iOS 8: What can iCloud Drive do?

The iCloud Drive function is introduced in iOS 8. We'll tell you what the service can do and whether it's worth it.

iOS 8: The functions of iCloud Drive

ICloud Drive is Apple's own cloud storage. Apple is fighting the battle against well-known services such as Dropbox, Google Drive and OneDrive.

You can use iCloud Drive on your mobile Apple devices such as iPhone, iPad and iPod touch as well as on Mac OS X and Windows. All you need to register is your iCloud ID.
As with other cloud storage devices, your data is uploaded from any device and is then available on all devices.
For example, you can create a presentation on your Mac, upload it to iCloud Drive, and edit it again later on your iPad.
iCloud Drive uses the same storage as iCloud. Your uploaded data will therefore be saved in your 5 GB free storage. With the release of iOS 8, the currently relatively high prices for additional iCloud storage are to be reduced.

If you already synchronize your iPhone via iCloud, you may only have a few GB of free cloud storage left. If you want to store a large number of large files in the cloud, you will quickly reach the chargeable limit.
However, since iCloud Drive is ideally integrated into iOS 8, using it can be worthwhile for most. Small files and documents do not take up much space and can be opened and edited quickly.
If you really need a lot of storage space and don't want to throw money out of the window, you are also well served with other cloud providers. With Dropbox, for example, you can get up to 20 GB free of charge.

You will find numerous alternatives to iCloud Drive in the next practical tip.