud on Other Devices

If you’re able to sign in to iCloud on one device but not another (like your iPad or Mac), this is usually a sync issue rather than a sign-in problem.

Solution:

  • Check iCloud Status. Head over to Apple’s System Status page to ensure there’s no ongoing iCloud outage.
  • Restart both devices. Sometimes, all it takes is a good restart. Power off and on the devices having trouble syncing with iCloud.
  • Toggle iCloud Syncing: On the affected device, go to Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud, then toggle off the services (Mail, Contacts, etc.), wait a few seconds, and toggle them back on.

Two-Factor Authentication Issues

Two-factor authentication (2FA) is a great security feature, but it can sometimes cause headaches during the iCloud sign-in process, especially if you don’t have access to a trusted device for the verification code.

Solution:

  • Use Account Recovery. If you can’t receive the 2FA code, use Apple’s account recovery process. It can take a while, but it’s a safe and secure way to regain access to your account.
  • Add a secondary trusted number. Always ensure you have more than one trusted number linked to your Apple ID in case you lose access to your primary device.

App Crashing While Signing In or Setting Up iCloud Mail

If the Settings app crashes when you try to access iCloud Mail or other iCloud services, this can be due to an underlying software issue.

Solution:

  • Update to the latest iOS version. Apple regularly fixes bugs that cause crashes with new software updates.
  • Force close the Settings app: Swipe up from the bottom of the screen (or double-tap the home button on older devices), find the Settings app, and swipe it away. Then, reopen it and try again.
  • Reset all settings. As a last resort, you can reset all your settings (without deleting your data) by going to Settings > General > Reset > Reset All Settings.

The Problems & Downsides…

iCloud Storage Plans, Privacy Settings + Tips & Tricks

Nothing’s perfect in this world, and Apple’s iOS platform is no exception to this rule. Here’s what you need to know about iOS’ shortcomings, common complaints and how it compares to Android

iphone 16 demand 15% less than iPhone 15

is 5GB Enough? No – Not Even Close…

Apple gives you 5GB of free storage, but let’s be real—that’s not going to last long.

Once you start backing up devices and storing photos, you’ll likely need more space.

The good news is Apple offers paid plans:

  • 50 GB for casual users with photos and backups.
  • 200 GB for families or those with large photo libraries.
  • 2 TB if you’re a heavy user, especially if you’re storing videos or files.

The bad news? These plans aren’t free. Costs change but as of right now the pricing for Apple’s iCloud storage plans breaks down like this.

iCloud Storage PlanPrice (Monthly)StorageBest For
Free Tier$05 GBNo One
50 GB$0.99/month50 GBLight Users
200 GB$2.99/month200 GBFamilies, Single Power Users
2 TB$9.99/month2 TBContent Creators, Professional Users

iCloud is definitely worth having. All you need to do is find out which plan suits you the best. I have the 200GB plan and its been fine – I’ve had it now for close to 8 years!

But there are ways to do more with your iCloud Storage, tricks and hacks you can use to eek out more from your available storage.

So, let’s go through some of the best tricks and tips for maximizing and freeing up storage inside your iCloud plan.

How To Get More Mileage From Your iCloud Storage

You don’t have to do all of these things. You can. But it isn’t necessary. Sometimes all you need to do is one or two and you’ll find that’s all you need.

Again, these tips only really work on plans over 5GB. No one is going to get any value from 5GB.

You can try them, of course, but even with the best will in the world you’re going to struggle to get any meaningful mileage outta 5GB!

Use Family Sharing for Storage Plans

If you have a family or multiple Apple devices in the household, take advantage of Family Sharing. With the 200 GB or 2 TB iCloud plans, you can share storage with up to six family members.

This way, everyone can back up their devices and store their data without needing individual paid plans, saving money.

How to Set It Up:

  • Go to Settings > [Your Name] > Family Sharing > Add Family Member to start sharing your storage with others.

Optimize iPhone Storage for Photos

iCloud offers a great feature called Optimize iPhone Storage, which saves space on your device by storing full-resolution photos in the cloud while keeping smaller, device-friendly versions on your iPhone.

This can free up tons of space on your phone, reducing the need to upgrade to larger iCloud storage tiers.

How to Enable:

  • Go to Settings > Photos and turn on Optimize iPhone Storage.

Delete Old Backups

Old device backups can take up a lot of space.

If you’ve recently upgraded your device or have old backups lingering in iCloud, deleting these unnecessary backups can free up storage space.

How to Delete Backups:

  • Go to Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > Manage Storage > Backups. Select the device you no longer use, and delete the backup.

Use Google Photos for Free Photo Storage

If your iCloud storage is filled with photos and videos, a cost-effective solution is to move them to Google Photos.

Google offers 15 GB of free storage shared across your Google services, but photos and videos can be stored at High Quality (with slight compression) for free beyond that limit.

Pro Tip: If you prefer not to use Google Photos, consider other free alternatives like Amazon Photos (free for Prime members).

Offload Unused Apps

Apps can take up a significant chunk of iCloud storage.

iOS has an Offload Unused Apps feature that automatically removes apps you don’t use regularly, while keeping your data intact.

How to Enable:

  • Go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage and enable Offload Unused Apps.

Review iCloud Settings for App Data

Some apps automatically store data in iCloud, which may be unnecessary.

By reviewing which apps store data in iCloud, you can disable those that don’t need it, freeing up space.

How to Review:

  • Go to Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > Manage Storage > Backups. Disable iCloud storage for apps you don’t need synced.

Use iCloud Drive Selectively

Instead of syncing all files to iCloud Drive, consider storing only what’s necessary.

Large files can quickly eat up your storage.

For everything else, use alternative storage like Dropbox, Google Drive, or OneDrive, all of which offer free plans.

Pro Tip: Regularly review your iCloud Drive files and clean out anything you don’t need.

Use Email Aliases Instead of Creating Multiple iCloud Accounts

If you need multiple email addresses for different purposes, avoid creating multiple iCloud accounts. Instead, take advantage of iCloud Mail Aliases. Apple lets you create up to three aliases that link to your primary iCloud email, giving you more flexibility without paying for extra accounts.

How to Set It Up:

  • Go to iCloud.com > Mail > Preferences > Accounts to create an alias.

Upgrade Only When Necessary

If your storage is nearing its limit, consider using the tips above to manage your current space before upgrading.

You can often free up a considerable amount of storage by deleting unnecessary backups, unused app data, and moving photos/videos to alternative cloud services.

By applying these strategies, you can make the most out of iCloud without rushing to pay for more storage.

Start with family sharing, optimize what’s stored locally, and always keep an eye on your storage settings to keep everything in check!