Set up iCloud Drive - how it works
With iCloud Drive, all your data can be stored so that you can access it from any iDevice. This practical guide shows you how to set up the service.
Setting up iCloud Drive: requirements
Check the following criteria to set up iCloud Drive:
- Your iOS device needs at least iOS 8 on your iPhone or iPad.
- Mac users must have at least Mac OS X 10.10 Yosemite installed to use iCloud Drive.
- As a user of a Windows PC, at least Windows 7 and iCloud for Windows 4.0 are required.
iOS: Set up iCloud Drive for iPhone and iPad
Follow these steps to set up iCloud Drive on iOS:
- First make sure under "Settings> General> Software update" that your iOS device has the latest version and update it if necessary.
- If you have not used iCloud before, go to "Settings> iCloud" and follow the steps of the setup wizard. Enter your Apple ID beforehand or create one yourself.
- As an iCloud user, go to Settings again and select "iCloud". Now select "iCloud Drive" and tap on "Update to iCloud Drive". Confirm the process with "Continue".
- Now switch back to the settings and go to "iTunes & App Store". Now activate under "All ads" all points that should be downloaded automatically in the future.
- Note: All documents that you previously saved in iCloud are automatically transferred there after the switch to iCloud Drive. A downgrade is then no longer possible. If you deactivate iCloud Drive again, your data and documents will no longer be updated on all devices.
Mac: Set up iCloud Drive on Mac OS
Note: Similar to iOS, after activating iCloud Drive all data from Numbers, Pages and the Keynote are taken from iCloud. Access from iOS 7 and Mac OS X 10.9 is then no longer possible! So update your iOS devices to iOS 8.1 before iCloud Drive activation and update your Macs to Mac OS X 10.10. You should also update your iWork programs beforehand if you use iWork with iCloud Drive.
- To be able to use iCloud Drive, you first have to make sure in the Apple menu under "Software Update" that your Mac uses the latest Mac OS X version.
- Now switch to "System Preferences" in the Apple menu and click on "iCloud".
- Now you have to enter your Apple ID. Alternatively, you can also create a new iCloud account.
- Then select all the services you want to activate for iCloud.
- Now click on "Store" in the "Settings" of iTunes and select all items (eg music, apps and films) that will automatically be downloaded with iCloud Drive in the future. Therefore, also select the "iCloud Drive" item.
Windows: Set up iCloud Drive on a Windows computer
Note: Start setting up iCloud Drive on Windows only after you have set up iCloud Drive on iOS and Mac OS!
- First install "iCloud for Windows" and then open it.
- Now log in with your Apple ID and select the iClous services you want to activate. Make sure to tick "iCloud Drive" and confirm the process with "Continue".
- iCloud for Windows has now automatically created new folders in your Windows Explorer. Store new data in these folders so that it is automatically available on your other iOS devices.
This practical tip is based on iOS 8.1.3, Mac OS X 10.10 Yosemite and iCloud for Windows 4.0.3.56 on Windows 7. In the next practical tip, learn how you can synchronize Outlook with iCloud.