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The truth is, you don’t need iCloud Drive to get by. All these other apps are also using iCloud to sync data. That doesn’t mean they are foolproof as discovered by counts of celebrities a few years ago. Both iCloud and iCloud Drive uses state of the art technologies to secure your data online on Apple servers. They are also both free in nature up to your cloud storage limit, which is 5GB for free account holders. How Similar Are Theyīoth iCloud and iCloud Drive are cloud storage services that are used to provide backup and restore features to users. Most file-hosting sites like Google Drive and OneDrive work differently. Some people like it, but others are not happy with the system. Lack of a centralized app to search and access all types of files in single UI seems to be the hallmark of iCloud. There is a video app for accessing videos, and there is the Files app for everything else. For example, photos are accessible using the Photos app on the iPhone. How you access these files differ based on the device you are using and the file you are trying to access. It is designed to store files that don’t fit in any of the other drawers. Think of iCloud as a filing cabinet and iCloud drive as one of the cabinet’s drawers you can use to store things. You can access these files from any compatible device with an iCloud app. Just upload it to iCloud Drive and it will stay there forever. That includes music, photos, movies, podcasts, documents, and any other file. ICloud Drive will store and save all files that you throw at it. Apple can’t back up a record of what you never purchased from them. That includes music, movies, podcasts, and books that you ripped from CDs or transferred directly from a computer. If you read carefully, you will know that what you didn’t buy from Apple will not be backed up. Useful when you have limited storage space left in iCloud as this process takes up less space. That means when you restore, you will need to download the app or music again but not buy it again. Note that Apple will only maintain a record of what you purchased instead of the item itself that you purchased. Then there are things like device settings, purchase history of music from Apple Music, apps from App Store, and other items you bought. It makes it easy to restore everything to a new Apple device. These backups also include third-party apps that you install from the App Store. You have full control over which apps and services you want to back up to iCloud under Settings > Apple ID > iCloud. It will back up everything like app settings, photos stored in the Photos app, contacts, emails, reminders, iMessage, Game Center information, Safari browser bookmarks and history, biometric IDs, Apple Pay details, Apple Mail accounts, and of course, iCloud Drive files. How Different Is iCloud From iCloud Drive All Apple users get 5GB free storage after which, you will need to subscribe to a plan. You can store any file you want, provided there is enough space. The iCloud is a file hosting service available on the web, Windows, macOS, iOS, and iPadOS. It’s a file storing and sharing platform that you can use to create, access, and share files while on the move. ICloud Drive, part of the iCloud family of products and services, works like Google Drive or OneDrive. It’s just a bad naming strategy! What Is iCloud Drive iCloud Drive is just one of those features that borrow from its parent’s name.
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ICloud represents all these services that Apple offers in the cloud, allowing you to access them anywhere, on any device. It allows users to save all kinds of data across an umbrella of services that’s easily accessible with your Apple ID. Some other services include iCloud Backup, Find My iPhone, Keychain, office suite of apps like Keynote, and much more. It is a cloud storage and computing solution that offers many services, including, but not limited to, iCloud Drive. ICloud is primarily a cloud storage service that was launched by Apple in the year 2011.
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