• Fake iCloud deletion emails are pressuring Apple users into dangerous clicks
• Poor grammar in iCloud alerts remains a clear sign of fraud
• Clicking fake iCloud upgrade links can expose banking and personal data

A wave of deceptive emails is attempting to pressure Apple users into believing their iCloud data is at immediate risk of deletion, using increasingly aggressive language to force quick reactions.

The messages often claim a user's storage limits have been exceeded or that an account has been blocked, followed by threats that photos and videos will be permanently erased on a specified date.

In some cases, recipients receive repeated follow-ups, including what appears to be a final warning stating, “We have tried to contact you several times before… all your data will be completely deleted.”

What the scam email looks like

Warning of the scam, UK consumer body Which? said, “Every Apple user needs to know about this nasty scam doing the rounds.”

“These sneaky fake emails that look like they’re from iCloud and threaten you with claims that ‘all your photos will be deleted.’”

One of the scam emails seen by The Guardian says, “We’ve blocked your account! Your photos and videos will be deleted on [date].” It is headlined “iCloud Storage Alert” and goes on to say: “Storage limit reached… your iCloud account has reached its maximum storage capacity.”

Others read, “Your payment method has expired!… Your cloud service has been disabled,” or “Payment failed for your Cloud storage renewal.”

The timing of these emails can make them appear plausible, especially when they arrive alongside legitimate storage notifications.

However, the email structure typically follows a predictable pattern — an alarming claim, a deadline, and a call to action — all designed to bypass scrutiny.

It usually includes a button or link claiming to offer an easy “update” to tackle the situation but redirects users to fraudulent pages.

These pages are designed to extract sensitive data, and users can unknowingly hand over personal and banking information, which may then be used for unauthorized transactions or identity theft and distributed through illicit channels.

The initial interaction may appear harmless, but it opens pathways for additional security risks, particularly if users reuse passwords across multiple accounts.

Despite the convincing tone in the message, these phishing emails frequently contain inconsistencies that reveal their origin - for example, the sender address often includes unusual domains that do not align with Apple’s infrastructure, with some referencing unrelated regions or obscure domain extensions.

Grammar issues remain another persistent flaw, with phrases such as “Your account may expires today” indicating a lack of authenticity.

The presence of familiar branding and interface design on phishing pages can delay suspicion, making it more difficult for users to recognize the deception until after information has already been submitted.

While a good antivirus program could help in this situation, avoiding interaction with suspicious emails remains the most effective response — a single click can escalate risk levels.

Users are also advised to verify storage status directly through device settings rather than relying on email prompts.

Reporting such emails helps limit their spread, while maintaining updated security practices, including a properly configured firewall, reduces the likelihood of broader system compromise.

• Apple Business is an MDM, advertising and online presence manager in one
• It's replacing Business Connect/Essentials/Manager in April 2026, and it'll be free
• Businesses in the US and Canada can advertise on Maps from this summer

Apple has announced the upcoming launch of Apple Business, which combines Business Connect, Business Essentials and Business Manager into one platform.

For example, previously paid device management ($2.99 per device per month for Essentials) will now be included at no extra cost, hopefully offering better value for users

Apple Business' core functionalities revolve around mobile device management, so customers can expect things like managed Apple accounts to separate work and personal data, employee management, preconfigured devices and zero-touch deployment. A separate companion app will also be accessible by employees for managing ghtings like apps, contacts and support requests.

Apple Business launch

The company also announced upcoming support for ad creation within the Maps app. "Beginning this summer in the US and Canada, businesses will have a new way to be discovered by using Apple Business to create ads on Maps," Apple wrote.

Though the iPhone maker stressed its strong privacy credentials to ensure the ad viewer's anonymity, Apple did not share finer details, such as cost, for the advertiser.

Also on the Maps front, Apple Business ports over a former Business Connect tool that allows companies to manage brand name, logo, and key details consistently across Maps, Wallet and other apps. Branding and company information continues across emails, Spotlight Search and Tap to Pay on iPhone.

Apple Business will be launching on April 14, 2026 as a free tool for companies to manage their online presence and their employees' devices, and effectively replaces former Connect, Essentials and Manager platforms. It will be free in more than 200 countries, but Ads on Apple Maps will only be available for the US and Canada when the feature launches in the summer.

AppleCare+ for Business coverage will be separate, billed at $6.99 per month or $13.99 per month for up to three devices. iCloud storage plans can also be added for a fee.

• Offline device offer automatic encrypted iPhone backups without iCloud
• Linux based hardware syncs data locally using USB and open source tools
• Project favors control and transparency but requires hands on setup and technical ability

If you're an iPhone owner and would like to back up your content locally without cloud storage services or recurring fees, a small open source project could be what you're looking for, although it requires dedication and technical know-how.

The iOS Backup Machine project on GitHub centers on a compact Linux device that creates automatic local backups when an iPhone is connected by USB. It avoids wireless syncing and keeps data off external servers.

The system uses libimobiledevice to trigger encrypted backups with no user interaction required after the initial setup. Once an iPhone is plugged in, the process starts on its own and runs to completion, unless the cable is removed.

Not for everyone

Backup progress and messages appear on a small e-ink display mounted on the device. At startup, the screen can also show owner information such as a phone number, which remains visible even after power loss.

Encryption relies on the iPhone’s own built in mechanisms. The resulting backup files aren’t easily readable on their own, although they can be used to restore a device or set up a replacement phone.

The project is designed around a Radxa Zero 3W board running Armbian and Python scripts.

A separate microSD card is used for backup storage, keeping it isolated from the operating system.

To reduce the risk of corruption, the design pairs the system with a small uninterruptible power supply. If battery levels drop or power is cut, the device performs a controlled shutdown and pauses the backup safely.

Logs are stored locally, and any errors are shown directly on the display. When idle, the screen cycles through the last backup result, timestamp, disk usage, and owner details.

Assembly requires several off the shelf components and a 3D printed case. Users need to follow the setup instructions and be very comfortable working with Linux based tools.

Future updates discussed by the developer include selective device filtering, optional network reporting, and limited internet access over USB.

For now, the project targets users who value control and are willing to trade convenience for local ownership.

Via Hack A Day

• A developer says he's been ‘permanently’ locked out of his Apple Account
• This happened after he purchased a compromised Apple gift card
• It leaves ’20 years of digital life’ out of reach, as Apple seemingly can’t help

An Apple fan who has spent “nearly 30 years as a loyal customer” says they’ve been “permanently” locked out of their Apple Account due to what might be the overzealous actions of Apple’s automated anti-fraud system. It’s left them locked out of “20 years of digital life,” and it all started with the seemingly straightforward purchase of an Apple gift card.

According to a blog post from developer Paris Buttfield-Addison, their entire Apple Account has been barred, locking them out of their entire purchase history, stored photos, and more. This apparently happened with “no explanation and no recourse,” putting “terabytes of family photos” and their entire message history out of reach, as well as preventing the ability to sync work across devices.

It apparently all started when Buttfield-Addison tried to redeem a $500 Apple gift card in order to pay for their 6TB iCloud+ subscription. The card was purchased from a major brick-and-mortar retailer, but its code did not seem to work. The vendor suggested that it might be compromised and issued a new card, but that didn’t stop Buttfield-Addison’s account from being locked by Apple.

As a result of this, Buttfield-Addison says his devices cannot “sync, update, or function properly,” while software and media totaling thousands of dollars in value are now inaccessible to him. The outcome, the author says, is “over $30,000 worth of previously active ‘bricked’ hardware.”

We've asked Apple for comment on this case and also its official guidance for anyone in a similar situation, and will update this story if we hear back.

“Terrifyingly dismissive”

Unfortunately, Buttfield-Addison says that Apple has been either unwilling or unable to help him. “Most of the ways Apple has suggested seeking help from them involve signing in to an Apple service to upload something, or communicate with them,” Buttfield-Addison says. “This doesn’t work as the account is locked.”

Apple Support was also apparently “terrifyingly dismissive,” the blog post states, with staff refusing to tell Buttfield-Addison why his account was banned and seemingly obstructing his request to have the case escalated.

One Apple Support staff member suggested that Buttfield-Addison should create a new Apple Account and add their payment information to that. The problem, though, is that this would mean giving up on the “thousands of dollars of purchases” associated with the locked account. Buttfield-Addison was also concerned that this could earn Apple’s wrath if it decided that he was attempting to evade or circumvent his account ban.

In the end, Buttfield-Addison has publicly asked for a human at Apple to review his case, as he suspects that the compromised gift card triggered an automated fraud warning, which then initiated a high-level ban that Apple’s support staff seemingly cannot undo.

The situation has been covered by several prominent Apple blogs and websites, and Buttfield-Addison has issued an update stating that “Someone from Executive Relations at Apple says they’re looking into it.” So far, though, it seems that the case remains unresolved.

It’s a stark reminder that it can be risky to put all your eggs in one basket. While Buttfield-Addison seemingly did nothing untoward to invoke the ban, the result is that a huge swath of their digital life is now inaccessible.

If you store your photos and files in a single place, it’s a good idea to back them up to multiple locations to protect against something going wrong. But with how integrated devices are these days, it’s hard to avoid having all your apps, purchases and media within a single ecosystem. In cases like that, there’s not a lot you can do.

You might have heard of Apple’s iCloud service. It’s an online portal where you can access your calendars, reminders, backed-up photos, and more from any Apple device you own. While iCloud is free, Apple offers a premium, paid-for option called iCloud+, which comes with a bunch of extra features. The key questions, then, are what exactly is iCloud+? And is it worth your money?

Those are the queries we’ll answer for you in this article. We’ll cover every feature you can get from a paid iCloud+ subscription, then dive in and examine whether they’re worth your hard-earned cash. By the end, you should have a better idea of whether Apple’s iCloud+ service is right for you. Let’s get started.

There’s more to iCloud+ than just boosted storage, though. You also get iCloud Private Relay, which hides your IP address and browsing history when you use the Safari web browser, and also protects your unencrypted internet traffic.

Hide My Email, meanwhile, does what you’d expect: it obscures your identity by creating a random email address that you can use to sign up for services and newsletters. Any messages sent to this address are redirected to your actual, main inbox, which means you still get the messages you want without having to give out your real email address to companies that might end up selling it to spammers. And if you do start getting spam, you can just deactivate the compromised email address and generate a new one, stopping the emails in their tracks.

Elsewhere, Apple throws in a customizable domain for your iCloud email address, which family members can also use once invited.

And you also get HomeKit Secure Video, which is a way to connect your home security cameras to the Home app, allowing you to record footage and view it in the app from anywhere.

Finally, there’s Apple’s Invites app. This is a way to create and manage events, send out invitations, and ensure everyone knows what’s happening before the event kicks off. While everyone (including free users) can use the app, only paying subscribers can create and host events.

All in all, then, there’s a decent selection of features for your money when it comes to iCloud+. But is it a case of quantity over quality, or is the service actually worth your cash? That’s what we’ll take a look at next.

However, if none of those features seem necessary to you, you can safely go without iCloud+. It’s a great service for many people and doesn’t have to cost the Earth, but that doesn’t mean it’s right for everyone.

If you’re having issues using iCloud.com and the various apps like Photos or Mail on the web, you’re not alone. Apple’s iCloud Status page is officially showing an outage for both ‘iCloud Web Apps’ and ‘iWork for iCloud’, as well as issues for two other facets of the wide-ranging service.

Apple officially notes the issues as starting at 2:36PM ET and TechRadar noticed that Down Detector is showing a spike nearing 1,000 reported outages as of 3:35PM ET. As of right now, I can sign into iCloud.com, though it’s a bit slow going.

Stick with us as we cover the issues hitting Apple’s iCloud right now with live reporting down below.

Additionally, we’ve reached out to Apple to request insight into this outage, but it’s reassuring that the status page at least acknowledges that something is wrong.

As of 2:36PM ET, Apple's iCloud status page shows an outage for 'iCloud Web Apps (iCloud.com)' and 'iWork for iCloud', noting that some users are affected with issues accessing or using parts of these services.

While I was able to sign into iCloud.com just minutes ago, when I load it now nothing is appearing other than the logo in the top left.

And, Apple at least instructs its services to notify you when something is wrong. I am now seeing a 'Connection Error' screen appear, informing me that something is up.

I've also heard from colleagues and at least one friend that they're seeing this same pop-up either before signing in or trying to return to an active session on iCloud.com.

Photos is also having issues

While 'Photos' is only listed as an issue with Apple noting that some user might be having problems with the service, TechRadar's Editor-At-Large Lance Ulanoff let me know that when viewing pictures in the Photos app on his iPhone, images were reneding at lower resolution potentially pointing to issues accessing the shots from iCloud.

This has resolved, though, for him, and is now being loaded in full resolution. Attempting to view Photos on iCloud.com isn't working at all right now, as I'm still seeing a connection error there.

Here are the impacted parts of iCloud

Apple's service status page is quite handy during outages, so here's a look at the currently impacted parts of iCloud.

• iCloud Mail - Issue
• iCloud Storage Upgrade - Issue
• iCloud Web Apps (iCloud.com) – Outage
• iWork for iCloud - Outage
• Photos - Issue

I've just checked the Photos app on my iPhone and on my Mac, and neither has synced in well over an hour for both. The iPhone shows it last synced at 2:03PM ET, while my Mac was slightly later at 2:11PM ET, and I can't force a sync for either.

I do back up my photos to iCloud, so I am in the impacted group, it seems, for now.

Find My is also having issues

Apple has updated its status page to note that 'Find My' as well as 'iCloud Account & Sign In' are both experiencing issues. The latter, pertaining to account and sign-in, have the same start time as the other issues and outage, but 'Find My' shows a start time of 3:57PM ET.

Find My appears to be working for me on my Mac, as it's pulling through updated locations. However, one of my friends just sent me a screenshot showing "Find My Unavailable."

iCloud.com is still loading, but it continues to display the same 'Connection Error' pop-up on my end. And here's a look at the current list of impacted issues on Apple's status page.

As of now, it's not spreading beyond iCloud, so there are no impacts on the App Store or Apple Music.

• Find My - Issue
• iCloud Account & Sign In - Issue
• iCloud Mail - Issue
• iCloud Storage Upgrade - Issue
• iCloud Web Apps (iCloud.com) – Outage
• iWork for iCloud - Outage
• Photos - Issue

The only non-iCloud issue or outage is with 'Apple Business Essentials' – that's currently listed as one issue, one resolved outage, and one resolved issue.

I still can't get iCloud.com to load fully, but on my iPhone, I just had a pop-up for Apple Account Verification for my account. I went into Settings, but then had that error out when I tried to complete the request.

My colleague Lance Ulanoff's Apple Account page in Settings is presenting a 'Verification Failed' splash screen on his iPhone.

Although Apple's status page hasn't been updated with any new statuses, iCloud.com is loading for me again after a few minutes. Although my account photo is missing, I am seeing the regular old slate of apps, and I saw a mail notification slide through the top.

It appears that one of Apple's main services may be recovering, and Down Detector is also showing a decrease in reported outages. The iCloud page on that site currently sits at 380 reported outages as of 5:04PM ET.

Apple says the Find My issue is now resolved

As of a recent update to Apple System Status page, the Find My issue is now marked as resolved. Apple notes that from 2:40PM to 5:30PM, some users might have "experienced a problem with this service." That could have been in the form of locations not updating or the app stating "Find My Unavailable."

With Find My resolved, here's a look at the other services experiencing issues or outages. I can still access iCloud.com on my end, so it still might be recovering as well.

• iCloud Account & Sign In - Issue
• iCloud Mail - Issue
• iCloud Storage Upgrade - Issue
• iCloud Web Apps (iCloud.com) – Outage
• iWork for iCloud - Outage
• Photos - Issue

In another update to the System Status page, Apple now lists 'iCloud Calendar' and 'iCloud Contacts' as also having issues since 2:36PM. These appear to be part of the broader outage affecting iCloud.

Here's the full list of services listed with either issues or outages that are still ongoing:

• iCloud Account & Sign In - Issue
• iCloud Calendar - Issue
• iCloud Contacts - Issue
• iCloud Mail - Issue
• iCloud Storage Upgrade - Issue
• iCloud Web Apps (iCloud.com) – Outage
• iWork for iCloud - Outage
• Photos - Issue

Apple says the iCloud issues are resolved

Well, here's some good news – Apple's System Status page is now entirely green. After a nearly five-hour outage lasting from 2:36PM to 7:00PM, Apple has now resolved the 'iCloud Web Apps (iCloud.com)' and 'iWork for iCloud' outages.

Additionally, the 'iCloud Account & Sign In,' 'iCloud Calendar', 'iCloud Contacts', 'iCloud Mail', 'iCloud Storage Upgrades', and 'Photo' issues are now all resolved.

Hopefully, if you were encountering issues using any of these, you're now back up and running. A sign-out and sign back in might do the trick if you're still seeing them.

Apple hasn't yet shared any information on what caused the outage, but if it does, we'll add that here.

• Apple raises iCloud+ costs in Brazil, Chile, and Peru
• Some Apple One subscriptions also see rise
• iCloud price rises have been common across the world recently

Some iCloud customers are facing higher prices after Apple upped the cost of plans in several nations.

A recently updated support document showed the cloud storage platform will soon cost more for users in Brazil, Chile, and Peru, with some tiers becoming up to 34% more expensive.

The move will affect iCloud+ customers in the nations, who will now all face higher costs across all available tiers, according to reports from 9to5Mac and MacRumors.

iCloud+ price rises

In Brazil, the move will see prices rise to the following; 50GB - R$ 5.90 (was 4.90), 200GB - R$ 19.90 (was 14.90), 2TB - R$ 66.90 (was 49.90), 6TB R$ 199.90 (was 149.90), and 12TB - R$ 399.90 (was 299.90).

In Chile, it will be as follows; 50GB - $990 (was $790), 200GB - $3,290 (was $2,490), 2TB - $10,990 (was $8,490), 6TB - $32,990 (was $29.990), and 12TB - $64,990 (was $59,990).

And in Peru, the prices will change as follows; 50GB - S/. 3.90 (was 2.90), 200GB - S/. 12.90 (was 9.90), 2TB - S/. 42.90 (34.90), 6TB - S/. 129.90 (was 99.90), and 12TB - S/. 259.90 (was 199.90).

9to5Mac also noted some Apple One plans are also seeing a price rise, as the Family plan increases to R$59,90, and the Premium plan goes up to R$99,90 per month - although the basic plan cost remains the same.

Apple has raised prices for some or all iCloud+ storage plans in at least 10 other countries in recent months, with Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Indonesia, Türkiye, Pakistan, Nigeria, Egypt, Tanzania, and the Philippines all affected.

The likes of the US, Canada, and the UK have avoided iCloud+ price increases so far, but the increasing number of price hikes could mean they may be next.

The recent global economic turmoil has led some countries to be hit harder than others, with 9to5Mac noting the Brazilian Real has seen a 15-20% devaluation against the US dollar over the last few years.

TechRadar Pro has contacted Apple for comment.

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One of the oft-touted benefits of buying Apple products is their seamless compatibility with other Apple products. Thanks to iCloud, it’s possible to synchronize your data, apps, photos, and contacts across iPhone, iPad, and other Apple devices.

However, some of these settings can be easy to miss, and it’s nice to know how to manually sync different apps and data as and when you want to.

This guide focuses on how to sync iPhone with iPad, specifically, since you'll likely be keen to have each device mirror the other when it comes to files and settings.

Tools & requirements

• iPhone
• iPad
• Apple Account
• Internet connection

Steps for how to sync iPhone to iPad

• Sign into your Apple Account on both devices
• Head to the iCloud menu in the settings app of each device
• Toggle which apps and services you'd like to sync over iCloud
• Check that iCloud sync is working

Step-by-step guide for how to sync iPhone and iPad

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The EU is officially out of control. It's now demanding that Apple break down the competitive advantage it's built with attractive features like AirPlay and AirDrop and essentially open them up to the competition. Thereby stripping Apple – bit by bit – of its competitive advantage.

Ever since the EU first implemented its Digital Markets Act, it's treated Apple like a global monopoly or rather a disrespectful child that deserves to spend time in a corner.

It's used the strength of the union to force Apple to make technical changes that theoretically benefit its constituents, like a charge port standard (USB-C) and more recently the side-loading of Apps outside the protective arms of the App Store.

I know many cheer these changes. Why should Apple force people to use its App Store or its now retired lightning cable?

Apple has complied but also warned about the dangers of such compliance. When the EU forced sideloading, Apple promised, "the risks will increase." If we haven't seen that happen, it may be because the majority of iPhone owners are still using the trusted and well-regarded App Store.

I consider this a change no one, save the EU and some software companies that pressed the issue, wanted.

In the case of USB-C, I've long believed Apple was heading in that direction anyway but the threat of fines forced Apple's hand and made it accelerate its plans.

Open sesame

Now, though, we have the EU demanding that Apple open up nine core iOS features, including push notifications for non-Apple smartwatches, seamless pairing between non-Apple headphones and Apple devices, and AirPlay and AirDrop. In the last instance, the EU is demanding Apple open iOS up to third-party solutions and ensure they work as well as native software.

Naturally, Apple is not happy and shared this comment with TechRadar:

"Today’s decisions wrap us in red tape, slowing down Apple’s ability to innovate for users in Europe and forcing us to give away our new features for free to companies who don’t have to play by the same rules. It’s bad for our products and for our European users. We will continue to work with the European Commission to help them understand our concerns on behalf of our users."

As I'm sure you can gather from the tone, Apple is fed up. This constant stream of EU enforcements, all designed to diminish Apple and hoist up competitors, is ridiculous and increasingly unfair.

Let's zero in on AirDrop as an example.

Drop it like it's hot

AirDrop, which lets you quickly share files, photos, and videos between iPhones and other Apple ecosystem devices, arrived more than a decade ago on iOS 7. It was a transformative and brilliant bit of programming that instantly opened up an ad-hoc network between, say, a pair of iPhones. It did require some learning. Open AirDrop settings on phones could result in you unexpectedly receiving an illicit photo (yes, it happened to me once and it was terrible). Apple has since vastly improved AirDrop controls.

Not a lot of people used it at first, but every time I went to a party where I was often taking pictures, I would grab the host and quickly drop the photos onto their phones. They were usually shocked and deeply appreciative.

There was, for years, nothing quite like it on the Android side until Samsung unveiled Quick Share and Google launched Nearby in 2020. The two later merged to become just Quick Share.

There's no doubt Apple's success with AirDrop spurred the development of Quick Share and isn't that exactly how competition is supposed to work? You don't look at one company's successful deployment of technology and then demand that they make it possible for you to deploy a copycat app, and on the successful company's platform no less.

But this is what the EU is demanding of Apple. It must make it possible for competitors to compete with Apple on its own platform, and why? Because apparently, they cannot do it without the EU's help.

I actually do not think that's true. Google and Samsung, for instance, are not stepping up to say they do not need this help because it serves them no purpose to do so. If the EU wants to slap Apple, let them. It certainly doesn't harm any of these competitors (until they fall under the EU's watchful gaze).

In the EU's world, there is no difference between competitors. They want a level playing field, even if at an innovation level, one company is outperforming the other.

Ecosystem FTW

Apple has built a fantastic ecosystem that pays significant benefits to those who live inside of it. Yes, that does in a way define which smartwatch and earbuds I use. But, for more than 20 years, it had no impact on the laptop I carried. I was a dyed-in-the-wool Windows fan and even though I used an iPhone and AirPods, and I wore an Apple Watch, I saw no need to switch to a MacBook.

When I did make the switch, it was to see if I liked the macOS experience better than Windows (spoiler alert: I did), and, yes it turns out that there were instant benefits to the switch, like AirDrop access to files on my iPhone and iPad.

Everything is easier when you have all Apple products but that's not an unfair advantage, it's engineering and excellence. The EU would like to wipe that out and make Apple as average as possible so it's fair for everyone. But that's not fair to Apple and, honestly, not to you, the Apple user, either. You pay a premium for the best programming, the best products, and the best interoperability.

You won't get that by mixing and matching some from Apple and some from, for instance, Samsung, even if the EU wants you to. I love many Samsung, Google, OnePlus, and Microsoft products and there is nothing wrong with a non-homogenous setup. There should not, however, be an issue with all-Apple-all-the-time.

The EU needs to step back and get out of the way of smart technology and only act when consumers are being harmed. There was no harm here, just some small companies whining because they weren't winning.

You might think this is an EU-only issue but remember that what starts in Europe usually flies over the Atlantic to the US and eventually all global markets. Put another way, when the EU sneezes, we all catch a cold.

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• Apple's bolstering its parental controls and child account experience
• Later in 2025, global age ratings will be expanded, and you can convert any standard account to a child account
• There is also a new API designed to help customize the in-app experience by age

Apple has long offered parental controls on devices and child accounts but is now making some changes to bolster its offering and make it a safer experience for all parties involved. Some of these adjustments are on the end user's side, such as creating a child account and App Store adjustments, but several are on the developer's side, in the form of API changes.

The new features and functionality were shared in a new whitepaper titled “Helping Protect Kids Online,” which you can read in full here. The changes begin with streamlining the process of creating a child account. As seen in the latest betas for iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4, Apple now allows you to select an age range when creating an account; once selected, this information informs the presets for parental controls.

Of course, creating the account adds your child as a user and allows for family sharing of iCloud services and purchases within the App Store. However, to streamline the process, you can still give the child access to the new device with more limited functionality if you want to complete the rest of the account setup later.

Likely even more important, and good news for some, is that later in 2025, Apple will let you update the age on an Apple Account. This way, if you input the wrong date of birth, you can adjust it. Apple requires that kids under 13 have a Child Account associated with a parental Apple ID in the United States. Those under 18 can choose to be set up this way for these advanced protections, and some presets.

The App Store experience currently offers four age ratings worldwide, two of them being 12+ and 17+. Apple aims to create a more curated, safe experience and will expand the global age ratings later this year. This will bring Apple's age ratings closer to those of Google and its Play Store, which already offer age-based ratings in several categories depending on region.

Apple's expansion is a bit more focused and standard across all regions, with four new categories targeting specific age groups.

• 4+, which means no objectionable content is in the app.
• 9+, meaning the app might have content unsuitable for children under nine. It’s described in the paper as “infrequent or mild cartoon or fantasy violence, profanity or crude humor, or mature, suggestive, or horror- or fear-themed content.”
• 13+, which is described as potentially featuring: “infrequent or mild medical or treatment-focused content, references to alcohol, tobacco, or drug use, sexual content or nudity, realistic violence, or simulated gambling; or frequent or intense contests, profanity or crude humor, horror or fear-themed content, or cartoon or fantasy violence.
• 16+, described as “including through unrestricted web access, frequent or intense mature or suggestive content, or medical or treatment-focused content.”
• 19+, “including through instances of gambling, frequent or intense simulated gambling, references to alcohol, tobacco, or drug use, sexual content or nudity, or realistic violence.”

These will be the minimum age recommended for the app. This should allow developers to more accurately determine the age rating for the experience they are creating, and parents might find it easier to decide if it's safe to download. If a parent has turned on parental controls for app downloads, the App Store will only serve up age-appropriate apps when this arrives later in 2025.

It comes at a time when, in the United States, on both a state and federal level, there is debate about who should be in charge of age verification for using apps, either the store – i.e. Apple's App Store – or the developers themselves. It's packaged within larger conversations around child protection laws pertaining to digital experiences and connected devices.

Apple believes a per-app level is better for age verification and reducing data sharing overall. That's where the forthcoming Declared Age Range API will come into play. Rather than asking a user to input a date of birth, the developer can opt into the API. If approved via a pop-up in the app, the app will pull the age range from the user's Apple Account.

It's very much in line with how other apps request to use things like the camera or microphone and even to enroll you in notifications for the app. Apple's stance here is to reduce a user potentially oversharing while still ensuring a safe experience; seemingly, the per-app level approach is a better way to do this.

The company also says in the paper that it's similar to purchasing alcohol at a store in a mall, "After all, we ask merchants who sell alcohol in a mall to verify a buyer’s age by checking IDs – we don’t ask everyone to turn their date of birth over to the mall if they just want to go to the food court."

Apple's approach is at odds with other companies and even legislators, who think the enforcement and verification should be handled by where you get the app. The information is there because Apple does ask for the age range for creating an Apple Account, and one is required for a user under 13. From a privacy perspective, Apple isn't just handing that information over but wants to use it securely through this API.

Avi Greengart, founder of Techsponental, wrote in a statement to TechRadar, "Apple is trying to thread the needle between forcing everyone to share data that proves their age and giving parents the ability to protect their children from content that’s inappropriate for them. Apple’s approach to age verification is arguably better from a privacy perspective for all, but requires active parental involvement. It also doesn’t – and perhaps can’t – address the responsibility of social media apps to police their algorithms to prevent harm to minors."

The approach here with the Declared Age Range API likely ties back to Apple's further bolstering of Child Accounts, making them easier to create and control and linking them up to make using devices like iPads and iPhones and the services on them safer.

We're already seeing some of these changes, like the new Age Range selection for creating a child account. However, the updated age ratings for apps, the ability to adjust an account's age, and the new API will all arrive before the end of 2025.

Ultimately, time will tell who is responsible for age verification. Still, it's excellent to see Apple making it easier to create child accounts that offer a bit more protection and safeguards. The full paper released by Apple can be viewed here.

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• UK Home Office is believed to have asked Apple to weaken iCloud encryption
• US officials are warning this could spell out a global disaster
• They’re urging the US to reconsider its relationship with the UK

US Senator Ron Wyden and Member of Congress Andy Biggs are urging the US Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, to oppose the UK’s request for an iCloud backdoor.

They argue that, if Apple were to comply with the UK’s demand, it would weaken US cybersecurity, jeopardizing both citizens’ and government data.

In a letter to the newly-appointed Gabbard, the pair explain how Apple uses the same encryption software for all markets, therefore a weakened security system in the UK would negatively impact both the US and other nations.

UK’s iCloud backdoor could impact the world

With reports suggesting the UK government has ordered the iPhone maker to weaken its encryption under the Investigatory Powers Act 2016, the move has been described by the pair as an effort to “facilitate government spying” – they explain how Apple is “gagged from acknowledging that it received such an order.”

They noted how “wiretapping systems” aren’t the only threat – backdoor access opens up the potential for data to be stored elsewhere, in potentially less-secure locations. Wyden and Biggs explain this is how Chinese threat actors obtained access to US Government officials’ emails during a Microsoft hack in 2023.

They write: “While the UK has been a trusted ally, the US government must not permit what is effectively a foreign cyberattack waged through political means.”

Gabbard is asked to reconsider US-UK cybersecurity arrangements and intelligence sharing if Britain does not reverse its request, and is reminded of her confirmation hearing speech, in which she said: “backdoors lead down a dangerous path that can undermine Americans' Fourth Amendment rights and civil liberties.”

Yesterday, 109 civil society organizations, companies and cybersecurity experts also signed a joint letter urging the UK Home Office to reverse its request. Signatures are being collected until February 20, when a complete list of supporters and a finalized letter will be sent to the Home Office.

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More than 100 civil society organizations, tech companies, and cybersecurity experts are calling the UK to rescind its order to Apple to create a backdoor for its end-to-end encrypted cloud storage service.

UK's Apple iCloud backdoor "jeopardizes the security and privacy of millions, undermines the UK tech sector, and sets a dangerous precedent for global cybersecurity," wrote the coalition in an open letter published on February 13, 2025.

This comes as Apple could soon be forced to give away all users' encrypted data to the UK government, which recently presented the big tech giant with a notice issued under the Investigatory Powers Act. The demands are notable as it targets all encrypted content iPhone, iPad, and macOS users globally have stored using Apple's Advanced Data Protection (ADP).

So far, the signatories include some companies using encryption technologies to build their software like Surfshark, one of the best VPN services on the market, encrypted messaging app Element, and secure email Tuta. The letter is set to remain open to more sign-ons from the cybersecurity industry until February 20, before being sent to the Home Secretary.

The consequences of undermining encryption

Encryption is the industry-acknowledged backbone of internet privacy and security. This technology, in fact, scrambles online content into an unreadable form to keep it private between the sender and the receiver at all times.

Law enforcement bodies, however, find encrypted software an obstacle when conducting criminal investigations and are pushing to find a way to pick into this digital lock.

This is why the UK issued a technical capability notice (or TCN) to Apple under the controversial 2016 Investigatory Powers Act, adding to the ongoing pressures in and out of Europe to create backdoors in encrypted software.

If successful, experts explain, the consequences could go way beyond the country's border. "The world’s second-largest provider of mobile devices would be built on top of a systemic security flaw, putting all of its users’ security and privacy at risk, not just in the UK but globally."

Cybersecurity experts have long argued that encryption backdoors cannot work on a technical level, either. Encryption is secure for all, or it isn't for anyone. This is the mantra religiously repeated across the industry to explain how criminals will also exploit these government-required vulnerabilities to their advantage.

Experts are especially worried about the impact that undermining the confidentiality of cloud storage services will have on the most vulnerable users whose online confidentiality can be critical to preventing harassment.

They also fear for the UK's national security as "providing backdoors in one instance can lead to encryption being weakened across the ecosystem of the public sector, as well," they noted.

Not only privacy and security, though. The UK's encryption backdoor demands may foster an exodus of tech companies not willing to undermine their security infrastructure from the country. The likes of Signal and WhatsApp already threatened to leave the UK on similar grounds over the Online Safety Bill row.

"UK companies will also suffer reputational damage, as foreign investors and consumers will consider whether their products are riddled with secret UK government-mandated security vulnerabilities," experts warn.

"To ensure the national and economic security of the United Kingdom, the Home Office must end its technical capability notice forcing Apple to break its end-to-end encryption."

While Apple or the UK Home Office refused to comment on the matter so far, US lawmakers are now urging the Trump administration to push back.

It also remains unclear how the requirements will be technically implemented as well as whether the likes of Google or Meta are – or will become – the next target.

• Apple just dropped an app that’s all about creating event invites
• It includes Apple Intelligence features like Image Playground and Writing Tools
• You can easily create a shared photo album with all guests

Apple’s been slowly but surely making enhancements to its Calendar app across platforms – iOS, iPadOS, and macOS – but if you were hoping for an easier way to plan events within the ecosystem, your wish is being granted.

In fact, it’s in the form of a whole new app – dubbed Apple Invites – and it’s all about event planning. It’s designed to be a one-stop shop for creating the event invite – maybe even using Apple Intelligence’s Image Playground to create the image – from setting a description to building a guest list and sending invites.

The app itself will be for creating, sending, and receiving invites. Like Partiful or Evites, it will allow invited folks to RSVP and see all event details while the host can curate the experience on the backend.

iCloud+ is a central part of this, as you need it to send invites and create an event. However, the onboarding for Apple Invites does note that anyone can receive the invites. Hence, why there is also a web interface for Apple Invites and that means folks with an Android phone can join in on the party going.

The advantages of Apple Invites likely lie within the ecosystem, though. For one, when you create an event within the iOS app, you’ll start with a name and a description. With either of these fields, you can use ‘Writing Tools’ to spice up your writing.

Then, considering an event needs a photo or graphic, you can choose a preset from three themes – Emoji, Photographic, or Colors – snap a photo with the camera, select one from your library, or jump right into Image Playground to make one with Apple Intelligence.

Maybe the most handy, though, is that you can create a shared album through iCloud Photos when you create the event. This way, you can potentially solve the problem of having all your guests send and share photos after the event. This can solve a major pain point, and could be plenty handy for a birthday or graduation party as well as a baby shower or a housewarming event.

Furthermore, if it’s a costume party or has a big, bold theme like the 80’s – disco time, right? – you can also set the mood and share some photos before the deadline. Though, truly, the win here might be after the fact

Similar to a shared photo library, you can also create an Apple Music Playlist that is helpful for setting the scene but also one that invited guests can use to add their favorites to the DJ mix for the night.

Like Partiful and other apps that make it easy to find the spot, Apple Invites will automatically help guests get directions once you add a location. Based on the time and location, it will also give a preview of the expected weather.

Now, in terms of sending the invites, you can select guests from your contacts or create a public invite link. With the latter, anyone who gets the link could RSVP, but you can turn on an “Approve RSVPs” setting to go over the guest list manually. That way, you don’t have any party crashers … at least super organized ones.

If you’re inviting someone without an iPhone, the web experience is designed to be pretty on par with the iPhone app. And that’s the case if you have an Android device – you still get full access to the collaborative aspects like the shared playlist and photos, assuming you have or make an Apple account.

How much does it cost?

The only requirement is to be an iCloud+ subscriber, which starts at $0.99 in the United States, £0.99 in the United Kingdom, or $1.49 in Australia. Apple Invites is the latest addition to iCloud Plus, which also provides cloud storage (starting at 50GB), HomeKit Secure Video, Private Relay, and the ability to hide your iCloud email when creating other accounts.

Apple Invites does have some benefits over, say, Partiful or other event-planning apps. It likely seems like a good option – one that we’ll need to test – for those in the Apple ecosystem who have friends with or without an iPhone. The fact that you can still collaborate with the shared photo library, even with an Android phone, is a good step for Apple and might encourage eventual iMessage sharing.

Still, the fact that iCloud Plus is required shows that services is still of the utmost importance to Apple. I, for one, am happy that this might make it easier to share photos, which is a struggle.

Similar to services, Apple Intelligence is critically important for the company, and Invites seems to be making the case that two of the standout features can be useful here. Writing Tools is being pitched as a way to spice up event descriptions, and Image Playground hopes you’ll use generative AI to create event images.

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• Apple could soon launch a new iCloud feature called Confetti
• It’ll apparently help you send and manage invitations more easily
• Unfortunately iCloud’s free storage option is still limited to 5GB

Apple’s iCloud system is used to manage all sorts of cloud-based activities, from managing files in iCloud Drive to checking your mail from any device. Now, it’s on the brink of getting a new feature named Confetti that could change how you meet up with friends and loved ones.

The rumor comes from Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman, who spilled the beans in his Power On newsletter over the weekend. There, Gurman describes Confetti as “a new iCloud-based events and invite service.”

The idea is that it gives you “a new way to invite people to parties, functions and meetings,” Gurman says. Right now, that’s mainly done in a few disparate ways, either by creating an event in Apple’s Calendar app and sharing it with invitees, or by simply texting people in your chosen messaging app.

Confetti might launch as soon as this week, Gurman believes. It’s not certain that the app will actually be named Confetti, though, as Gurman says that’s what Apple is calling it internally – that means it’s possible Apple will choose a different name when the app gets released. Either way, we could get our first look within the next few days.

Confetti versus more storage space

There’s a lot to like about iCloud, and it enables a range of strong features from Apple. I use it to back up my iPhone, keep track of my devices with Find My, and offload my photos to the cloud to free up storage space. And while Confetti sounds like a welcome update to the Calendar app, it feels like Apple still hasn’t addressed the elephant in the room.

That problem is iCloud’s base storage level. Apple offers a free iCloud tier, but it only comes with a measly 5GB of storage space. Compare that to some of the best free cloud storage options like Google Drive and Samsung Cloud, both of which grant 15GB for free.

Every year, Apple improves its iPhones’ photography capabilities and allows them to take ever-more-detailed (and ever-larger) pictures. While that’s a laudable move, it means your iPhone will fill up faster than ever – and with only 5GB of free storage in iCloud, makes paying for extra space more necessary than ever. It’s a hidden cost to owning an iPhone that many users have to pay, including me.

Don’t get me wrong, Confetti looks like a useful addition to iCloud’s arsenal, and I’m glad to see it’s on the way. But if the choice was between Confetti and a more generous free storage allowance, I know what I’d choose.

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• Which? argues that Apple is blocking consumers from cheaper alternatives
• Apple offers 5GB of iCloud space for free, but you must pay for more
• UK brand Which? is seeking £3bn ($3.8bn) in damages from Apple

Apple has long been accused of being miserly with its iCloud online storage tiers, but things have rarely move beyond the realm of truculent grumbling. That’s all changing now, though, as British consumer advocacy brand Which? has launched a £3bn ($3.8bn) lawsuit accusing Apple of ripping off its customers by locking them into expensive iCloud tiers.

When you buy an Apple device, you are given 5GB of iCloud storage for free. If you want to upgrade, you can choose from a range of paid-for iCloud options. However, Which? says that users are not offered a choice of rival cloud storage services, and instead have to use iCloud because Apple blocks certain data on your device from being uploaded to competitors’ services.

A separate lawsuit from March 2024 claims that Apple “arbitrarily sequesters” essential app data and device settings that would be required for a full device backup.

According to the legal action from Which?, “Apple iPhone and iPad iOS users have had little choice but to use Apple’s own iCloud service, and therefore Apple can charge users more than if it had to compete with rival cloud storage services.”

The Which? lawsuit is seeking damages of £3bn (around $3.8bn) for around 40 million UK customers, which would mean a payout of about £70 (about $90) for each British person who has used iCloud services since October 1, 2015. Even for a company of Apple’s size and wealth, that would be a sizable payout.

Analysis: We’ve been here before

The argument from Which? is essentially that Apple is unlawfully steering users towards its own services instead of giving them a choice.

Apple has found itself in hot water over similar issues in the past, having been sued by Epic Games for, among other things, preventing developers from directing customers to other services that might save them money. In that case, the judge found against Apple and forced it to change its anti-steering practices, so Which? might be hopeful of a similar ruling in its own lawsuit.

Apple will likely say that it prevents some essential files from being backed up to competitors’ services because they contain important information whose security Apple cannot guarantee if they fall outside its control. Whether that argument is enough to win the case against Which? remains to be seen.

Apple could easily allay consumer discontent by offering more than a measly 5GB of iCloud storage for free. Granted, upgrading to the next iCloud tier (50GB) is cheap at $0.99 a month, but with many of the best phones and computers offering much more in the way of free storage, Apple fans shouldn’t have to pay to get more than 5GB of online drive space.

Ultimately, though, Apple is not forcing anyone to upgrade to more expensive iCloud tiers – you can buy a device with more storage space or perform a full back up using a desktop app like iMazing, for example. But if the lawsuit from Which? compels Apple to be more generous with its free iCloud offering, that itself would be a win for consumers.

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Apple has unveiled a refreshed iCloud.com. The update introduces a modest range of new features, as well as aesthetic updates to enhance the user experience.

Users can now customize their home page’s background, using a selection of colors, and the site now honors users’ existing dark mode settings.

Navigation within iCloud Photos has been streamlined, for a more efficient browsing experience. The homepage now includes tile options showcasing photo albums more prominently. A calendar icon has been added, enabling users to quickly jump to specific months or years, and adjust the time, date, and location of their photos directly from the info pane.

Apple has also upgraded iCloud Notes. Now – with a right click or Control-click – users can pin important notes to the top of their list for easy access.

iCloud Calendar’s design has been elevated to improve usability, and support for the Hijri calendar has been added. And iCloud Drive now has a Shared View tab, which makes it easy for users to see files that are shared with them.

These improvements are not going to knock anyone’s socks clean off, but they certainly will make users of the site’s lives just that little bit easier - and frankly, some of the changes have been a long time coming. I mean, how does a platform not have dark mode in 2024?

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iPhone and iPad owners will be very familiar with iCloud's nagging "upgrade storage" message – and Apple's tactics are working effectivley, according to a new report. The report reveals that the cloud storage service is now the company's most popular service.

According to a new survey from CIRP (Consumer Intelligence Research Partners), almost two-thirds of iPhone and iPad owners (64%) subscribe to iCloud. That puts the service way ahead of Apple's other software services, with Apple Music subscribed to by 42% of Apple fans and Apple TV Plus way down at 32%.

Even free services like Apple Podcasts (which 37% of iPhone and iPad owners use) can't compete with iCloud, while AppleCare insurance is way down at 17%. And there are good, at increasingly controversial, reasons why that's the case.

Back in March, it was revealed that Apple had been hit by a class-action lawsuit claiming that iCloud is effectively a monopoly due to the way it's implemented. The lawsuit alleged that Apple is effectively forcing people to use iCloud for device backups, which is why it apparently now has a 70% share of the cloud storage space.

iCloud's free quota of 5GB storage is certainly pretty stingy compared to rivals like Google Drive, which offers 15GB before you have to start paying. While it is possible to back up your iPhone to a laptop, there's no easy way to do this to an external drive – which is why many choose the simpler iCloud route.

Apple might argue that a third of iPhone and iPad users don't use iCloud, which doesn't particularly sound like a monopoly. But there's no doubt that iCloud's very deep integration into its devices – including those pop-up messages when you run out of storage – gives it a major advantage over rival cloud services, and that's something that could ultimately be unpicked in the broader Department of Justice (DOJ) investigation into what it sees as Apple's illegal iPhone monopoly.

An Intelligent move

Apple clearly sees Apple Intelligence as the next iCloud – which is why we've seen rumors that the collection of AI-powered features will ultimately get a subscription tier.

According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, this could take the form of "Apple Intelligence+," which would unlock extra features for a monthly fee. Yet the result of the big Apple lawsuit sparked by the US Department of Justice (DOJ) in March could impact how that's implemented.

Apple described the iCloud monopoly lawsuit as "implausible" in its bid to get the case dismissed, but dark clouds are certainly forming over some practices that have previously been accepted as part of the company's 'walled garden' approach.

While we still consider iCloud to be the best free cloud storage solution (up to that 5GB limit) for anyone in the Apple ecosystem, our guide to the best free cloud storage options includes alternatives like Microsoft's OneDrive. Futhermore, if you're mainly looking to back up snaps, check out our guide to the best cloud storage for photos.

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With seamless iPhone integration, the Apple Watch keeps you connected digitally while tracking your body’s metrics and giving precise insights into your health and fitness. It’s essential to know how to back up an Apple Watch since it records and stores information about your health, along with your preferred watch faces, app data, and other general settings. 

Whether you're upgrading to another of the best smartwatches by Apple or ensuring your information is safe, we’ll walk you through the backup process in this guide. However, do note that the Apple Watch data backup happens automatically when the Watch and iPhone are paired and close to each other. A backup also triggers when you unpair the Apple Watch from your iPhone.

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Tools and requirements

• iPhone paired with your Apple Watch
• iCloud or computer access

Steps for how to backup Apple watch

• Keep your Apple Watch paired and connected with your iPhone. 
• Open Settings on iPhone.
• Tap your name > iCloud > iCloud Backup > Back Up Now.

Step by step guide to backup Apple watch

Learn how to set up and pair your Apple Watch with your iPhone if they’re not already paired. 

In the steps below, we show you how to back up an Apple Watch to iCloud. 

To back up using Windows, follow these steps: Pair your Apple Watch and iPhone > Connect your iPhone to the computer > Launch iTunes > Click the iPhone icon (top left) > Under Summary, scroll down to Backups and select This Computer > Click 'Back Up Now'. 

Follow these steps to back up using a Mac: Pair your Apple Watch and iPhone > Connect your phone to the computer > Open Finder > Click on your phone’s name under Locations > Select where to back up the data > Click 'Back Up Now'. 

FAQs

Final thoughts

Backing up your Apple Watch is hassle-free because it initiates automatically when your iPhone gets close to it. But with the steps described above, you can manually trigger a Watch backup and rest assured that your health data, app information, and personal settings are safely stored and easily recoverable. 

For more on the Apple Watch, read our guides on how to use the Apple Watch Double Tap gesture, how to record a workout on your Apple Watch, and how to find your missing Apple Watch. 

If you have all your snaps stored in Google Photos, but want to shift them to the iCloud equivalent – perhaps because you’re making the leap from Android to iPhone – then you’re in luck, as Google has just implemented a new tool that’ll do exactly this.

This is part of the Data Transfer Initiative (DTI), and previously, Apple made it possible to transfer your photos and videos directly from iCloud Photos to Google Photos. Now, as announced by the DTI, Google has made it so you can send all your pics the other way, from its service to iCloud.

The ‘Transfer Data’ tool is rolling out over the next week, so you might not see it just yet – but it’s imminent, rest assured – and represents a very convenient way to get your images onto iCloud. (Although do note that your pics won’t be deleted from Google Photos, not unless you do that yourself, after the transfer).

It certainly makes things a lot easier than trying to manually shift a library of photos across (by downloading them to your PC, say, then uploading them to iCloud, which is a ponderous process).

If you’re wanting more details on the process, Google provides a nice, neat set of instructions in the form of this guide.

There is something of a catch, though, as The Register, which noticed the development, points out – and it pertains to the size of your existing photo library. Let’s dive into that next.

Analysis: Reasons to be careful

The mentioned caveat lies in the size of the free cloud storage allocation in Google Photos and iCloud. Assuming you’ve plumped for free accounts with both – far from unimaginable – the allowance is 15GB with Google’s service and 5GB with Apple’s.

So, as you can see, migrating from iCloud to Google won’t be a problem for freebie users, but as for the other direction – if you’ve got approaching 15GB of pics in Google Photos, that’s obviously not going to fit into Apple’s much more meagre free amount of storage. What happens then? Well, you’ll get 5GB worth of photos transferred over, then the migration will grind to a halt – and that’s that. In this case, you’ll have to pay up for more iCloud storage and run the transfer again.

It should also be noted that only supported file types will be moved over to iCloud, although that list encompasses most common picture and video formats. For image files, it includes JPG, GIF, PNG and RAW – the full list is available in Google’s instructions on the process that we linked above.

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When Apple revealed Apple Intelligence at WWDC 2024 in June, it made it clear that the artificial intelligence (AI) system would be free to use, with no paid-for tiered options like you find in rivals such as ChatGPT. But while that’s the situation for now, a new report suggests it might not last.

In his latest Power On newsletter, Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman has hinted at Apple’s future plans. In the article, Gurman explains that “though Apple Intelligence will be free to start, the long-term plan is to make money off [its] capabilities.”

This could be achieved by keeping the base Apple Intelligence model free and launching something akin to “Apple Intelligence+” alongside it. This would have “extra features that users pay monthly fees for, just like iCloud,” Gurman says.

It might not be the only way Apple tries to make money off Apple Intelligence. The company will also “get a cut of the subscription revenue from every AI partner that it brings onboard,” Gurman believes. 

With OpenAI already signed up and Google Gemini now allegedly on the way, that could be a nice little earner for Apple.

The next iCloud

It makes sense that Apple is seeking to make some sort of revenue from Apple Intelligence. The system is being woven into almost every aspect of Apple’s mobile and desktop operating systems, with a huge number of features set to debut when iOS 18 and macOS 15 launch this fall. 

No doubt Apple will have spent a princely sum researching and developing these features and will want to recoup some of the cost. Beyond that, Apple is also firing up a large network of servers that will help power Apple Intelligence. That alone will be expensive to not only build but also maintain in the long run.

With that in mind, it makes sense for Apple to expand Apple Intelligence to as many products as it can in an effort to entice users to upgrade their devices. According to Gurman, the company is looking to bring Apple Intelligence to the Apple Vision Pro at some point in 2025. Its main obstacles are building a user-friendly interface for the AI and ensuring its servers are not overloaded by the extra demand.

Yet you shouldn’t expect Apple Intelligence to land on the HomePod, Gurman cautions. Apple Intelligence requires at least 8GB of memory, but the HomePod mini only has a mere 1GB of RAM. The regular HomePod, meanwhile, is “too low-volume a product to waste the engineering time,” Gurman says.

Instead, Apple is planning to bring it to “an entirely new robotic device with a display that includes Apple Intelligence at its core.” That sounds a lot like a device we’ve seen rumored before, albeit with an AI twist.

With Apple planning to deploy Apple Intelligence in so many different devices, it’s unsurprising that the AI system could turn into the next iCloud, with a subscription option placing more powerful tools at your fingertips. And according to Gurman, Apple Intelligence will get more frequent updates than iCloud, potentially making it one of the most tempting options among Apple’s varied subscription services – and potentially a part of the Apple One bundle.

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A recent poll conducted by TechRadar reveals Gmail continues to dominate as the most popular email service around today. 

According to the poll results, Google’s email service, which was famously thought to be an April Fool’s joke when it first launched on April 1 2004, holds a substantial lead with 1,900 votes, equating to approximately 69% of the total responses.

"Something else"

Second placed Outlook had a surprisingly strong showing, receiving 319 votes, representing around 11.5% of the respondents. This demonstrates a significant user base for Microsoft's email service, highlighting its ongoing relevance in a market often perceived to be Google-dominated.

ProtonMail, known for its focus on security and privacy, also shows a notable presence with 57 votes, making up about 2% of the total. This indicates a growing trend among users who prioritize encrypted communication and secure email services. 

Other email services mentioned in the poll include Yahoo Mail (118 votes, 4.3%), Apple iCloud (152 votes, 5.5%), GMX (15 votes, 0.5%), and AOL (13 votes, 0.5%). The support they received highlights the persistence of long-standing email providers and the reluctance of users to go elsewhere, potentially losing a well-established email address in the process.

Finally, in addition to the major players, the poll results also revealed an interesting aspect of the email market: a significant number of users prefer smaller, less mainstream email providers. 

The "something else" category garnered 280 votes, which is approximately 10.2% of the total. This category's substantial share suggests a diverse landscape of email services that cater to niche needs or offer unique features not found in the more prominent email providers.

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Yes, Apple’s long offered an easy way to save usernames and passwords as part of iCloud Keychain and even allowed syncing them across devices for easy sign-ins. However, Apple may soon devote an entire application across platforms to password management.

According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple will show off a new app called Passwords at WWDC 2024. The app will be a part of, and available on, “iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS 15.” Like iCloud Keychain, the dedicated app can “generate passwords and keep track of them.” 

Reportedly, on iOS or iPadOS, it will move out of Settings and into a dedicated app, while on the Mac, it will leave Safari Settings and turn into a dedicated app. As you might suspect, iCloud Keychain will still be the backbone of this experience.

The application will be a one-stop shop for password management across Apple devices and be divided into categories. It will support standard logins and passwords, saved Wi-Fi networks, and passkeys that utilize Touch ID or Face ID. Releasing a dedicated password management app will put Apple more directly in competition with third-party services like LastPass, Aura, and 1Password.

Like those, Apple’s Passwords solution will likely support the import of passwords, possibly encouraging folks to opt for the one built into the heart of the platforms.

The latest report also notes that passwords will work on Vision Pro – we’ll note the $3,500 Spatial Computer already supports iCloud Keychain for auto-filling – and on Windows computers. It’s unclear if that will be a formal application or a web experience for the latter. Either route, the application will offer the ability to autofill logins and passwords on these devices.

As someone who uses iCloud Keychain, I already appreciate that it works across platforms, and a dedicated application might make it easier to manage them. And if I am searching for a password, it'll be a bit easier to open an app and authenticate versus diving into settings. It will be neat to see if any new features are rolled out, potentially an ability to auto-update logins or passwords after a set amount of time. That's all speculative, though.

Apple will likely unveil the Passwords app alongside a trove of other news at its opening keynote for WWDC 2024. Much of the focus will likely be on integrating artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) announcements for all of Apple’s platforms – iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, tvOS, and visionOS.

We’ll know for sure on June 10, 2024, and you can see the other rumored announcements ahead of the World Wide Developers Conference here.

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Microsoft OneDrive has finally introduced a feature long considered a staple of Google Drive and iCloud: an offline mode. The mode will be rolled out to students and professionals from today onwards, allowing users to save and edit work whether they have an internet connection or not. 

Offline mode for the web version of OneDrive will now let you open your files in the various sections of the cloud storage program, like your shared folder and meeting views, as well as edit your documents, rename them, and sort them - all without needing an internet connection. 

All these changes will be ‘saved’ offline and implemented once you regain internet connectivity with your changes synced to the cloud. Files will be marked as ‘available offline’ as they are in Google Drive. 

How to set it up

If you want to use the new offline mode for OneDrive, you’ll need to install the OneDrive app on your Windows or Mac device. Once you’ve done that, you need to head over to OneDrive on your web browser of choice. 

You should be prompted to complete the one-time setup for offline mode, and voila! You’re all set! You should bear in mind that there are limitations on what you can and cannot do with offline mode at present. As MSPoweruser reports, offline mode only includes support if you have 250,000 files or fewer - hopefully, you do! - and the feature is currently only supported for OneDrive for work and school (although a wider rollout is presumably in the works). 

While long overdue, this is a great chance for Onedrive users who have to work on the go and make last-minute changes to work, and it helps take the stress off those unfortunate times when your Wi-Fi crashes and you worry about losing all your progress! Hopefully, this will tempt more people to try the file management program - now that it’s finally up to speed with basically every other alternative. 

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The latest update for macOS Sonoma has yet another bug, this time causing havoc for users' saved files in iCloud Drive. 

Normally, when you save files within your iCloud Drive all the different versions of that file will be saved for future reference. So, if you’ve been working on a big project or assignment, you can look through all the versions of your file if you need to. 

This is the case even when you remove a file from the drive; the past versions of it will still be available to you if and when you need them. Unfortunately for some users, this new bug erases all the previous saved versions when a file is removed from the iCloud Drive - which could mean all your work is gone. 

Howard Oakley from The Eclectic Light Company stated in a post that users of macOS 14.4 who have enabled the ‘Optimize Mac Storage’ setting should be warned that there’s a risk of losing all their saved versions of a file if they choose to delete or move it from the iCloud Drive. Oakley notes that this issue “certainly doesn’t happen in Ventura” and that when tested in the earlier 14.3 updates did not observe the problem either.

Clutching my saved files  

If you’re worried about your own saved files, don’t! You can try and curb the potential threat by either simply not updating your operating system to macOS 14.4 if you haven’t already, or disabling the ‘Optimise Mac Storage’ setting. This way, your files won’t be booted off iCloud Drive and neither will any previous saved versions. 

This bug is merely the latest problem to plague the macOS Sonoma 14.4 update, following reports that the update was breaking some users' USB hubs and even taking down printers as well. So, you’ll want to be as careful as possible if you’ve already updated to the latest version of Sonoma. 

So far there haven’t been numerous reports of the bug going around, which means it is likely not a widespread issue just yet. We’ve yet to hear any word from Apple regarding these bugs, which can be interpreted as good news in itself -  if Apple hasn’t said anything yet, that’s a good sign that this is a minor issue that will probably be quickly and quietly resolved in a further update. 

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Are you an iPhone user? If so, I need you to do me a favor. Open the Photos app on your device and swipe to the bottom of your images list, then take a note of how many pictures there are in the app. How many do you have? For me, that number feels pretty startling: 33,679.

That’s a lot of photos.

I also have an iPhone with 128GB of storage space. In its latest ad, Apple says that is “lots of storage for photos.” In my case, though, that couldn’t be further from the truth.

To be clear, I’m not accusing Apple of being devious or of misleading people. I’m quite aware that I am very much an edge case, and I don’t expect that the average iPhone user has anywhere near as many pictures as I do on their device.

But it’s still remarkable to see just how much space my images occupy. I’ve got a 200GB iCloud plan and offload my photos from my device onto Apple’s cloud servers. Right now, I’m using about 100GB of it, with almost the entirety of that taken up by my photos. 

There’s no way I could fit all that onto my device’s storage alongside everything else I store on it. What I’m asking is for Apple to be just a little more generous when it comes to iPhone storage space.

Storage gone in 60 seconds

As much of an unusual case as I probably am, focusing on the sheer number of photos might be missing the point. These days, all modern iPhones can take 48MP photos. You don’t need to have over 30,000 of the things to rapidly fill up 128GB. In fact, you’ll run out of space after just over 1,700 images, provided you take 48MP ProRaw images at 75MB a pop (and that doesn’t even factor in space taken up by your apps, documents, messages, and iOS itself).

Apple keeps giving us new ways to eat up our storage, without boosting that storage itself. The 128GB iPhone has been the entry-level choice since 2021, when Apple mercifully dropped the 64GB tier (except on the iPhone SE). But even then 128GB didn’t exactly feel spacious. With the addition of new, storage-hungry technologies like ProRaw images, high-resolution sensors and ProRes video capabilities, it’s easier than ever to run out of space.

The obvious retort to this problem is a simple one: buy an iPhone with more storage. If you’re going to be using all these high-end technologies like ProRaw and ProRes, chances are you’ll be prepared to pay for expensive equipment anyway. What’s a little extra outlay on more storage?

But we all know iPhones are expensive, and I expect most people buy them hoping to keep hold of them for years and get their money’s worth. With all of these interesting new imaging toys to play with, from ultra-high-resolution photos to slow motion videos, it would be easy for someone to make a big dent in their 128GB iPhone’s storage just by playing around with these options for a while. 

Expand that over a number of years and 128GB starts to feel very restricting, even if you’re not a pro photographer or videographer. The real solution is to make a spacious iPhone the default.

It’s time for change

As I mentioned earlier, my way out of this conundrum was to buy a 200GB iCloud plan. At $2.99 / £2.99 a month, it’s not exactly expensive, and a pretty good deal compared to upgrading to a 256GB iPhone. The price of that upgrade is £100 ($100), and it would take almost three years of my iCloud subscription to spend that much. I know it’s not a like-for-like equivalent, but you get the point.

But while iCloud helps relieve some of the 128GB pain, it’s not a panacea. When you offload your photos to iCloud, you need to download them again when you want to view them on your device. For low-resolution images, that’s (usually) fast enough. But downloading 48MP photos or very high-resolution videos? That can result in a long, tedious wait just to see your own work.

The answer, in my eyes, is for Apple to increase the base iPhone storage from 128GB to 256GB. Ideally, Apple would eat the cost of this move – it did the same when it ditched the 64GB option, and it’s not like the company is short on cash. After all, it would feel unfair to punish users with a price increase for the entry-level model when Apple has introduced so many ways to eliminate that storage in an instant.

Ultimately, the ball is in Apple’s court now. The company has done so much good work to upgrade the iPhone’s photo and video abilities – the iPhone really is one of the best smartphone cameras you can buy – now all we need is the storage to match.

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A class-action lawsuit filed in early March 2024 accuses Apple of restricting certain files critical to cloud backups of its devices to its own iCloud platform, and raising the price of the service to the point where it is ‘generating almost pure profit’.

The filing for Gamboa v. Apple Inc, submitted in the US District Court of the Northern District of California, would include a nationwide class of users impacted by the monopoly, and a class of Californians who claim to have been overcharged for an iCloud plan.

We are not lawyers and make no claim to be scholars on California’s corporation laws - however, with Bloomberg noting that iCloud gives Apple a 70% share of the cloud storage market, owing to the sheer ubiquity of their mobile devices, we think it's fair to question the fairness of locking backups to one service and trapping users in one ever increasing pricing model.

iCloud’s competition

iCloud’s competitors include Amazon, Google and Microsoft, which all have cloud storage services available on iOS devices for the purposes of storing user data. 

The prospective lawsuit alleges, however, that requiring the use of iCloud for device backups makes maintaining accounts across multiple services - which may be cheaper, and have a more generous free cloud storage allowance than iCloud’s 5GB - inconvenient.

Apple has yet to respond to the filing, but it seems unlikely that it’ll be able to convincingly argue that backup data specific to Apple devices is sensitive enough to require locking to iCloud when, in 2022, Apple settled another class-action lawsuit, Williams v. Apple Inc, for $14.8 million,  allowing it to continue to deny that it breached its own terms and conditions by storing user data on servers belonging to its competitors.

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We could soon see a major rebranding of Apple ID, Apple’s name for the account users have to use in order to log in, link together, and manage their Apple devices and services.  According to some insiders, Apple is experimenting with changing “Apple ID” to “Apple Account,” and that we could see this come into effect some time this year.

Apple ID is an Apple staple and it allows users to sign into their devices and sync  data, settings, and contacts, as well as granting access to Apple services like the App Store and iCloud. You can create an Apple ID when setting up a new iPhone or Mac, via iTunes if you’re on a Windows device (make sure you have the latest version), or at the official Apple ID website. 

MacRumors speculates that the rebranding of Apple ID to "Apple Account" will happen at some point in 2024, possibly coinciding with the release of macOS 15 (codenamed Glow) and iOS 18 (codenamed Crystal). This is expected to take effect across all Apple applications, Apple’s website, and presumably anywhere else where Apple itself refers to Apple ID. As of now, however, Apple hasn’t officially confirmed that this rebrand will take place. 

There are already a number of places where Apple user accounts are named “Apple Account,” such as “Apple Account Balance” on its official support page, which explains how users can check and use the monetary balance tied to their Apple ID (as it’s presently known).

A rebranding shrouded in mystery

It’s hard to tell exactly why Apple is considering the rebranding (if it even is, remember these are still rumors for now), but it’s known that Apple rebrands often come in tandem with the launch of new products and services. 

Of course, is recently launched the Apple Vision Pro headset, its take on virtual reality headsets, and there are a lot of rumors swirling that there could be new MacBooks and iPads coming very soon. So, if you begin to see Apple ID less and less, it’s (probably) a planned change - that is, if it happens at all.

Most, if not all, Apple device users have come to be familiar with the name Apple ID - so changing it could be risky and confuse people if the rebrand isn't handled well. That's something a few of Apple's rivals know all too well.

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Keeper now has an app for the Apple Vision Pro, letting users of the password manager log in to their apps when using the headset.

Apple's headset allows for what is known as spatial computing, which blends physical and virtual reality into a single experience. Keeper therefore believes that "securing this evolving form of computing is critical."

The firm claims that the manager will work the same as it does on mobile devices, allowing users to autofill their credentials when they login to Vision Pro apps. They will be able to set Keeper as the default password manager instead of Apple's own iCloud Keychain. 

Good for business?

Keeper Security CTO Craig Lurey commented, “Apple Vision Pro has ushered in a new era of computing along with a fresh approach to how people interact with technology,” adding, "Keeper is thrilled to be a part of this by providing a seamless, secure and encrypted login experience through our Apple Vision Pro-compatible app."

Keeper also says that "business customers can also seamlessly login to Keeper with their single sign-on (SSO) solution."

While primarily a consumer device, Apple also appears to be aiming the Vision Pro at businesses too. It already supports the Microsoft 365 suite of productivity tools, as well as Zoom, Webex, TeamViewer, and cloud storage provider Box. Keeper itself also places a keen focus on business use cases.

Apple also announced that the headset would soon support Mobile Device Management (MDM) services too, so that organizations can keep track of all the headsets they have.

However, even though Keeper supports passkeys - the new cutting-edge credential system that replaces passwords - there was no mention that they would support them on the Apple Vision Pro. According to Apple, it appears that passkeys on the Vision Pro can only be used if they are stored with its iCloud Keychain.

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Microsoft has given Windows 11’s desktop email app, Outlook, a major revamp with the addition of Apple iCloud functionality for people who use iPhones or other Apple devices, plus other features. This upgrade is available to all Windows 11 users and you can add your iCloud account to your Outlook app by doing the following: 

1. Click the cog icon in your Outlook menu, which should open your Email accounts setting. This is where you can see all of the accounts that are connected to your Outlook and manage them. 

2. Select Add account and sign into your Apple iCloud account. This should connect your iCloud account. 

The Outlook app had supported Apple’s email service in the past before Windows 11’s launch, but according to Windows Latest, Microsoft is in the process of deploying a new Outlook app in place of the old one. Apparently reception has been lukewarm from users, but Microsoft is adding lots of new features with every new version.

One of the biggest complaints users have with the renewed Outlook app has been that it launches in a web wrapper. The old app was a fully functional UWP app, with both online and offline support. However, the new app only got offline support very recently. User complaints about the new app persist, and Microsoft is continuing to develop the app to hopefully improve users’ experiences and improve their opinion of the new app.

The latest in a string of new developments

This development follows shortly after Microsoft also added compatibility with Gmail, Google Calendar, and contacts to Outlook. iCloud support is also now available to all Windows 11 users, and Microsoft is reportedly working on extending offline support for more parts of the Outlook app, including events and Calendar. 

One feature that users have to look forward to as part of Microsoft’s new Outlook is being able to RSVP to meetings. Windows Latest spotted this as an upcoming update in the Microsoft 365 roadmap, which details what Microsoft has in store for various Microsoft 365 apps. This will help users receive information about the nature of any specific meeting and better decide if they would like to attend. This development is expected to debut in March 2024.

Another feature that has been added will help users understand their meetings and schedules. Microsoft explained on its Tech Community blog that users will be able to track declined meetings better in the Outlook calendar. This will be useful  for many users, especially those who have overlapping or densely-packed meetings, and want to better understand what they are and aren’t attending.

How to turn on visibility for declined meetings

The above is now available within the most up to date version of Outlook, but is disabled by default. You can enable it through the following steps: 

1. Open the Outlook app. 

2. Go to: Settings > Calendar > Events & Invitations > Save declined events

3. Tick (Click) the Show declined events in your calendar box. 

This should turn on the feature and declined meetings should begin to be displayed in your Calendar. 

In order for a meeting to be classified as declined, you will have to have declined the meeting in all Outlook clients and Teams, with the exception of the original Windows Outlook client. 

It’s going to take a little more to win over Windows users it seems, but these seem like some solid steps. These are available to all Windows 11 users with a valid copy of Outlook as far as we know and if you don’t have these features yet, you may need to update your Outlook app. It is to be confirmed if this extends to free users who use Outlook online.

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Following updates to iOS, iPadOS, and macOS, it’s now iCloud’s turn as Apple is redesigning the website as well as introducing a variety of new features.

It’s not a complete overhaul for iCloud mind you, as the quick-glance widgets from last year’s update are still here. The difference this time is users will be able to do more with them. You can now “customize what you see in Tiles”, from choosing a specific folder from the Notes app on your iPhone to picking out your favorite photographs. It’s even possible to have multiple layouts of the same tile displayed on the front page. 

Quality-of-life changes

Next, Quick Actions are being added, allowing you mark reminders as complete or flag a particular email among other things. You can perform these by hovering over your files on iCloud then selecting the three dots that appear to reveal the menu. Apple states “on a touch device” just swipe left. Also, if you’re a PC user, you’re now able to receive Mail and Calendar notifications for incoming emails or event invitations.

Everything described so far has been for the homepage. You see more once you start delving into each of iCloud’s tools.

Most of the changes are nice quality-of-life upgrades that make your life a bit easier. For iCloud Mail, you’re now able to attach files to messages directly from your storage and you can unsend recently sent emails before they reach the recipient’s inbox. 

The Calendar isn’t changing much, but it is getting Identity Control for hiding the email addresses “others see in event invitations”. Additionally, Apple is letting people use their Custom Email Domain to combine their “Calendar and Mail identities” into one.

New image tools

For Photos, you get two new ways to enjoy your pictures. There’s the Memories tool that’ll go through your images in a full-screen view, similar to what Google Photos has on its platform. And you have Slideshow, which, as the name suggests, lets you view a selection of images in a slideshow format.

Finally, Notes is receiving several changes. The more notable two are Shared Folder for collaborating with others on a specific file of notes and Enhanced Search. The latter lets you narrow search results “against categories like shared notes” or tags.

That’s pretty much it for the major upgrades. The update is currently live. All you have to do is sign in, and iCloud will then take you through a brief tour of the revamped layout.

If you’re looking for another service to save important files, we recommend checking out TechRadar’s list of the best cloud storage for 2023.

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Apple has officially launched the biggest expansion to its iCloud+ cloud storage plans in response to our continuously growing digital footprints.

For the first time ever, customers can now sign up for allowances much larger than 2TB from the get-go thanks to the launch of new 6TB and 12TB plans.

First announced at the recent Apple event that saw the reveal of the iPhone 15 family and Series 9 and Ultra 2 versions of the Apple Watch, the iCloud+ expansion should be great news for those looking to upgrade their storage options.

iCloud+ boost

iCloud+ is one of the most commonly used cloud storage services of its kind, thanks to the way it neatly integrates into all of Apple’s hardware, including iPads and Macs. Beyond the free 5GB allowance, users can choose to expand to 50GB, 200GB, and 2TB - at a cost.

Going forward, iCloud+ subscribers will be able to upgrade their storage to a 6TB plan for $29.99 / £26.99 / AU$44.99 per month, or to a 12TB plan for $59.99 / £54.99 / AU$89.99 per month.

Until now, users seeking more than 2TB have needed to pay for an additional 50GB, 200GB, or 2TB at the usual set price.

Apple confirmed that the two new plans will still get access to “premium features,” such as Private Relay, Hide My Email, Custom Email Domains, and HomeKit Secure Video, but it’s unclear whether these more expensive plans will get any additional benefits. The company did not immediately respond to TechRadar Pro’s request for confirmation.

Given the huge emphasis on Apple's environmental work for this year’s devices, its decision to encourage customers to upgrade their storage seems a bit counterintuitive. Data centers are notorious for consuming large amounts of energy, water, and other resources. We asked the company to shed some light on this, too, but so far, we have not received a response.

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Apple's My Photo Stream is shutting down in just a few days – and if you aren't familiar with the service, it's worth checking to make sure you won't lose any photos as part of its shuttering.

My Photo Stream arrived back in 2011 as a temporary place where 1,000 of your most recent photos would live, so you could view them on other Apple devices and decide to download them there. These photos would live in My Photo Stream, so you could easily move them between Apple gadgets.

But with iCloud Photos, which has a free trial, now the main way to transfer snaps to other devices using the cloud, My Photo Stream is being shut down on July 26, 2023. So what does this mean? For most people, probably not a lot – but it's certainly worth checking just in case you have photos stored in the service that aren't also on any physical devices.

As Apple's support page for the My Photo Stream shutdown notes, if you have the device that shot the original images "you won’t lose any photos as part of this process." Also, if you have iCloud Photos (which is a paid service above the free 5GB allowance) enabled on all of your devices, you also don't need to worry.

But just in case you don’t have the photos saved locally anywhere, or if you want to make sure they’re stored on a specific device, we’ve got a guide to help you out. Whether you use an iPad, iPhone, iPod, or a Mac here’s how to save your My Photo Stream pictures.

Apple My Photo Stream: how to save photos on iPhone and iPod Touch

• Start by opening your Photos app and tap on Albums at the bottom of your screen.

• Here you’re looking for the My Photo Stream album. As a default iOS album it should be one of the first options, but if you have lots of albums you may need to scroll a bit to find it.

• Once in the My Photo Stream Album, press the Select button in the top-right corner of the screen then scroll through the album and tap on every image you want to keep.

• With all the images you want to save selected, tap on the Share button (the square with an arrow coming from it in the bottom right-hand corner), then press Save Image.

Apple My Photo Stream: how to save photos on iPad

• Open your Photos app, then open the sidebar by tapping on the icon in the top left of your screen. Here you should see My Albums. Tap on All Albums.
• Look for the My Photo Stream album. It’s a default iOS album so it should appear near the beginning of the list. Scroll through the albums and press it if you see it, but if you don’t then you might not have any My Photo Stream pics to worry about.

• Once you have the My Photo Stream Album press Select in the top-right corner. You can then go through the album and select all the individual images you want to save.
• Now that you have all the images you want to save selected, tap on the Share button (the square with an arrow coming from it in the bottom right-hand corner), then press Save Image.

Apple My Photo Stream: how to save photos on Mac

• Start by booting up your Mac and opening the Photos app. You’ll then need to go to Albums and open up the My Photo Stream album.
• Go through and select the images you want to save to your device.
• Using your mouse, drag the selected images from the My Photos Stream album to your Library and they’ll be stored locally.

The new macOS Sonoma operating system will support iCloud Keychain for Chrome on Apple devices for the first time, the company has revealed.

Previously a Windows exclusive, Mac users who wish to store their credentials on Apple's proprietary password manager, but use them with Google's popular web browser, are now catered for. 

The iCloud Passwords extension for Chrome has hit version 2.0.5, and works on macOS 14 systems. What's more, the extension works on other chromium-based browsers as well, including Microsoft Edge.

macOS Sonoma

Only Apple's Safari browser allowed for the autofilling capabilities of the iCloud Keychain on macOS computers, but now Apple has opened up its platform.

Credentials, including passwords and authentication, can now be entered easily on Chrome running on macOS Sonoma devices; gone are the days of copying and pasting your passwords from the System Setting app. 

macOS Sonoma is currently in public beta, so anyone can try it out, although users should be aware that it does mean that bugs will almost certainly be inevitable. However, Apple does have a commendable history of only releasing public betas of its operating systems once they are relatively stable.

In its FAQ section on beta programs, Apple warns that such software, "may contain errors or inaccuracies and may not function as well as commercially released software. Be sure to back up your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch and your Mac using Time Machine before installing beta software."

Various third-party apps are also expected not work with the new OS, as developers may have to update them to make them compatible.

Some of the other new features in macOS Sonoma include new screen savers that transition into your wallpaper, a new widget gallery on your desktop, and Continuity allows you to add iPhone widgets for apps to your desktop without needing to install them on your Mac.

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Apple’s My Photo Stream is set to be shut down in less than a month on July 26, 2023, so if you want to locally save any images from the photo cloud storage service you don’t have long left.

My Photo Stream was a limited-space cloud storage system that could give you a free taste of what iCloud has to offer you. Your 1,000 most recent snaps would be stored in the cloud for 30 days, allowing you to easily move them between your Apple gadgets. To keep them for longer you need to set up and use iCloud Photos. Because iCloud Photos also has its own free trial which lets you store 5GB of images for free Apple likely feels that My Photo Stream is superfluous – which is probably why it’s going away. 

Thankfully, based on how the service works, we’d be surprised if you have any pictures only stored on the photo storage site – so when the service goes away you should still have the snaps you love stored on one of your devices. But just in case you don’t have them saved locally anywhere, or if you want to make sure they’re stored on a specific device, we’ve got a guide to help you out. Whether you use an iPad, iPhone, iPod, or a Mac here’s how to save your My Photo Stream pictures.

How to save your photos from My Photo Stream

On iPhone and iPod touch 

• Start by opening your Photos app and tap on Albums at the bottom of your screen.

• Here you’re looking for the My Photo Stream album. As a default iOS album it should be one of the first options, but if you have lots of albums you may need to scroll a bit to find it.

• Once in the My Photo Stream Album, press the Select button in the top right corner of the screen then scroll through the album and tap on every image you want to keep.

• With all the images you want to save selected, tap on the Share button (the square with an arrow coming from it in the bottom right-hand corner), then press Save Image.

On iPad 

• Open your Photos app, then open the sidebar by tapping on the icon in the top left of your screen. Here you should see My Albums. Tap on this.
• Look for the My Photo Stream album. It’s a default iOS album so it should appear near the beginning of the list. Scroll through the albums and press it if you see it, but if you don’t then you might not have any My Photo Stream pics to worry about.

• Once you have the My Photo Stream Album press Select in the top right corner. You can then go through the album and select all the individual images you want to save.
• Now that you have all the images you want to save selected, tap on the Share button (the square with an arrow coming from it in the bottom right-hand corner), then press Save Image.

On Mac 

• Start by booting up your Mac and opening the Photos app. You’ll then need to go to Albums and open up the My Photo Stream album.
• Go through and select the images you want to save to your device.
• Using your mouse, drag the select images from the My Photos Stream album to your library and they’ll be stored locally.

Apple has raised iCloud prices in many markets around the world – and suffice to say, subscribers are not happy.

Customers in the UK, Scandinavia, Eastern Europe, the Middle East and South America are among those affected by the move, which will see iCloud subscription prices jump by around 25% from next month.

In the UK, for instance, Apple’s 50GB iCloud plan has increased from £0.79 to £0.99, the 200GB plan from £2.49 to £2.99, and the 2TB plan from £6.99 to £8.99. US prices remain unaffected for now, as do Apple One prices globally.

As our sister site, TechRadar Pro, notes, it’s likely that these increases represent an attempt on Apple’s part to tie back into true values that have been affected by currency exchange rate fluctuations in recent months, but that justification will come as little consolation to those who will soon be forced to fork out more for their monthly iCloud storage allowance.

“As a paying user I think Apple needs to add more features and switch around some of the storage options,” one Twitter user wrote in response to the move, while another tweeted: “That's just greediness.”

It’s also worth reiterating that Apple offers no additional iCloud storage options between 200GB and 2TB – a fact not lost on those subscribers who require more than 200GB but use noticeably less than 2TB: “Apple are taking the piss with their iCloud storage price increase. From £6.99 for 2TB to £8.99. There’s no in-between from 200GB to 2TB. Was this really necessary in the UK?!”

Annually, the move will see UK subscribers pay £2.40 more for Apple’s 50GB iCloud plan, £6 more for the 200GB plan and £24 more for the 2TB plan. Those might seem like marginal increases, but they do now mean that Google’s best cloud storage options are – for the first time – cheaper than Apple’s.

Of course, Apple still offers 5GB of free iCloud storage to all iPhone users, but that option is only really suitable for those who don't have a large library of files, videos and images. For context, an image shot on the iPhone 14 Pro takes up around 2.5MB of memory, while a ten-second video clip, shot in 4K, takes up around 25MB.

If you’re wondering how much iCloud storage you need, head over to our dedicated guide. Alternatively, these 5 tips on how to free up space could help you drop down to a cheaper tier of additional iCloud storage.

Apple has quietly slipped some pretty hefty price rises into its iCloud+ cloud storage plans, with millions of users across the world potentially affected.

With US pricing unchanged, it’s likely that the rises were a move to tie back into true values that have been affected by currency exchange rate fluctuations in recent months.

UK customers are among the worst affected, having to deal with price rises of at least one-fifth: the 50GB plan has gone from £0.79 to £0.99 (25%), the 200GB plan from £2.49 to £2.99 (20%), and the 2TB plan from £6.99 to £8.99 (29%).

iCloud+ prices go up across the world

According to 9To5Mac, customers in Poland, Romania, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Sweden, Tanzania, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates are also now having to fork out more each month for their cloud storage.

Apple did not immediately confirm to TechRadar Pro which countries have been affected and whether the move is likely to be mirrored across the rest of its online services. Late last year, some services like Apple Music and Apple TV+ were made more expensive.

The trio of online service bundles, known collectively as Apple One, had their pricing adjusted to reflect these changes last year. They include access to at least Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, and iCloud+.

Apple has not yet adjusted its prices to reflect the iCloud+ changes, so Apple One remains at £16.95, £22.95, and £32.95 per month for Individual, Family, and Premier, respectively.

Furthermore, each of the three iCloud+ storage plans - which can be shared with up to five more family members - also comes with iCloud Private Relay which is designed to maintain some online browsing privacy, Hide My Email, and support for a custom email domain. They also get support for varying numbers of HomeKit Secure Video cameras depending on the plan.

Among the like-for-like plans that Google offers, its 200GB plan is now cheaper than Apple’s at £2.49 per month, as is its 2TB plan at £7.99 per month. Dropbox also costs £7.99 per month for 2TB.

• After an alternative for your company? Check out these cloud hosting providers

For some, iCloud may be the obvious choice when it comes to passwords, along with its ability to handle other sensitive information and its tight integration with the rest of the Apple ecosystem, both hardware and software. For others, it can be an easily overlooked service that sees them searching (and paying) for an alternative password manager.

That said, Keychain is designed to work with Apple hardware, so iPhone, iPad, and Mac fans rejoice. Windows users will be somewhat pacified that Apple has recently revamped its iCloud desktop client to include support for Keychain, which works via an extension for Edge or Chrome, but Android users will be totally infuriated that there’s no support or solution for the mobile OS that accounts for around two-thirds of all smartphone installations.

This review takes those ideas and applies them to the usability of Keychain, comparing whether this stripped-back essential can keep up with its modern-day rivals.

iCloud Keychain: Plans and pricing

iCloud Keychain itself is an entirely free product, but it forms part of a much wider offering that can see users spending significant amounts of money each month. Because it is, in essence, free, there are no annual or lifetime subscriptions to talk about.

To use iCloud Keychain, you first need an iCloud account, which covers just about every Apple user who has set up an Apple ID. The free plan, which comes with 5GB of storage, allows the syncing of other aspects like Contacts, Calendar, and Mail. This plan also gets access to iCloud Keychain, and while it is technically under the limitations of the 5GB allowance, this is extremely unlikely to be reached.

Anybody using iCloud for its other purposes, especially for storing files, photos, and videos, will find the need to upgrade once they fill up their 5GB allotment, and this is where the cost comes in. A trio of plans with 50GB, 200GB, and 2TB cost $0.99 / £0.79 / AUD$1.49, $2.99 / £2.49 / AUD$4.49, and $9.99 / £6.99 / AUD$14.99 respectively.

Along with some other features unrelated to cybersecurity, the plans also give users access to Hide My Email which generates an email alias that users can disable to protect themselves from marketing and spam, and iCloud Private Relay which isn’t quite a VPN, which obscures your IP address from your target website and not your network provider.

Then, there are the Apple One subscriptions which bundle in Apple TV+, Apple Music, and Apple Arcade, with the range-topper also getting Apple News+ and Apple Fitness+.

iCloud Keychain: Setup

Apple says that to enable iCloud Keychain, you must first have two-factor authentication (2FA) enabled on your account, which should be a staple for any Internet-connected account anyway given the significant cybersecurity benefits for very little additional effort.

Turning on iCloud Keychain is handled from the iCloud panel on the respective device. For iPhones and iPads, this will be under your name at the top of the Settings app > iCloud > Passwords and Keychain. For Mac, this will be a similar process from the System Preferences app.

iCloud Keychain: Interface and performance

The whole point of iCloud Keychain is that there is very little interface for you to have to interact with. Pop-ups handle most operations, including prompting you to save a new password, update an existing one, and fill one out to log in. The iCloud feature can also handle other sensitive information, like payment details.

Also included is a password generator to help users create secure passwords, which typically include 20 characters containing some symbols, a capital letter, and a number. During the suggestion, there are options to go for a slightly easier one, to edit the suggested password, or to enter your own.

Given that Apple, along with Google and Microsoft, has been instrumental in the rollout of passkeys, it should come as no surprise that iCloud Keychain now also supports this type of passwordless login that promises to eliminate the risk of account takeovers, thus data breaches and other hacks. Logging into a device that doesn’t have access to your Keychain via a passkey is as easy as scanning a QR code on your iPhone or iPad and authorizing access from the trusted device.

For those still clinging on to regular passwords, 2FA is handled from Keychain, too. A lesser-known feature of iCloud Keychain is its support for 2FA code generation, eliminating the need for third-party authentication apps. As with the password, Apple devices will automatically fill out your 2FA code, too.

If you need to see a password, maybe to log in on another device, there’s a multitude of ways to get access. On an iOS or iPadOS device, it’s as simple as Settings > Passwords, where you’ll be prompted to authenticate via Face ID, Touch ID, or passcode. The same is true of Mac, where you can find passwords in System Preferences > Passwords. 

Alternative access on Mac can be found via Safari > Settings > Passwords, or via the dedicated Keychain Access app which handles more credentials than just those stored on iCloud, including locally stored details.

The Settings (iOS) or System Preferences (macOS) view is where you’ll also find details of any compromised passwords and recommendations to change them. You’ll also be able to set up new 2FA codes in here.

With the launch of iOS 17 and macOS Sonoma, new shared pots of passwords and passkeys can be set up for families, colleagues, and so on.

iCloud Keychain: Security

Besides the mandatory account 2FA mentioned above during the setup process, iCloud Keychain is also one of the handful of iCloud services automatically secured with end-to-end encryption whereby your device and passcode are used to authorize access. This also means that Apple doesn’t have access to your passwords, but be aware that failure to remember your iCloud password could mean that you lose access to all your passwords.

There’s also an Advanced Data Protection mode for iCloud, which launched with iOS 16.2 and macOS 13.1 and is designed to end-to-end encrypt your entire iCloud library, including Photos and Drive. You can also use physical recovery keys or a recovery contact to gain access should you forget your iCloud password and get locked out.  

iCloud Keychain: Customer support

Depending on which products and services you have, and whether you have AppleCare+ on any of your devices, you’ll get some of the best customer support out there from Apple.

Alongside seemingly hundreds of self-help articles and guides, you can contact Apple via chat (either with a dedicated app, online, or via iMessage Business Chat), or by phone. The company is also committed to accessibility, so getting support tailored to your needs should be smooth, such as in sign language. 

iCloud Keychain: The competition

iCloud Keychain has two routes for competition. In a similar way to Apple fans, Google fans running Android mobile devices and virtually any type of PC with Chrome will likely want to consider Google Password Manager for its fluidity and ease of use, much like iCloud Keychain. Microsoft also has its own solution built into Edge.

Those looking for the best cross-device compatibility should consider a password manager from a company that specializes in just that. The most popular are Dashlane, LastPass, and 1Password, but there are plenty to choose from.

iCloud Keychain: Final verdict

iCloud Keychain has come a long way in recent years, and while it lacks some of the interface you’d expect from a dedicated password manager, it’s no logner short on features and integrates seamlessly with the rest of Apple’s offerings. If you’re a loyal Apple fan and value minimalism and simplicity, iCloud Keychain is a no-brainer as it continues to get better.

We've also featured the best business password managers.

Apple has announced that it's shutting down its older My Photo Stream service on July 26, and encouraging everyone to move over to iCloud Photos. If you still use My Photo Stream, your files will remain available in the cloud for 30 days from July 26.

My Photo Stream was the forerunner to iCloud Photos. It was free to use but only covered a maximum of 1,000 pictures and video clips, keeping these files in sync across every Apple device you owned and on the web.

Apple hasn't given a reason for shutting down the service, but iCloud Photos is clearly the newer and more comprehensive option for photo and video backups – while also making some money for Apple in terms of storage fees at the same time.

"Moving forward"

"Moving forward, iCloud Photos is the best way to keep the photos and videos you take up to date across all your devices and safely stored in iCloud," Apple said in an email sent out to anyone who is still making use of My Photo Stream.

While photos and videos won't be deleted from your actual devices, they will be removed from the cloud 30 days from July 26 (so August 25), and syncing will be switched off. No new uploads will be permitted from July 26.

The service launched alongside iCloud in 2011 and is something of a throwback to the time when tech companies were still figuring out how to get photo and video uploads to work in a speedy and seamless way.

Analysis: what you need to do

What Apple is doing here is phasing out the cloud storage and syncing service for your last 1,000 photos and videos. The original files – which in most cases will be on an iPhone, if they were captured with the iPhone camera – won't go anywhere.

Unless you want to risk losing all your precious memories if something happens to your phone, you really need to get your pictures and videos uploaded to the cloud for safekeeping. Apple is pushing its own iCloud Photos service, which works well: once you go past 5GB of files though, you'll need to start paying for storage.

Other similar services that offer paid-for cloud storage include Google Photos and Dropbox. If you don't want to pay or store anything in the cloud, you need to make sure your photos and videos are regularly backed up to a computer or storage drive or two, preferably in a different location to where your iPhone normally lives.

There's more information in the official Apple support document about how the My Photo Stream shutdown is going to work, what you need to do with your photos and videos, and how to get them into iCloud Photos if you want to.

iCloud Drive is a product of Apple and is the built-in cloud storage solution for all Apple devices, however that’s not to say that they can’t use other services. Nor is it to say that Windows devices shouldn’t use iCloud’s tools, though they are optimized for Apple devices and are slightly less intuitive for Windows users. Still, if you use it on an iPhone and need to understand how it works on a Windows computer, we’ve covered all the basics here.

iCloud is the cloud platform that underpins all of Apple’s cross-device syncing, including Photos, Notes, Reminders, and even the Keychain password manager, however this explainer focuses on iCloud Drive as a file storage solution.

• Read our full, in-depth iCloud Drive review to learn more about the platform

iCloud Drive: Pricing

Anybody with an iCloud account (which is almost everybody that has an iPhone, iPad, Mac, or other Apple device) will automatically get 5GB of storage for free, but because this can be used for cloud backups, photos and videos, and just about everything else, it can fill up incredibly quickly.

There are three paid plans each with 50GB, 200GB, or 2TB of storage as well as a handful of other features, costing $0.99/£0.79, $2.99/£2.49, and $9.99/£6.99 per month respectively. There are no annual discounts available, but you can save some money by bundling storage with other Apple services like Apple Music audio streaming in a trio of ‘Apple One’ plans. 

iCloud Drive: How to sign up

If you’re reading this from an Apple device, then you’ve very likely got an Apple ID. When you set up a new Apple product, you’re guided through the setup process (but there is an option to skip).

If you haven’t, you can create one on Apple’s website which will see you parting with data like your first name, surname, country of origin, date of birth, and phone number.

iCloud Drive: How to use it online

Navigating

Apple recently upgraded the design of its iCloud.com portal to keep up with its adapting product and service range. Overall, iCloud Drive online offers an extremely minimal experience and there’s not an awful lot to explore, but this should make it easy to find work.

Apple hopes to be able to serve up what you want in its ‘Recents’ tab, however if it doesn’t, then you’ll need to take a look under ‘Browse’. The folders you’ll find in here will likely be based on which Apple devices you use. In our example, the ‘Desktop’ and ‘Documents’ folders are there as they’ve synced from a Mac, but the ‘Download’ folder is there because it’s come from an iPhone. You can change all of this to suit your needs, anyway.

Uploading and creating new content

It’s clear that Apple has invested time and money into the design of the iCloud.com interface, and this is most evident in its choice of glyphs for the action buttons that line the top of the web page that are easy to understand.

To upload a file, click the cloud icon with an up arrow. Note that you can only upload files (more than one in one go is fine), not folders, unlike Google Drive and OneDrive. 

If you want to add a folder, then you’ll use that button next to the upload cloud.

Downloading existing content

To download something, you’ll be using the cloud icon with a down arrow. Note that again, you’re restricted to downloading individual files and not entire folders, which can be a pain if you need to make copies of your entire drive. You may be able to copy and paste entire folders using the desktop clients (more on those below), but for online use, this isn’t the case.

There are no checkboxes to select multiple items, and it’s not possible to click and drag, so you would be forgiven for thinking that you’d have to download each and every single file individually. That’s not the case, though, because you can Ctrl+click (Windows) or Cmd+click (Mac) to highlight more than one file.

Sharing content

Besides the ‘Trash’ icon, there’s only a pair of action buttons remaining, and they both relate to sharing content. Select one or more files and click the envelope icon to send a copy of a document to somebody by email - this will provide them with their own copy of the document that they are free to edit without your copy being affected.

If you want to collaborate on a file or folder, then you can select the ‘Share’ button with a person and a plus icon. You can choose to email straight from iCloud online, or copy the link to paste it in another app like Messages or Slack.

iCloud Drive: How to use it on Windows or Mac

iCloud is designed to integrate deeply with whichever system you’re using, though ultimately it’s designed for Mac users. Many of the options will be handled in System Settings, where you can toggle which files to sync and whether to download them (and use local hard drive space) or keep them online-only until you need them (which requires constant Internet access). There’s no need to download any additional software to use iCloud on Apple hardware.

If you’re searching for files, you’ll find them all in the iCloud section of Finder. Remember that any changes you make here are reflected everywhere else, so if you delete a file, it’ll be from iCloud rather than just from your computer. 

The same sort of setup applies to Windows computers, though you’ll need to download the software from the Microsoft Store and it’s not quite as slick as it is on Macs. It’s also worth mentioning that any files you create on Apple’s own software (for example Pages, Keynote, and Numbers), you won’t be able to open on a Windows device, but you can still access them online. 

iCloud Drive: How to use it on Android and iOS

This is where things get a lot more clear-cut because Apple only caters to its own hardware. Android users will have to turn to browser access, which is far from ideal on the small screen of a smartphone. 

Regardless of whether you’re on an iPhone or iPad, iCloud will be integrated into a long list of apps to keep them syncing with one another, however items specifically stored in iCloud Drive can be accessed from the Files app.

The ‘Recents’ view should surface recently accessed work, and ‘Shared’ will show work that either you’ve shared or somebody else has shared with you. Browse is for when the going gets tough and you need to trawl through your entire drive for something.

Note that the Files app can also play home to other cloud drives you have installed on your device, including OneDrive, Google Drive, and Dropbox, on top of iCloud Drive.

Apple has released iOS 16.3, which includes a huge security feature that’s set to change how we store our whole lives online.

iCloud is home to some of our most trusted memories, secrets, and more, and the thought of a hacker getting hold of our cloud storage data puts fear into most users with an Apple ID.

To help protect this, iOS 16.3, and the correlating iPadOS 16.3 and macOS 13.2 updates, have brought along support for security keys to further enhance Apple ID protection. 

iOS 16.3 Security Keys

“Security Keys for Apple ID allows users to strengthen the security of their account by requiring a physical security key to sign in," an extract from Apple's release notes reads.

Apple has long offered two-factor authentication (2FA) on its accounts, however this type of protection is still easy for scammers to get around with phishing emails and other types of hacks.

Users looking to take their account protection one step further can now choose to use a physical security key, which only they have access to, in order to prevent prying eyes for gaining unwanted access.

While this may be welcome news to many, it does come with caution for the less tech-savvy customers. That’s because you are now the holder of your encryption key, so if you were to lose it, you’d be locked out for good - Apple won’t hold a backup. 

The latest round of updates has also seen Advanced Data Protection expanded. It’s now able to end-to-end encrypt 23 iCloud categories, including Photos, which Apple says will “[protect] your information even in the case of a data breach in the cloud” for users worldwide after an initial US-only rollout.”

Other updates include bug fixes, an Emergency SOS improvement that should see fewer accidental phone calls, and support for the second-generation HomePod.

• Check out the best ID theft protection

Knowing how to transfer your data from iPhone to iPhone is a skill that's bound to come in handy. While it's tempting to want to use your shiny new iPhone the minute you get your hands on it, it's important you don't rush through the initial setup process as the last thing you want is to lose any important files or photos.

Whether you've just purchased an iPhone 14 or another of the best iPhones that are currently available, you'll need to transfer data from your old iPhone to your new iPhone. While you have the option of starting from scratch and setting up your iPhone in a brand-new state, most of us will want to transfer our data over.

When it comes to how to set up a new iPhone it's true that Apple does ask you whether or not you want to transfer data from iPhone to iPhone, but, depending on whether or not you use iCloud, have the right iPhone transfer cables, or you want to use one of the best MacBooks and Macs as an intermediary, there are different iPhone data transfer methods you can employ.

There's also the issue of how much of your data you're wanting to transfer over. While some of us find it easier to just move the whole lot across and sort it out later, for others, it may be that we only want specific data to be transferred over. 

No matter what route you want to go down, we're here to walk you through the best methods available to transfer data from iPhone to iPhone. For other situations, you can check out our guides on how to switch from Android to iPhone or how to switch from iPhone to Android.

How to transfer iPhone data via iCloud

The simplest method for preserving your iPhone data is to first learn how to back up an iPhone to iCloud. Go to Settings > Your Name (the first option) > iCloud. You'll see how much iCloud storage you've used and which apps you're backing up.

You can see a summary of how much storage space is currently being used by Photos, backups, apps and other data. Scroll down to see a list of apps using iCloud, with the option to toggle each app on or off – so they will or won't appear on your new iPhone automatically. 

You only get 5GB of storage for free. Considering most iPhones these days have 64GB of storage or more, that won't be enough for most people. You can follow our guide on how to free up space on an iPhone, but that likely won't be enough.

To back up everything on your phone, you'll probably need to upgrade to a paid plan. It costs $0.99 / £0.79 / AU$1.49 per month for 50GB or $2.99 / £2.49 / AU$4.49 per month for 200GB. 

If you don't mind a small fee, you can sign up, back up your entire phone to iCloud, download the data to your new iPhone, and then cancel iCloud before the month is out. In the iCloud Settings, choose Manage Storage and hit Upgrade to select your paid plan.

Once you've settled what you want to transfer to your new iPhone, go to Settings > Your Name > iCloud > iCloud Backup. You'll find the option at the bottom of the 'Apps Using iCloud' section.

Toggle iCloud Backup on if it isn't already, then select Back Up Now. Your iPhone will upload all of your most recent data to the cloud.

Now, begin setting up your new iPhone. Go through the on-screen steps, including connecting your phone to Wi-Fi; you can skip past the Quick Start screen, which appears in the next section. Once you hit the Apps & Data screen, choose Restore from iCloud backup. 

You must sign in to your Apple ID account; if you have 2FA active, you'll likely need to approve the login on your old iPhone or Mac. Then, choose the most recent iCloud backup from the list of options that shows today's date. 

Apple will transfer all of the backed-up data directly to your new iPhone. Just make certain that the phone is connected to Wi-Fi so you're not using cellular data, and that it's plugged in so that the phone doesn't die mid-transfer.

How to transfer iPhone data with Quick Start

The best free method for transferring data to your new iPhone is via Quick Start, Apple's own iPhone-to-iPhone transfer system.

To use it, your current iPhone must run iOS 16.2 or later and have Bluetooth enabled. Any iPhone from the 5S onwards should be capable of this. However, we recommend updating to iOS 16 (or the latest available iOS version on older phones) for the easiest transfer process. Check out our guide to How to get iOS 16 on your iPhone for more information.

Turn on both your old and new iPhones and place them next to one another. On the new iPhone, choose your language. The next screen should be the Quick Start screen.

On your old iPhone – assuming Bluetooth is enabled – you should see a pop-up screen asking if you want to 'Use your Apple ID [email@domain.com] to set up your new iPhone'. Hit Continue, then pick up your old iPhone and position the camera view so it overlaps with the circular pattern that appears on your new iPhone.

Your old iPhone is now synced. Place it nearby, and plug it in if the battery is low so that it doesn't die mid-transfer.

On your new iPhone, follow the on-screen steps until you hit the Transfer Your Data screen. Choose Transfer from iPhone, agree to the Terms and Conditions (assuming you do agree to the terms and conditions, of course), and confirm what Settings or other data you want to transfer over. You may also need to update the new iPhone to the latest OS.

Once the new iPhone finishes preparing the transfer, the old iPhone will show a 'Transferring Data' screen with a progress bar, while the new iPhone will have a 'Transferring Data from X's iPhone' screen with the same progress. How long it takes will depend on how many gigabytes of data you're transferring and whether the two phones are wired.

Eventually, the transfer will complete! On your new iPhone, tap through the menus that appear until you reach the home screen. Ensure that your Apple Photos, Calendar, Mail, Contacts, and other apps all have your old data.

On your old iPhone, hit Continue to go back to the home screen. Now that you've confirmed that everything moved over, you can safely factory reset your iPhone (if you're not sure how to do this, check out our guide to how to reset an iPhone).

How to transfer data to an iPhone using a wired connection

You can also choose to connect the two iPhones using a cable and adapter before using the Quick Start method. While this will speed up the transfer, it frankly may not be worth the price.

You need a Lightning to USB Camera Adapter ($29 / £29 / AU$49) to go with your standard Lightning-to-USB cable that comes with your iPhone. The Adapter's Lightning connector goes into one iPhone, the USB charger inserts into the Adapter, and the charger's Lightning connector slots into the other iPhone.

This adapter is mainly used to transfer data from USB-compatible accessories to iPhones and iPads. If you don't see yourself using it in any other context, you're probably safe to skip it and just transfer wirelessly. The small amount of time saved most likely doesn't justify the cost.

How to transfer data from iPhone to iPhone using Mac or PC

Backing up your iPhone to your computer has some benefits when transferring data to a new iPhone. It lets you transfer the data using a cable instead of over Wi-Fi, without paying for iCloud. Plus, it stores the backed-up data in case your iPhone ever becomes lost or damaged.

To connect your iPhone to your Mac or PC, you'll either need a USB-C to Lightning cable or a USB-C to USB adapter to go with the USB-to-Lightning charging cable.

With the latest macOS version, Apple now backs up your iPhone to Finder instead of iTunes. Connect your old iPhone and find it under Locations in Finder. Choose Trust this device on both the iPhone and Mac. You'll see an option to Back up all of the data on your iPhone to your Mac. Select it and choose Back up now. 

With your new iPhone, turn it on, plug it into your computer, and go through the on-screen steps. Skip past Quick Start and progress until you reach Apps & Data. Choose Restore from Mac or PC. You'll follow the on-screen steps to install your latest backup onto your new iPhone.

Transfer select data from one iPhone to another

Sometimes you need to transfer data from iPhone to iPhone en masse without completely overwriting the other phone. You can always use traditional methods – email or text messages, for instance – but there are other methods you can use, either from Apple tools or via third parties.

AirDrop: You can easily send Apple Photos, Files, or other content from one iPhone to another using AirDrop. We have a guide on how to use AirDrop on iPhones if you need help figuring out how to make both iPhones find one another. But this tool makes it simple to share content from most iOS apps to another iPhone.

Transfer specific files to Mac or PC: When you connect your iPhone to your Mac via Finder (or PC via iTunes for Windows), instead of backing up your entire phone, you can drag and drop specific files from your iPhone to your computer desktop. You can then connect the second iPhone to that same computer and drag the files from your desktop onto that new phone. This method works well for a larger transfer of files.

Cloud storage: iCloud isn't the only storage service in town. You can use any of the best cloud storage solutions available to back up specific files from your iPhone to the cloud. Assuming the service has an app, you can then download it on the second iPhone, log into that account, and download the necessary files from the cloud to that device.

Apple has announced a major upgrade to its data privacy protection for iCloud, giving users of the cloud storage platform a significant security upgrade

Among the new advanced privacy features are iMessage Contact Key Verification, which looks to provide further SMS-based security, and Advanced Data Protection for iCloud. 

While the announcement hints the new features are designed primarily for high-profile targets (journalists, dissidents, human rights activitists, political opposition, etc.) they will be available for all consumers, offering a welcome boost against security threats.

Fighting "exceptionally advanced" adversaries

Advanced Data Protection for iCloud is designed to keep user data protected, even in case of a breach in the cloud. 

It does so by making sure the sensitive data is only decrypted on trusted devices. Currently, iCloud protects 14 sensitive data categories with end-to-end encryption, but Apple is now increasing this to 23, adding iCloud Backup, Notes, and Photos to the mix. 

The only major iCloud data categories that are not covered are iCloud Mail, Contacts, and Calendar, due to the fact that these need to interoperate with the global email, contacts, and calendar systems, Apple said.

“As threats to user data become increasingly sophisticated and complex, these new features join a suite of other protections that make Apple products the most secure on the market,” the company said. 

iMessage Contact Key Verification will allow users to further verify that the person they’re talking to is the only one receiving the messages they’re sending out. Users that have the feature enabled will receive a notification in case an “exceptionally advanced adversary, such as a state-sponsored attacker” manages to breach Apple’s cloud servers and inserts an eavesdropping device. Furthermore, iMessage Contact Key Verification users can compare a Contact Verification Code in person, on FaceTime, or through another secure call, Apple added.

• These are the best privacy tools right now

Apple has announced new features aimed at improving the cybersecurity protections for its customers, both consumers and businesses, including Security Keys, an ability to use third-party physical keys to protect data sitting in the iCloud platform.

“For users who opt in, Security Keys strengthens Apple’s two-factor authentication by requiring a hardware security key as one of the two factors,” the company said in its announcement, noting Security Keys will be generally available in 2023.

“This takes our two-factor authentication even further, preventing even an advanced attacker from obtaining a user’s second factor in a phishing scam.”

Protecting public figures

While the feature can be used by anyone, it was designed with public figures in mind, Apple said. After all, it’s public figures, such as celebrities, journalists, or government employees, that often face “concerted threats to their online accounts”. 

Speaking to 9to5Mac, Apple said the system integrates with its device-to-device transfer process, meaning once a user authenticates their iPhone, they won’t need to do it again, even when getting a new device (as long as they use the device-to-device setup transfer process, it said). 

Furthermore, trusted devices that are already signed into Apple ID won’t be signed out when the user tries to authenticate with the Security Key. 

Don’t expect to be buying new gadgets from Apple any time soon, though, as Apple confirmed no intention of building these hardware keys. Instead, it wants to onboard third-party partners.

There is a pressing need for stronger security, Apple said, citing a new research report titled “The rising threat to consumer data in the cloud”. Written by Dr. Stuart Madnick, professor emeritus at MIT Sloan School of Management, the report states the total number of data breaches more than tripled in less than a decade (2013 - 2021), with more than a billion personal records exposed to the public in 2021, alone. 

• Here's our rundown of the best authenticator apps right now

Via: 9to5Mac

The best free cloud storage offers an online space for file storage, keeping your photos, videos, and documents safe.

Whilst these cloud services are great options for anyone on a budget - it's important to remember that other options for the best cloud storage plans will come with more features, and likely better security - so for sensitive files, it's better to go with a paid version.

We've made sure to check out and review pretty much every free cloud storage option out there, and we make our ranking based on a number of features, such as capacity and security.

If you're looking for storage for your business, it's always best to go with a trusted paid provider, so we've also listed the best cloud storage services for businesses, that have extra useful features and tools.

Internxt is the best free cloud storage for most people. Rakuten Drive and IceDrive are also great free cloud storage services. Read my full analysis below:

Today's best deals

The best cloud backup solutions often also have free options.

We’ve also listed the best lifetime cloud storage deals and unlimited cloud storage providers.

The best free cloud storage solutions of 2026 in full:

Best free cloud storage overall

Internxt is a fantastic choice for secure cloud storage. It's an open source cloud storage provider, and is well deserving of first-place in our best free cloud storage list, with a user-friendly interface, cutting edge security, and fast upload speeds.

You have flexibility, too, with 3 different billing plans: monthly, annual, and lifetime.

Currently, TechRadar Pro readers get an 87% discount on Internxt's most popular 5TB Lifetime Plan. That's a step up from the 75% off offers we regularly see on the website.

With a free Internxt account, you get 1GB of free storage and this require a credit card, just an email address and password. A free Internxt account also gives you access to its privacy-centric suite of apps, Google Drive, Google Photos, and Send.

Internxt's web view, apps, and Windows Explorer and Mac Finder integration made uploading as simple as a drag and drop, for instance - which is smooth and easy to use.

Syncing features also keep your files up to date across all your platforms and devices 0 which is essential for backup support - and file sharing can be done through custom links, You can also control how many times your files are accessed and by whom, and you can set an expiration time of up to 15 days for extra security.

Internxt includes two-factor authentication, a smart way to protect any account in the digital age by requiring an additional verification step. However, it doesn't support 2FA via SMS, only through external tools like an authenticator app- which can be a faff for some, but is arguably more secure.

It does have end-to-end encryption, meaning that no one but you (not even Internxt) can see your data - which is a crucial consideration in security. An antivirus scanner checks your files for malware, and there's even a password checker, password generator and a temporary email service.

Another fantastic feature is that Internxt is open-source - so you can rest assured that the end-to-end encryption has been set up correctly, as the code is available for inspection by the community (and believe us, they do inspect it!) - this means it's much less likely to contain bugs or deliberately coded 'backdoors'.

Best of all, unlike some of the competition, Internxt doesn't try to hobble its free account by plastering it with ads or leaving out key features. Free users may have less storage, but otherwise they get access to all the same goodies as paying customers.

It's even available in seven languages; English, Chinese, Russian, Italian, Spanish, French, and German.

Read our full Internxt review

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Best free cloud storage for scalability

The free offering from Rakuten Drive is pretty impressive, with 10GB of cloud storage right away - no catch, and additional busywork to unlock (which is pretty rare).

This puts it in third place in terms of size after Mega's 20GB or Google Drive's 15GB - so if all you want is sheer storage, take a look at one of those.

What Rakuten claims to do best is its expansion across large teams. Each user gets 'up to' 3 terabytes of storage space - which as Rakuten itself attests, will cover a lot of your use cases.

But, Rakuten Drive also supports folder sharing with entire teams or with 'limited shareholders' - with extensive permission settings.

You also get great collaboration features, with Microsoft Office file support, which lets users preview and edit directly within Rakuten Drive. You don't have to be within the Microsoft system to take advantage of this either, as it isn't a Microsoft 365 integration.

It has security features too, with password protections and user permissions (not hugely special, but always a good bonus).

Rakuten also brags ‘multi-device accessibility’, which seems to be a puffy way of saying that your data will go with you, anywhere.

Rakuten promotes Google Play Store, Chrome Web Store and iOS apps, which would indicate no dedicated desktop app. That’s our only gripe thus far: such an app would open the door for mapping cloud storage as a virtual drive on a computer, which would make file management seamless.

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Best free cloud storage for virtual drives

Relative newcomer IceDrive wants to make its cloud storage service feel like a physical hard drive, with what the company calls “revolutionary” drive-mounting software, without taking up any space on your local device.

Intelligent caching of your recently used files means you’ll notice almost no slowdown. The only downside of this feature is that it is Windows-only. Other operating systems aren’t left out completely, though. IceDrive has a ‘portable’ app that runs on Windows, Mac, and Linux.

It is also easy to create public links for files and folders or share them with people by entering their email address. Shared content can have passwords and expiry dates. Still, it's not yet possible to collaborate on documents as you would with Microsoft 365 or the Google G Suite.

One great plus point is that, unlike some other cloud storage providers, IceDrive doesn't limit the size of files you upload, though they recommend using the dedicated app for transferring large amounts of data.

IceDrive also claims that its software uses the ultra-secure Twofish algorithm to secure your data. The service boasts client-side encryption for paid subscribers, so that your data is encrypted on your device before even being transferred to servers. You can secure logins via two-factor authentication using an authenticator app or a physical key.

During our tests, IceDrive outperformed major services like OneDrive when it came to upload speeds. It also supports recovering deleted data, as well as restoring previous versions of modified files. Overall, while it's a great cloud storage provider in terms of quota and data security, IceDrive isn't for people who want to collaborate on documents.

Read our full IceDrive Review.

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Best free cloud storage for Android and iOS

Enter Degoo, a Swedish provider with a simple but very effective approach to winning new cloud storage customers: giving them way more storage space than almost anyone else.

Right now, Degoo is offering TechRadar readers a generous 30GB of cloud storage for free (20GB after the first year), and you can add an extra 250MB for every friend you refer (up to a maximum of 5GB.)

The service doesn't have a dedicated desktop app, leaving desktop users with nothing but Degoo's fairly basic web app. That said, Degoo's Android and iOS apps deliver more options, controls and features (auto-uploading of photos to the cloud, say.)

Although this worked well for us, Degoo's free plan has several catches and limitations, like ads, which means it won't suit everyone. Other limitations include a maximum file upload size is 256MB, a lack of zero-knowledge encryption (though your data is still encrypted during transmission), and account deletion after 90 days of inactivity.

That makes Degoo unappealing for backups and archiving, but a free plan will always come with caveats like these. Despite limitations, Degoo works just fine for backing up photos and files you'll want regular access to, while its huge storage capacity gives you far more options than most of the competition.

Read our full Degoo review.

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Best free cloud storage for data allowance

We found Mega a strong all round storage provider with a generous free plan, a wide range of powerful open-source apps, excellent security and a host of useful bonus features.

The service delivers more than you might expect in just about every area. Mega's 20GB free space is a very big deal all on its own, but there’s plenty more where that came from: install the desktop app, that's 5GB more; the mobile app, another 5GB; refer a friend, another 5GB; verify your phone number, another 5GB.

These extra 5GB chunks do expire after a year, but if you're going to make the most of that period, it may be worth your time.

Then there's the very lengthy list of apps: Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, Linux, a command line tool for experts, a custom app for QNAP and Synology NAS devices, even browser extensions for Chrome and Edge.

Across platforms, we found Mega's apps to be clean, well laid out, and easy to navigate. Our upload and download speeds were excellent during testing, and there are various useful options (such as throttling bandwidth) to help you optimize performance even more.

Mega's free plan does have a catch or two. It may limit the amount of data you can transfer, for instance, depending on its current server load. That could be a problem, but as the limit is variable and Mega doesn't give any clues as to what it might be, it's impossible to say how problematic it will be, but what we can say is that you should expect disruption.

Overall, although Mega might not work for everyone, we’d say it’s one of the best free cloud storage deals you can get right now.

Read our full Mega review.

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Best free cloud storage for Google users

Google Drive is a powerhouse of a cloud storage service, notable, besides its household name status, for a generous free 15GB allowance, the array of leading-edge add-ons and extras, and sheer convenience. If you've an Android device or a Google account, then you can use Drive right now, no further signups or installs required.

The tight integration with Google's Docs, Sheets and Slides probably justifies Drive's existence all on its own, allowing you to create documents, then collaborate and share them without downloading anything. But even if you’ve zero interest in the office tools, easy access from Photos and other Google apps, and the Drive support built into many other apps and services is a major plus.

Whatever you're doing, we found Google Drive to be intuitive and easy to use. The browser view is straightforward, and the Android and iOS apps have a similar design and layout, allowing you to switch between them without any issues. We've previously been less than impressed by Google Drive's desktop apps, but these days they're as easy to operate as the rest of the range.

We do have some concerns. Its backup features are relatively basic, for instance, at least without an accompanying desktop app. There's no built-in end-to-end encryption, which means, in theory, Google could see your files. And Google doesn't have the best reputation for privacy, an issue when you're talking about something as sensitive as cloud storage.

On balance, however, we think that Google Drive is one of the best free cloud storage services, and one of the cheapest to invest in down the line, so it's well worth a place on your file-sharing shortlist.

Read our full Google Drive review.

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Best free cloud storage for security and encryption

NordLocker, from the developers of NordVPN and NordPass, is one of the most reliable and secure free cloud storage platforms.

All users can download the app and encrypt files locally for free on the free plan, meaning files are encrypted and stored on the specific device in use. But if you want more than 3GB of storage, you'll need to switch to a paid plan.

On both Windows 11 and macOS, drag-and-drop functionality makes it easy to upload, download, and organize files. Heavy use of the macOS app revealed no glitches, and the app was always responsive. In our previous tests, we criticized the lack of mobile apps but these are now available for both Android and iOS, though they function more as a container for the online Nordlocker portal than an app in their own right.

During our tests, we found files uploaded to the cloud extremely quickly. However given NordLocker's emphasis on security we weren't able to recover our deleted test files. The service also doesn't support online collaboration on documents, or syncing multiple versions of the same file so you can undo changes you make.

Still, this might be the price to pay for such high security measures. The NordLocker client software uses end-to-end encryption, so in theory the staff at NordVPN cannot access any files you upload.

All this means NordLocker is a solid and secure free cloud storage solution provided you can live with the minimal free quota and don't need to recover deleted files or collaborate with others via the cloud.

Read our full NordLocker review.

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Best free cloud storage for Apple users

Apple's iCloud is an easy-to-use cloud storage service which makes it effortless to back up your photos, videos, contacts, calendars, documents, notes and more, and sync them across your iOS and Mac devices.

iCloud on other platforms isn't well supported. Windows users can run a basic app to sync files with iCloud, but it doesn't offer nearly as slick an experience as you'll see on Mac. There's no official Android app at all, leaving users with the torturous web interface or exploring a handful of third-party apps.

ICloud has its technical limitations, too. The 5GB free allowance looks a little stingy, especially when Google offers 15GB. While iCloud Drive data is encrypted to keep it safe from prying eyes, not everything end-to-end encrypted by default – that means Apple can technically get at certain data if it wanted to, though there's no reason to suspect it would.

Apple iCloud's Standard Data Protection protects some of your data via end-to-end encryption, such as Health and the passwords stored in your iCloud Keychain. As of iOS 16.2 and macOS 13.1, iCloud users can also enable Advanced Data Protection. This protects even more services with end-to-end encryption including iCloud Backups, Photos and Notes.

If you're committed to Apple products, you'll find that iCloud performs very well. It's deeply integrated into macOS, appearing in our Finder and with useful options in System Preferences.

The iOS Files app allowed us to copy, move, delete and share files with minimal hassle, and we found file transfers to be very speedy (and almost simultaneous in some situations).

Read our full Apple iCloud review.

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Best free cloud storage for Windows users

OneDrive is the free cloud storage solution from Microsoft, the creator of the popular Windows desktop operating system and the Office 365 software suite.

Anyone can sign up and get free 5GB of personal cloud storage, which is pretty limited compared to other platforms such as Google Drive. However, Microsoft makes up for it with robust security and collaboration services.

Once you store data on OneDrive, you can access it from any device connected to your Microsoft account. For example, you can start editing a Word document on a workstation at your office and continue with your phone once you arrive home.

OneDrive is available on all major operating systems iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, and Linux, making it more versatile than other high-profile competitors like Apple’s iCloud. We found that the desktop and mobile apps have especially user-friendly interfaces that make them easy to navigate.

Every file stored on OneDrive is protected by 256-bit AES encryption, making them virtually impenetrable. For further security, you can enable two-factor authentication so that no one can access your account even if they somehow get your details.

But that’s not all: OneDrive has a Personal Vault feature for protecting your files. You can lock access to them using a PIN or biometric authentication, such as fingerprint or facial scans. This way, someone can't access your files even if they successfully break into your account.

We found sharing files amongst colleagues especially simple, as OneDrive generates links for you. Anyone you give that link can access the file to view or edit, depending on the permission you grant them, enabling collaborative real-time editing.

Read our full Microsoft OneDrive review.

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Best free cloud storage for collaboration

Dropbox’s free plan offers just 2GB of storage, much lower than the others on this list. The size of files you can share is determined by your plan (e.g., a maximum of 2GB for free users), so if you’re wanting raw value for money, you might want to look elsewhere.

However, the service is available for web or across iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, and Linux, meaning you’ll almost always have access to your files. Being TechRadar Pro, we enjoyed having the freedom of choice across all our devices, making the service feel truly collaborative.

Dropbox makes it easy to share files with other people and collaborate to edit them, even if they don’t have a Dropbox account. All you need to do is generate a link, and you can share anything from photos and videos to large CAD files. After sharing, you'll get real-time updates about anyone who makes changes to a file.

We especially liked having robust security controls when sharing entire folders for collaborative editing within a workplace.

Dropbox excels at third-party app integration. You can connect your Dropbox app with many third-party platforms that provide additional functionality, all from an official App Center.

For example, you can link it with the Zoom video-conferencing app to instantly record your video meetings and play them back later or create graphics in Canva using content stored on Dropbox.

Read our full Dropbox review.

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Best free cloud storage for backups

For dedicated cloud backups, Backblaze is hard to beat: a well-known cloud storage provider that markets itself as a solution for individuals or businesses to back up their files and retrieve them when needed.

The first 10GB of storage is free - but only for Backblaze's B2 cloud storage. Even as a paid user, Backblaze is one of the most affordable options. The company has taken advantage of computing advancements and decreasing server costs to offer a cost-effective solution.

We find Backblaze beyond simple. We could schedule your backups ahead of time and have them run automatically. This makes sure that files are always preserved and won’t be permanently lost in the event of theft or hardware malfunction.

There are also no file size limits, and impressive, unthrottled upload speeds. We could even choose which data centers we wanted to store our files in (EU or US).

This platform has advanced security features, including AES 128-bit encryption. We especially liked that we could use our own private keys to encrypt and decrypt files. Two-factor authentication is also available here.

The downside of using Backblaze is that it requires more technical knowledge off the bat than the likes of Google Drive and Dropbox. It's a steep learning curve to get comfortable with the ins and outs of the service.

Read our full Backblaze review.

Best free cloud storage for simplicity

If Backblaze is a powerful but difficult to comprehend service, then in many ways, Sync.com is its opposite number while still offering features that put it leagues ahead of household name competitors.

In our tests, culminating in our full Sync.com review, we found that Sync.com keeps things light on the feature side, not even being offered as part of a product ecosystem à la Google Workspace. That's not a slight: if you're truly looking for something simple to use and understand, closed off from all of your other internet subscriptions, you've probably found it here.

Sync also provides robust and reliable security measures. End-to-end encryption is the big one here, meaning there are both client and server checks preventing unauthorised access to your files, something that even Google's still playing catch-up on, despite reports of progress dating back to 2022.

Using an email address or, preferably, a dedicated app such as Google Authenticator or Authy, you’ll also have access to the old reliable of two-factor authentication.

Though Sync beats the competition in being able to all-but-guarantee the security of your company data, it’s important to note that you’ll be paying extra for the privilege beyond a meagre (especially compared to Google Drive’s 15GB free allowance) 5GB free storage allowance, which, at business level, you’ll burn through in an instant.

Sync's storage does, however, come packed with what we found to be an intuitive interface across desktop, web and mobile, but do be mindful that, although you are getting what you do or don’t pay for here, there are more frugal and generous options available.

During our original review, we also found that Sync’s customer service amounted to an online ticket form, with no community features such as a forum, and, on further investigation as late as January 2023, this doesn’t seem to have changed. In an age where every provider under the sun seems to have an AI-driven live chat module on their website at the very least, this is baffling.

As our coverage elsewhere on TechRadar Pro will attest, Sync excels as a cloud storage provider. We only hope that, with our encouragement, they’ll sand off the rough edges in time.

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Best free cloud storage for data capacity

Blomp has been a free cloud storage provider on the scene since before the COVID-19 pandemic but, perhaps for shame, we're only just learning of them now.

Claiming to have been "built from the ground up" to be different from other providers, it starts by offering 20GB of free storage out of the gate, with the ability to scale up to 200GB with friend referrals. That's always a bit of a pain, but we understand that word-of-mouth advertising is vital for independent companies.

It also professes to be "unlikely" to impose transfer limits on users, whether that be speed or in the amount of data. It does say that transfer limits are usually limited to the amount of storage on the account (often the case for many providers), and that exceeding this could mean them asking you to upgrade plans. File size uploads are technically limited to 5GB, but Blomp will, at no extra cost, split them into chunks.

While Blomp offers its own multi-platform desktop and mobile apps, it also, thanks to the use an object storage system, supports free and open source packages such as rclone and Cyberduck. The company does note, however, that some third party packages won't support splitting files into chunks.

The price you pay for all of this convenience, and the opportunity to escape buying into Big Tech, are the flat monthly fees far beyond that of the giant rivals that can afford economies of scale. 99 cents a month will grab you 250GB, while $2.99 will provide 2TB and $9.99 10TB.

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Honorable mentions

While the above selection may represent the best of the best in terms of the free cloud storage on the market, during our research we also worked with several others that were very close to being included in the above list.

Here are some other very good free cloud storage options that very nearly made the cut:

- Hivenet: Operating slightly differently from the other cloud providers we've highlighted, Hivenet lets paid users save money by sharing their unused hard drive space, potentially lowering their bills by as much as 40%. There's also a free plan, which comes with 10GB of storage, 10 file transfers a month, and is compatible with Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android operating systems.

- TeraBox: The main takeaway from TeraBox's free plan is how much storage is available to users - 1TB. This dwarfs most of the other free storage limits out there. Limited functionality and the lack of a macOS client, however, will be difficult to look past for some users.

- Koofr: Offering 10GB of storage on its free plan, Koofr has a lot going for it. Within that 10GB, there's no limit on file size, there's two-way synchronization, file versioning, and Facebook and Instagram media transfer tools for anyone who uses either social network frequently.

- Jottacloud: While Jottacloud may only offer 5GB of free cloud storage, it does come with dedicated email and live chat support, something that isn't always included for free users. Backups are also available for all devices.

Best free cloud storage: FAQs

How to choose the best free cloud storage for you

There are three main considerations when choosing the best free cloud storage option for you; platform availability, storage capacity, and required features (like end-to-end encryption).

If you're going to use a cloud provider, then the first concern should probably be whether you can actually access the files easily. Many desktop and mobile apps offer free storage, but not all our compatible with other devices. For example, iCloud is an excellent storage option across the Apple ecosystem, but the Android and Windows versions are much less impressive.

You can easily get around 5-10GB free online storage from many of the best free cloud storage providers. If you’re a casual user or you’re storing documents rather than media, this may be enough. However, some services double that to 20GB for free users. Even if that’s not enough, it’ll give you an idea of how much space you do need.

You should also check the best free cloud storage for you that meets all your specifications. Again, this will depend on your selected provider. For those more interested in saving images and other media, it's worth exploring our round-up of the best photo cloud storage.

If you think you may need extra cloud space later down the line - and you’re willing to pay for it - look for a service that offers storage upgrades that’ll meet your current and future needs, and grow as your library does.

For more advice, see our guide What is cloud storage?

How we tested the best free cloud storage services

We’ve tested, reviewed, and rated hundreds of cloud solutions, including the best cloud document storage and the best cloud storage management services.

When testing the best free cloud storage services, I ask our reviewers to consider the platforms interface and experience, performance and speed, as well as any additional features.

The very top of the free online storage apps need to be intuitive and easy to navigate, making it simple to download, upload, and share files from the cloud - and this should be quick, too.

There should also be an emphasis on security, too. Users expect (or should expect)that any files stored on the cloud are protected by the provider and are fully secure.

We test apps across Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS, giving you the broadest possible range of free cloud solutions on every device. As part of this process, we look at any file-size restrictions and cloud space limits placed on the free services.

We also make sure that all storage services are genuinely free - with no sneaky charges or hidden auto-subscriptions. When signing up for any of the best free cloud storage services, you should be confident that you really won’t be paying for these services unless you choose to upgrade.

• What is the 3-2-1 backup strategy? Find out the best way to keep your files secure

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The number of different cloud storage solutions on the market today can be overwhelming. And things aren’t made any clearer when two come from the same technology provider. But while Microsoft may have created both SharePoint and OneDrive, the two tools have a few differences (as well as a fair amount of overlap).

Of course, deciding between the two will depend on what exactly you're looking for. While some users have their eyes peeled for the best cloud document storage, others want the best photo cloud storage, and some are looking for the best cloud storage overall. 

When deciding between OneDrive and SharePoint, it’s a good idea to check out our reviews of each platform. Our Microsoft OneDrive cloud storage review, for example, emphasizes the strengths of a platform that is designed to be closely integrated with other Microsoft solutions. Similarly, our SharePoint Online review points out its advantages for users. 

Perhaps the main differentiator between SharePoint and OneDrive is that they have slightly different focuses. While OneDrive is focused on cloud storage, SharePoint would be more accurately described as a piece of document management software.  

OneDrive vs SharePoint: Features

As the scope of Microsoft OneDrive is a lot smaller than SharePoint, it stands to reason that it comes with fewer features. What it does do, however, it does extremely well. In addition to offering basic cloud storage, OneDrive provides mobile document scanning, close integration with Office solutions, and the ability to add in-document comments and @mentions. OneDrive also offers auto-save and version history for file types like Excel and Word. 

Disappointingly, OneDrive doesn’t come with unlimited, bare metal backup for your devices and doesn’t support external drives and NAS drives - only your files are supported. But using OneDrive is at least very intuitive. Individuals simply drag and drop a file or folder into OneDrive and it is automatically synced to the cloud so it can be accessed from any device where you log in to your OneDrive account. There’s also an option to just keep a copy in the cloud, which means you can save on storage. Sharing files and folders with other people is straightforward too, with OneDrive generating a link for you.

SharePoint’s feature list is more extensive. The platform lets businesses create an internal website to facilitate collaboration between employees. Of course, you can collaborate using OneDrive but that isn’t really its aim. Part of the Office 365 suite of tools, SharePoint is also a cloud solution as it is accessed remotely via an online connection but it offers more than just storage. 

Among SharePoint’s features, users will find business intelligence solutions, page landmarks for easier document navigation, information rights management, and a mobile-friendly UI. In addition, SharePoint provides Team sites to facilitate collaboration. Team sites are locations where groups can work on projects and share information.

OneDrive vs SharePoint: Performance

Fast and reliable, OneDrive boasts some respectable upload and download speeds. In our testing, OneDrive completed a 1GB test file upload in just over five minutes. The cloud platform took around seven minutes to download the same file. While this download speed would ideally be a little faster, it’s worth keeping in mind that most of the time, OneDrive’s desktop client is simply left to run and sync in the background and, as such, files will generally be available quite quickly.

Because SharePoint is not really a cloud storage solution, it is difficult to directly compare its performance with OneDrive. There are several ways of enhancing SharePoint’s performance, however. Optimizing images, minimizing the use of web parts, and using a page diagnostic tool can all help speed up your SharePoint site. 

• Cloud storage reviews: how we tested them

OneDrive vs SharePoint: Support

With both OneDrive and SharePoint being Microsoft offerings, the support available is fairly similar. For OneDrove, there are plenty of self-help articles online but getting further help is a little more challenging. While it is true that there are email and phone support channels, finding these buried deep in several menus is a bit disappointing.

There are also help and support articles available online for SharePoint, covering a wide range of topics. This encompasses the full gamut of questions, from “What is SharePoint?” to how to create a SharePoint site. As with OneDrive, there is plenty of help available online but getting more bespoke support is not always so easy. 

OneDrive vs SharePoint: Pricing

OneDrive users receive 5GB of free cloud storage, with paid plans starting at $5.00 per user, per month. Business users will also enjoy access to the suite of Office tools, which is thrown in as part of the most expensive OneDrive subscription - priced at $12.50 per user, per month. At the lowest price point, users only receive access to file sharing and OneDrive storage so they may want to explore the pricier options. 

Interestingly, Microsoft 365 Business Basic, which is $6 per user, per month, comes with SharePoint access included. Similarly, the SharePoint Online (Plan 1) comes with OneDrive bundled in. Of course, you could choose to access OneDrive on its own but the interconnected nature of the two programs makes it difficult to compare them on price.

OneDrive vs SharePoint: Our Verdict

OneDrive and SharePoint are like apples and oranges. Although there is some overlap - both platforms can be used to store files, for example - they generally serve different purposes. If you are looking for a straight-up cloud storage solution, it’s worth checking OneDrive out. If you want a collaboration tool, SharePoint could be the one for you. 

• Check out the very best in cloud storage

iCloud for Windows app users are reporting some fairly bizarre glitches with photo and video content when accessing the platform on a PC.

Numerous complaints on the MacRumours forum detail users' purported experiences of photos and even videos of strangers appearing in their library on the iCloud app for Windows. Also, videos apparently shot with the iPhone 13 Pro and 14 Pro are glitched when synced with the platform, with blank screens and scan lines being all that remain.

The problem appears isolated to Windows machines, and specifically with the iCloud for Windows app, not the recent iCloud Photos integration with Windows 11. It also seems to be an issue related to Apple’s servers rather than a problem on Microsoft’s end.

Under certain conditions

There is plenty of speculation as to what is causing the issue and how. Apparently, incidences of iCloud for Windows running on both Windows 10 and 11 are affected, but only certain devices may be causing the problem, such as those with HDR and HEVC options turned on, pointing towards a rendering issue. 

The complaints mainly stem from users of the latest iPhone 13 Pro and 14 Pro. One of the more bizarre incidents recounted by the original poster on the MacRumors forum was the apparent insertion of other user’s photos into frames of their own video. Only when they downloaded the video onto their PC from the iCloud app did the glitch occur.

The user claims they were able to reproduce this issue on three different machines, one using Windows 10 Pro and the other two using Windows 11 Pro. The video in question was filmed on an iPhone Pro 14 Max with HDR and HEVC enabled, but they reported no issues with videos from an iPhone 13 Pro Max. However, other users did have the same bug with this model. 

The issue has yet to be officially confirmed, although many users have reported the problem to Apple already.

• Here are our best cloud storage picks

Microsoft has begun the rollout of iCloud photo library integration within Windows 11, in the form of an update to the Photos app.

The announcement on the Windows Experience Blog from Dave Grochocki, Principal Product Manager Lead for Windows Inbox Posts, follows the company’s initial unveiling of the feature at its Surface event in October 2022. 

Once users receive the update, they should download the iCloud for Windows app from the Microsoft Store to link their accounts.

Microsoft, Apple, and closed ecosystems

Windows integrating with Apple’s own cloud storage solution is surely one of the first signs that the notion that Microsoft and Apple devices ought to be separate ecosystems is thawing. 

As previously reported by The Verge, iCloud photo library integration follows Apple Music appearing as an app in the Microsoft Store (although Windows users will have to wait until next year), and a native Apple TV app is also said to be coming soon in preview.

Microsoft claims that the decision to integrate the two platforms was made with user experience in mind.  

“We know that many Windows customers have photo and video collections on their iPhones that they would like to be able to view on their PC,” wrote Grochocki.

“This iCloud Photos integration will make it easier for those with an iPhone to have direct access to all their cherished memories in one organized place and is another step in our continued efforts to make experiences on Windows 11 seamless.”

The new feature is similar to Microsoft’s recent decision to allow photo libraries on Android phones to be used with Microsoft 365 on the web. That integration works similarly, in that an additional app is required to link photo libraries across platforms.

• Check out our list of the best photo storage and sharing sites

Microsoft has revealed plans to integrate Apple iCloud into its Photos app.  

Users of Apple’s popular photo cloud storage platform will soon be able to sync their media through the iCloud for Windows app. But Windows Insider participants can get started right away, with the new feature already available in the latest Photos update. 

The news was announced during the company’s October Surface event, which saw the launch of a new laptop line-up, and the Canva-inspired graphic design tool Microsoft Designer.  

Closer collaboration

The surprising move is the latest in a series of glacially paced steps both tech firms have taken to increase collaboration over the past few years. This has included a lightweight iCloud app for Windows 10 and the release of an Apple TV app for the newest generation of Xbox consoles. 

Alongside cloud storage syncing between the two platforms, Microsoft also announced an Apple Music app for Xbox users, which is available to download now - a mere five years since Spotify launched on the games system. 

Users can expect further collaboration between the two companies in the future, with Microsoft confirming that both the Apple TV and Apple Music apps will also come to Windows devices sometime in 2023. 

“Through a new integration with iCloud and the Photos app in Windows 11, you will be able to access all your photos and videos from your iPhone right in the Photos app. It’s seamless, just install the iCloud for Windows app from the Microsoft Store and choose to sync your iCloud Photos,” Microsoft said. 

The move to bring iCloud to the latest Windows operating system will come as no surprise to Android users, who have long been able to access their messages, calls, contacts, and media on Windows PCs. 

A fact not lost on Microsoft who, during the reveal, pointed out that “for the last few years Windows customers who have Android phones have experienced that promise with integration.” And it seems the Redmond-based company is intent on doing the same for Apple fans, claiming that “we're making it easier than ever for customers to access their iPhone photos and the entertainment they love from Apple on their Xbox and Windows devices."

The Apple iCloud for Windows 11 app is expected to launch this November. 

• Keep your media safe with the best photo storage and sharing sites 

The best cloud storage software is perfect for storing your data on a secure and safe server - which will free up space on your device and keep your files safe from system crashes and hardware issues.

Our top recommendation is IDrive. It's really reasonably priced (and often has a great sale on) - it's user friendly and easy-to-use

It's not the only good option though, and services like Sync.com and pCloud are also great options for cloud storage.

If you need something a bit cheaper, or you're on a tight budget, I've got you. Check out our picks for best free cloud storage for some equally great options.

If you're a photographer or, like me, just take too many photos of your cat, we've also ranked the best cloud storage for photos. For more professional storage needs, we've also listed the best cloud storage for business.

Best cloud storage: deals

The best cloud storage 2026:

Best cloud storage overall

IDrive tops my best cloud storage list with its appealing mix of easy-to-use desktop and mobile apps, excellent backup features, strong security and great value.

Signing up gets you allowances up to 10TB (personal) all the way up to 100TB (business), but that's not all. Sync support keeps files up-to-date across all your hardware, and backup features enable protecting everything from individual files and folders to full SQL, Exchange, SharePoint and other servers.

I particularly like IDrive's extras, such as an option to transfer your data to iDrive on a physical device - ideal if you've a slow internet connection and 50TB to protect. IDrive sends you the drive, pays return postage (in the US), but it's still free once a year for personal users (three times for business plans.)

It's data transfer uses 256-bit AES encryption with the user key not stored on any IDrive servers, adding an extra layer of security for your files even while they're being transferred.

IDrive also offers backup support for Microsoft Office 365, Google Workspace, Dropbox, and Box, enabling you to recover important files and data from automated daily backups. As well as a Cloud Drive integration with Microsoft Office, IDrive also offers compatability with all PCs, Macs, and Linux computers, alongside apps for iOS and Android.

You can also access regular snapshots and versions of your data at specific points in time, helping you to monitor changes up to 30 file versions in the past.

▶ Read more: IDrive cloud storage review.

Performance:

This is an area where IDrive really shines. It boasts fast upload speeds and a file recovery feature that is especially handy if you think you’ve lost some important data. IDrive also provides block-level syncing when you are syncing files from a device, such as a smartphone or tablet, to the cloud. Our tests revealed iDrive's performance was a close match to Google Drive and the other top contenders.

Other backup features, including disk image backup, NAS backup and server backup, are useful additions depending on what you’re looking for from your cloud storage.

Security:

IDrive is strong on the security fundamentals, with end-to-end encryption and two-factor authentication to protect you from attack. This works via a private key that is unique to you, so look after it.

There’s also the offer of standard encryption, which although not as secure as end-to-end encryption, still provides protection against most potential breaches. It also means a bit less responsibility for the end user as iDrive keeps hold of the encryption key, so you can restore your data whenever you need to, without having to remember a private key.

Customer Support:

IDrive has live chat functionality, as well as the option of contacting support via either telephone or email, so you should be able to contact the company should an issue arise. As with many companies, some users have complained that response times vary, but we’ve been pleasantly surprised on this front whenever something's come up.

Features:

IDrive offers users the possibility of backing up their files across an unlimited number of devices, from computers to mobile devices, as well as NAS drives.

Real-time syncing and backup scheduling are both great for ensuring you never forget to back up the latest version of your files. You can also opt to receive desktop or email notifications informing you when your backups are completed.

IDrive's link-sharing functionality is super robust. You can configure links to expire after a set period - up to a maximum of 30 days - or a number of downloads. All of your active share links are also visible through the IDrive dashboard, so there’s complete clarity over what you’re sharing with external partners.

IDrive's Express service lets you put your data on all the best hard drives and post them off - for when you want the added protection that comes with physical storage.

User Interface:

IDrive is easy to use on the whole, although a revamp of its design and interface in certain areas could improve things further. Menu and setting screens are pretty clear, so you shouldn’t have too much trouble configuring IDrive exactly to your liking.

There are some differences here depending on the type of device you are accessing IDrive through. For instance, there are fewer options if you’re using the iOS version.

While the Android app lets you backup SMS messages, this isn’t possible with the iPhone and iPad versions, which are limited to contact, calendar, photos and videos. While this may be more of an Apple issue than an IDrive one, it will still affect usability for certain users.

Price

When I last checked in February 2025, IDrive offers 10GB of free storage. After that, you’ll probably want to look at the Personal plan, which costs $69.65 a year for 5TB, and you can upgrade this plan to 10TB ($104.65), 20TB ($174.65), 50TB ($349.65), and 100TB ($699.65).

The Business plan is more likely to suit your needs if you need to provide access across an unlimited number of users and devices. This is available from $69.65 a year for 250GB, increasing to $8119.65 for 50TB of space per user.

Alternatively, there’s the Team plan, which comes in several versions. Here, the cheapest plan starts at $69.65 for five computers, five users, 5TB total, for one year. This plan can be upgraded all the way up to 500 computers, with 500 users and 500TB of storage at $6999.65 per year.

TechRadar readers can get 10TB of cloud storage from iDrive for $4.98 for the first year. You can grab this exclusive deal by clicking here.

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Best cloud storage for lifetime value

The Swiss-based pCloud is a stand out cloud storage - especially thanks to its hugely advanced features for file sharing. Regular downloads are great, but pCloud lets you create specific download pages - complete with custom messages, as well as build slideshows of shared images, and even stream video or audio files straight from you storage.

The free plan comes with a generous 10GB - to get this full amount, you'll need to do the usual hoop jumping like installing the app. signing up friends - you know, the classic stuff.

Try not to be too put off by that though, because there's a lot to like. Being based in Switzerland, which offers some of the world's strongest data protection regulations, is one of them. Your private encryption key is protected by a 4096-bit RSA algorithm, while your files and folders are encrypted with per-file and per-folder 256-bit AES keys.

If data protection is important to you, which in this day and age it probably should be, then pCloud also lets you choose from five different servers. This makes your files and backups extra secure - not to mention the option to add add an additional layer of encryption to your file storage through pCloud Encryption.

That being said, the desktop interface isn't quite as user friendly as some of its competitors, and 2Tb isn't that much in business terms - IDrive, for example, lets you store up to 20TB for just a bit more.

▶ Read more: pCloud Cloud Storage review.

Performance

Our tests found that pCloud’s upload speeds fared well against competitors like iDrive, Internxt, and Apple iCloud.

File recovery also performed well, but it’s worth keeping in mind that the free version of pCloud only stores file revisions for up to 15 days. If you need longer than this, you’ll have to select a paid plan.

Security

All file transfers involving pCloud use a TLS/SSL encrypted channel for additional protection and files are stored across five different server locations as a safeguard against data loss. In fact, pCloud is so confident regarding the security credentials that it offered a $100,000 reward for anyone that could crack their defenses as part of the 'pCloud Encryption Challenge'. No one was successful.

Customer Support

Response times can vary a lot and if you want to contact pCloud directly, you have to pick up the phone. Head office is in Switzerland, so US customers have to battle against the time difference. You can also send an email, but the addition of a live chat option would help speed up their customer service.

Features

Sharing files is straightforward with pCloud and there are a couple of additional features worth talking about too.

One of these is Extended History, which extends the time that pCloud retains deleted files to 360 days. Another is pCloud Crypto, which adds client-side encryption to your account.

These features are at an additional cost, however, costing $80 a year and $50 respectively.

The desktop app adds a Dropbox-like virtual drive to your file manager, simplifying operations, but Internxt's mobile app can make life even easier by (optionally) automatically uploading pictures and videos direct from your phone.

There's also offline functionality, so you can access your shared files via your computer or mobile even if you don't have a working connection. Then, as soon as the connection is restored, there'll be an automatic sync.

Browser extensions are also available for Firefox, Chrome, and Opera, allowing you to save audio, video and pictures directly from a web page to your pCloud account.

User Interface

We found the service very easy to set up and use. Sample folders and files helped us immediately try out its powerful file management and sharing features. We had no issues connecting our account to Facebook, Instagram and other social media accounts, and backing up their content.

Some users have complained pCloud’s software is not short of a bug or two, which diminishes its usability significantly. When things are working well, however, the desktop client is pretty intuitive.

Price

A strong point for pCloud is its competitive price points. There’s a generous free plan offering 10GB of storage (although you will have to complete a few simple tasks to unlock the full amount, such as recommending friends).

In terms of paid plans, There's no monthly pricing model, but annual plans are fair value at $49.99 for 500GB, and $99.99 for 2TB when we last checked in February 2025.

Where I found pCloud really shines is in its lifetime plans. You can get 500GB forever for a one-off $199, 2TB for $399, or 10TB for $1190. Despite mooted savings of up to 37%, we check this plan every month and the prices remain the same.

Interestingly, pCloud also offers not just these 'lifetime' payment plans, but the ability to stack one lifetime allowance on top of others. That's certainly an investment, but we like that the option is there, because it could pay off over time with enough use.

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Best cloud storage for syncing

Sync.com is, unsurprisingly, focused on one thing - syncing. To be fair, it doesn't have a whole load of other sparkly features or tools - but it is really good at syncing.

That being said, it's a sophisticated service. It allows you to create read-only versions, download limits, expiring links, and password protected files should you need to. The versioning supports file restoration from the last 180 days, which is really generous (most providers give 30).

It has a simple, easy to use interface (as well as a handy mobile app which automatically syncs photos and videos as they're taken). In our testing, we were particularly impressed with the upload and download speeds - among the best we've seen!

Security features like end-to-end encryption and two-factor authentication are key protections in securing your data.

If you work in an industry with particularly strict laws, all of Sync.com's Pro plans come with GDPR and PIPEDA compliance, and all Pro plans outside of Solo Basic feature HIPAA compliance by default.

If you have a larger team, I would point you towards the Solo Professional and Teams+ Unlimited plans which offer a staggering 365 day version history and recovery.

You can also get access to Microsoft Office 365 integration, and in-app compatibility for Windows File Explorer and Mac Finder.

▶ Read more: Sync cloud storage review.

Performance

One thing I was really impressed by with this platform is the upload and download speeds - but it should be noted this this is of course just for a single folder.

Users can also control these speeds - which is handy, and can throttle them where needed, for example - if you're running more pressing commuting tasks or don't have a particularly good connection, you can make sure Sync doesn't affect this.

Keeping with the theme, Sync also offers advanced sharing controls, including the option of adding password protection and expiry dates on any links you do share.

I was particularly surprised (in a good way) by the team-oriented feature set, including the ability to add comments to file-sharing links, share folders with groups of people, open and edit Office documents direct from your Sync space (if you subscribe to Office 365) and manage all your users from a central console.

If you subscribe to a team account, you'll find that your files get added security from protocols like HIPAA, GDPR, and PIPEDA. PIN code locks are also provided for the Sync mobile apps.

Security

Cloud security is an important feature at Sync. The service isn't interoperable with third-party apps (like collaboration tools) and doesn’t make its API available for others to use externally.

Now, this is a bit of a pain for anyone who wants to use some useful integrations, but it reduces the possible attack vectors for outside actors to exploit, which, in this day and age, is pretty important.

Sync has even published a white paper explaining how it uses 2048-bit RSA encryption keys to keep your data safe. Two-factor authentication is also easily enabled for your account.

Customer Support

There is a pretty extensive Help Center which can help with a whole range of things like account setup, creating shared folders, and more. But, if you want VIP support, you'll have to pay for some of the more expensive plans.

I found finding help on the cheaper plans a bit of a task - with no community forum (and you can only get directly in touch with Sync via an online email form). We did receive a helpful response pretty quickly, though.

Features

Sync's main function is in letting users maintain one single folder on their device (or devices) which is automatically synced with the cloud.

There is versioning offered, but the length of time files are kept for varies depending on which subscription you get.

The lack of more advanced features may disappoint some but Sync has chosen to focus on its core functionality instead.

User Interface

What's fantastic about Sync is the easy-to-use across its web and mobile versions (ok, they're not particularly stylish, but they work well).

There’s also an option to store files online only, without taking up space on any of your devices.

Price

Sync’s free plan comes with 5GB, but does include the option of raising this to 25GB by inviting friends and completing other tasks.

Personal users can access 200GB of storage for $5 per month, 2TB of storage for $8 per month, or 6TB for $20 per month (when paid annually).

For businesses, there’s a Teams Standard plan that offers 1TB at a cost of $6 per user per month. Enterprises may need the Teams Unlimited plan, however, which delivers unlimited cloud storage for $15 per user per month.

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Best cloud storage for security

Internxt is security-focused at its core, providing cloud storage with multiple security features aimed at making sure your data stays safe.

Paid plans start from just €4.99 a month for 200GB of storage, so worth a look if you're looking to extricate yourself from a big tech provider like Google Drive.

Of course, end-to-end encryption is deployed to protect your data from any snoopers, and the platform stores your files in bits spread all around its networks, which protects from hardware failures. You also get a password generator to save you the hassle of coming up with a new, secure password to protect your accounts, a virus scanner to protect from malware, and a temporary email.

In our testing, we liked the well-designed web view and apps, and found it did a good job of helping us find and manage files.

That being said, Internxt isn't quite the powerhouse of advanced features you find with Dropbox and OneDrive - and the free plan is quite a hassle.

In my opinion, Internxt lacks some of the integrations that its competitors offer, such as Microsoft Office 365 or Google Workspace support.

Internxt's premium customer support to all paid plans is fantastic, and makes a refreshing change from the VIP customer support offered by Sync.com.

For the security conscious, I would highly recommend Internxt thanks to its zero knowledge and quantum safe end-to-end encryption, two factor authentication, password protections, and open source platform, which is regularly audited by Securitum.

▶ Read more: Internxt cloud storage review.

Performance

Internxt held up pretty well during our speed tests, and it was particularly impressive that the encryption process didn't have a detrimental effect on speed at all.

It took just 1 minute and 55 seconds to upload 625MB of data - which is pretty similar to other cloud storage services we've reviewed without encryption.

Security

Now, security is where Internxt really shines. First of all, your data is instantly encrypted when transferred from your device, and is only decrypted once it's downloaded back to the device in question.

You don't have to just take Internxt's word for it either, as the platform is committed to open-source, meaning the app's source code is available on Github for any developers to check and inspect.

Your data isn't just stored in a single location - it's broken up and spread across multiple servers, meaning a data breach is unlikely to result in all your files being compromised - mitigating the damage.

Internxt has also passed an independent security audit by Securitum.

Customer Support

All paid Internxt users have access to premium customer support through live chat or e-mail. The Internxt Help Center is also on hand with numerous support articles.

Features

Internxt is available on desktop, tablet, or mobile - with most of the basic features you'd expect from a cloud storage service. You can take advantage of media streaming to your video and audio files without downloading the files to your computer.

There’s automatic syncing functionality and offline access, both of which will be much appreciated by business users who can’t afford to be without access to their files. Of course, security should also be mentioned here too as it’s one of Internxt’s features that received the most praise.

Windows Explorer and Mac Finder integration makes uploading as simple as a drag and drop. Sync support keeps files up-to-date across all your devices, and you can share files with others via custom links.

User Interface

It's really simple to setup, and we found it was one of the easiest of all the cloud providers we tested.

They even provide an introductory guide to make the process as hassle-free as possible.

It has a clean and well-designed dashboard, and the drag-and-drop process for uploads means there’s little opportunity for any issues to arise.

Price

The free plan now offers just 1GB of storage - which, to be honest, isn't a whole lot. You're best to use this as a sort of free-trial to see how you get on with the service.

When paid annually, individual users can get 1TB for €120, 2TB for €240, 5TB for €3600. Lifetime plans are also available, price at $1900 for 2TB, $2900 for 5TB, or $3900 for 10TB.

That being said, as of June 2026 - there's a pretty hefty discount on all plans, which will get you roughly 85% off on average - and this sale runs a fair bit.

There are also two business plans available - the Standard and the Pro. the first offers 1TB of encrypted storage for €80 (although currently on sale for €10) and the Pro offers 2TB of storage for €100 (currently on sale for €13).

You can also get their popular 5TB Lifetime Plan at an 80% discount.

Internxt also offers up to 50% off of its lifetime plans occasionally - so the website's worth checking every now and then if you think you'll get value from the long term investment.

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Best cloud storage for backups

Backblaze is a high-powered cloud backup service that provides unlimited storage with no file size limits for a very fair price.

Install the Backblaze desktop app and it immediately scans for important files, and begins uploading them. You're able to take manual control, if you like, but we found it simpler to let Backblaze handle everything automatically.

The initial transfer of data to the web can take a long time, but our tests found impressive upload speeds kept delays to a minimum. And on the download front, if you need your data in a hurry, Backblaze will ship up to 8TB to your door on a USB drive.

The focus on backups means there's no file syncing, no clever collaboration tools, and only the simplest of file-sharing options. You can only protect one computer per account, too, and network drives aren't supported.

As you might have guessed from the name, Backblaze is my recommendation for those looking for a robust cloud backup option, rather than dedicated cloud storage. Backblaze does offer a B2 cloud storage service, but this is more aimed at enterprises than individual users.

Backblaze takes particular pride in boasting about its data center security, noting that it has 24-hour staff, biometric security, and redundant power to keep your data safe.

▶ Read more: Backblaze review.

Price

For the Backblaze personal plan, you can access unlimited cloud storage for $9 per month, or grab a 13% discount by paying $189 for 2 years. Alternatively, you can pay per year at $99.

There's also a free 15-day trial, which you can access without having to hand over your financial details. After that, there's no free plan, but you can get three months free on an annual plan.

As for Backblaze's business offerings, you can get unlimited endpoint backup for $99 per year with a 365 day version history and no restrictions on the number of workstations.

Backblaze also offers an enterprise plan, but you will have to contact sales to get a price.

User Interface

The Backblaze interface is another strength of the platform. While the options are somewhat limited, there’s a real clear focus apparent when engaging with the user experience.

This includes a useful file manager feature, which makes it easy to search and sort through the files you have stored in the platform. The interface is minimal, which is both a strength and a weakness - especially if you are used to some of Backblaze’s competitors that offer more advanced functionality.

Features

If you also need a VPN to protect yourself online, you can alternatively get Backblaze completely free for a year when you sign up for our #1 favorite, ExpressVPN (and you get three extra months of ExpressVPN protection, too).

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Best cloud storage for Windows file management

UK-based IceDrive has only been in the cloud storage business for a very few years, but its groundbreaking file management features more than justify its place in our 'Best...' list.

Windows users can browse their storage space from Explorer, for example, moving, renaming, opening, and even editing files, just like working on a local drive. Install the Windows, Mac or Linux app and you can also preview documents and stream media files without having to download them first.

The clean and easy-to-navigate browser interface is so simple that even newbies will figure it out in moments. The desktop and mobile apps have similar functionality, but we found inconsistencies in design and layout made them a little more awkward to use.

You also won't be throttled by the number of devices you use, as Icedrive offers unlimited device access. The one limiter you may encounter is the bandwidth limit, however.

▶ Read more: IceDrive review

Security

IceDrive encrypts data on your device before it's transferred, and its zero-knowledge approach ensures that only you decrypt and view your data. IceDrive is also the only cloud storage provider to use the Twofish encryption algorithm, which matches the security of other 256-bit algorithms.

Two-factor authentication is available to all, while SMS authentication is only available to premium customers. We don't recommend using the latter, as text messages are far easier to intercept than one-time passwords generated by reliable authenticator apps.

Price:

A 10GB free plan gives you an easy way to get started despite restrictions (no client-side encryption, plus a 50GB/month bandwidth limit.) If you need more, annual plans range from $4.99 a month for 100GB, $7.99 a month for 1TB, and $14.99 for 3TB.

When we last checked in February 2025, and these prices have remained fairly consistent for the past few months. There are savings to be had when buying in for a year or two, but the value of that depends on your usecase.

However, IceDrive is now once again offering lifetime plans after revising its pricing structure. Right now, $299 will get you 512GB of lifetime storage, 2TB is $479, and 10TB is $1199.

Those prices are okay, but what we really like about this structure is that additional data allowances can be stacked on top with subsequent payments, currently $79 for an additional 128GB, 512GB for $199, and 2TB for $399.

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Best cloud storage for ease of use

NordLocker is hard to beat for privacy in the cloud storage space: it comes from the people behind NordVPN, one of the best VPNs around.

The service scores well on the fundamentals. We found NordLocker's leading-edge encryption extremely quick, upload times were reasonable, and the addition of multi-factor authentication protects your account from attackers.

▶ Read more: NordLocker review.

Usability: NordLocker is by far one of the easiest to use. The desktop apps enable uploading, downloading, and managing your files with little more than a drag and drop.

The mobile apps are just a mobile browser running inside an application, but that's not an obstacle to functionality.

Security: With its zero-knowledge encryption system, not even a NordLocker security worker can decrypt your stored files. But that shouldn't be a problem - such is NordLocker's confidence in its security protocols. In fact, the vendor even offered a $10,000 reward to any individual that could break into its encrypted locker.

Price: Nordlocker is offering offered 53% off its 2TB plan when billed annually, coming to $6.99 a month, or 40% off 500GB billed annually for $2.99 a month.

A free plan gives you 3GB of storage to play with, but that's disappointing compared with the 5-10GB (or Google Drive's comparatively mammoth 15GB) allocated elsewhere.

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Best cloud storage for users in Microsoft's ecosystem

Microsoft OneDrive doesn't have the features of some of the cloud storage competition, but its Windows and Microsoft 365 integration, XBox support, and simple interface, make this a great solution for anyone committed or open to the Microsoft ecosystem.

OneDrive comes built into Windows 10/ 11, for instance, so there's nothing to install. It shows up in Explorer, and you can drag and drop files to sync them to the cloud and your other devices.

Features: Microsoft 365 support includes auto-saving to the cloud, and collaboration options include the ability to work on documents simultaneously with others, or share them via OneDrive-generated links.

Usability: Microsoft hasn't forgotten other platforms, but we found they delivered mixed results on the usability front. The web interface covers the basics, for instance, but doesn't have the simplicity or style of Google Drive or Dropbox.

The Mac client is more straightforward, though we found some conflicts with iCloud. The elegant and intuitive mobile apps are the real highlight, though, with strong photo and video syncing tools and solid security.

Price: OneDrive's free plan offers only 5GB, half the allowance you'll get with some providers. You can pay $19.99 a year to upgrade, but that still only gets you 100GB. Microsoft 365 users get the best value, with Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, and 1TB of OneDrive storage from $70 a year.

▶ Read more: Microsoft OneDrive review.

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Best budget option

Whatever platform you choose, we found Google Drive to be intuitive and easy to use. The Android and iOS apps are a close match for the browser view, ensuring smooth operations even when you're regularly switching devices.

We've been a little disappointed by previous versions of the desktop apps, but the latest edition is just as easy to operate as Drive apps on other platforms.

Google Drive's Android and Google Workspace integration make it an ideal cloud storage platform for staunch Google users, but a generous 15GB free tier, and a host of desktop, mobile and Drive-supporting third-party apps, ensure it carries plenty of appeal for newcomers.

▶ Read more: Google Drive review.

Price: Business Workspace plans are billed per user per month, require a one year commitment and, in offering far more beyond cloud storage, cost anywhere between around $8 to $25.

These provide up to 5TB of storage per user, and allow for large scale business meetings up to 1000 users, as well as in-domain live-streaming. It's comprehensive, but probably only worth it for large companies. Enterprises are encouraged to contact Google's sales team privately for trials and custom quotes.

In terms of personal pricing, you can choose between 100GB or 2TB personal plans, which are, as of February 2025, priced at $1.99 and $9.99, per user per month respectively, with up to 16% saved when billed annually. An 'AI Premium' plan offers 2TB of storage alongside access to Google's Gemini AI service, but it also costs $19.99.

Features: Small team management is also on the cards, as you can share your allowance with up to five people, and the service more than delivers on the cloud storage essentials, with versioning support, offline access, syncing, file sharing all here.

Business users will love the Google Sheets, Docs and Slides integration, for instance, where you can create, edit and share cloud files with others, without ever downloading anything.

Security: Drive doesn't have end-to-end encryption, which means that, in theory, Google could see your files. So, if you're not a Google fan, tying yourself so tightly into the company's ecosystem may not appeal.

But for everyone else, it offers a slick and powerful free service, and plenty of benefits if you upgrade.

Best cloud storage comparison table

Cloud storage services: Honourable mentions

There are some providers that, for one reason or another, aren't on this list. Some are on our radar and have impressed us, but we haven't had a chance to review them yet and so we don't feel qualified to comment with an expert opinion.

There are also some providers that are a little too specialised for this guide. CloudSpot offers storage as part of a store system for freelance photography businesses, while Filepass prides itself on supporting collaboration between creatives and clients.

Meanwhile, for free cloud storage, and a generous 20GB starter allowance that bests even Google Drive's offering, I like Blomp.

I will, of course, keep adding to this list as I gather more info on newer cloud storage services that go up against the larger companies: in the short term, they can often offer more features for less money.

Frequently asked questions

How to choose the best cloud storage service

How do we test cloud storage services?

There are a few things to consider when you're looking for best-in-class cloud storage services.

When I'm asking our testing to try out a product, I remind them to look out for the upload and download speeds of file transfers - but this is a minor component of the overall rating as there are scores of other factors that affect your download or upload speeds that cannot be easily mitigated (contention rate, time of day, and server load, for instance).

The testers are also advised to check to see if the the storage provider can recover deleted files, as well as if they keep multiple versions of files in case users need to undo changes - super helpful for the clumsier among us!

They also check, of course, for the cost of a service. It's not usually a particularly high-cost investment at first, but these things add up quick, especially when you factor in additional storage requirements, and opting for premium features such as artificial intelligence support on a service that also offers collaboration tools.

Security standards and credentials are also key. Look for a cloud storage provider that can boast the certifications that promise an SLA you can rely on - and safeguards that protect your data.

Last but definitely not least is the level of customer support that a cloud storage service will provide, whether it's 24-7 over the phone or web-based only - your files are important, and knowing that your provider cares too can make a real difference.

▶ Read more detailed coverage: Cloud storage reviews: how we tested them

There are a number of factors that I look for when considering the best-in-class cloud storage services.

In directing our testers, I've advised them to look at the upload and download speeds of file transfers, but this is a minor component of the overall rating as there are scores of other factors that affect your download or upload speeds that cannot be easily mitigated (contention rate, time of day, and server load, for instance).

Testers also check to see if the storage provider can recover deleted files, as well as if they keep multiple versions of files in case users need to undo changes

The other thing I ask testers to consider is the cost of a service. While cloud storage can initially be a very low-cost investment, the money can add up when you factor in additional storage requirements, and opting for premium features such as artificial intelligence support on a service that also offers collaboration tools.

Security standards and credentials are also key. Look for a cloud storage provider that can boast the certifications that promise an SLA you can rely on - and safeguards that protect your data.

Last but certainly not least is the level of support that a cloud storage service will provide to its customers, whether it's 24-7 over the phone or web-based only.

▶ Read more detailed coverage: Cloud storage reviews: how we tested them

Finding the perfect cloud storage solution starts by thinking about your needs. What are you hoping the service will do?

If your goal is to protect all your data from harm, then look for a service with solid backup tools and the ability to access your files from anywhere.

If you'd like to share a group of files - photos, say - across multiple devices, then you'll need quick and easy syncing abilities.

If you're more interested in sharing individual files or folders with others, look for a platform that supports password-protected or time-limited links, anything that helps you stay more secure. Businesses will benefit from collaboration tools, too, allowing users to work on files together, add comments and more.

Pay attention to the figures. Most cloud storage keeps previous versions of your files for up to 30 days, for instance, but that's not always the case. If your provider says it supports 'versioning', that's good, but check the details, see how it really compares to the competition.

You'll want to consider a provider's cost and capacity, too, but be careful. Don't simply opt for a high-capacity plan just because it seeks better value: think about whether you really need that much space.

And when it comes to price, browse the small print, look out for hidden charges or fees which jump on renewal, make sure you know exactly what you're getting.

Credentials around service and security standards are also key. Look for a cloud storage provider that can boast the certifications that promise an SLA you can rely on - and safeguards that protect your data.

In addition, make sure your storage provider offers the scalability you need should you grow - and a flexible pricing model to accompany it. Perhaps the best thing to do when choosing a cloud storage provider is simply to shop around. There’s bound to be a solution that suits your needs - but don’t simply go with the first cloud provider you find.

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Cloud storage experts recommend using a '3-2-1' backup strategy in order to keep your data safe, so I also recommend taking a look at our guide to the best cloud backup for more information.

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Companies have long turned to in-house servers to store large amounts of data, while individual consumers have generally specced up computers and laptops with large enough hard drives for their needs before turning to external hard drives or the humble USB stick.

Investing in storage can be expensive, and technology can fast go out of date leaving you with slow and poor-performing equipment, not to mention that on-site servers can be expensive and difficult to maintain for businesses.

The digital era has brought with it a plethora of online solutions, from cloud storage to cloud computer backup and pretty much everything in between. We compare two storage products in this Box vs iCloud Drive showdown.

Box vs iCloud Drive: Features

Box is favoured among users for its vast amounts of integrations with productivity apps: the company claims there are more than 1,500, some of which including Office 365 (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint), Google Workspace (which includes Docs, Sheets, and Slides), Adobe, Slack, Airtable and Docusign. In fact, this is probably Box’s key selling point - it doesn’t require you to use its own apps but instead encourages you to continue working on apps you are already familiar with.

Of course, there is browser access to your files, but for drag-and-drop simplicity and plenty of background operations, it makes sense to download the desktop client. It doesn’t integrate system-wide, but instead goes with a Dropbox-style single folder, inside which you can place anything you like. 

It’s great for businesses, with plenty of team management controls including file access, live collaboration and history. Users can choose to share files both inside and outside of the organization, so collaboration should be top-tier.

Box is somewhat let down by its file size limit, which is capped to 5GB for Personal Pro accounts, or a miniscule 250MB for free subscriptions. Business Starter, Business, Business Plus and Enterprise are capped at 2GB, 5GB, 15GB, and 50GB respectively, while customizable Enterprise Plus plans can upload 150GB files. For many, this may be acceptable, but on lower plans it can be restricting and for media companies dealing with large files - like videos - it could be the nail in Box’s coffin.

iCloud Drive may be more of an all-encompassing solution, giving users access to its word processing apps Pages, Numbers, and Keynote, as well as a couple of other applets like Calendar, Reminders, and Notes.

The software works perfectly with macOS and iOS devices, as you’d expect, with files seamlessly integrating into the system experience and folders housed accordingly. There is a Windows desktop client, which works in a similar way, however it’s predominantly for file management, not Notes, Reminders, and so on. As ever, there is browser access to all of this, including Pages and the other apps.

Box vs iCloud Drive: Performance

We tested Box, iCloud Drive, and more than 50 other cloud storage and backup solutions to see which performed best when it came to regular daily tasks. We used the same 1GB test file to benchmark upload and download times, and in this instance, Box came out on top.

• Cloud storage reviews: how we tested them

The upload took a little over four minutes, and to download the same file to a minute and a half. iCloud was fairly average with six- and three-minute times: you could do a lot worse. Still, with our connection we would have liked a sub-one-minute download score.

Box vs iCloud Drive: Support

Box’s website is filled with plenty of self-help articles, but these are nestled among community threads too which makes it challenging to identify reliable, easy-to-follow instructions. iCloud Drive also provides hundreds of self-help articles, and there are forums for people to discuss the un-discussed, too.

If you need real-time support, both providers give users access to email, phone, and chat support, which is exactly what we would expect, and want, to see.

Box vs iCloud Drive: Pricing

In terms of free storage, Box trumps iCloud Drive with its 10GB, compared with iCloud’s 5GB. However, there are several limitations: primarily, files must not exceed 250MB. Also of note is that only one version of files is saved, meaning no extended history if you need to retrieve previous iterations of your work. 

Paying private customers will either want Box’s 100GB plan, for $14 (£11) per month, or the Business Starter plan which is partly advertised as being suitable for families as well as small teams, and also includes 100GB of storage for $4 (£5.50) per month (this requires a minimum of three users). There are no further personal plans, which makes Box a little restricting if you need storage for just yourself.

Business plans cost $20 (£16), $33 (£26.50), and $47 (£37.50) per user per month, each bringing unlimited storage and a different set of perks, like third-party app integrations, e-signatures and security enhancements. There’s also a customizable ‘Enterprise Plus’ tier for larger organizations.

iCloud Drive paying subscriptions will move over to the iCloud+ tiers, of which there are three: 50GB, 200B and 2TB, costing $0.99 (£0.79), $2.99 (£2.49), and $9.99 (£6.99) per month respectively. Each comes with iCloud Private Relay (it works in a similar way to a VPN, but it is not a VPN technically speaking), a unique and random email address generator called Hide My Email, and support for custom email domains using iCloud’s Mail service. They also get secure storage for one, five, or unlimited HomeKit Secure Video cameras, if you use those. Each plan can also be shared with five other family members.

If you’re an existing Apple customer and already have other Apple equipment, Apple One subscriptions may prove more cost effective. At $14.95 (£14.95) per month, Individual plans pair 50GB of storage with Apple Music, Apple TV+, and Apple Arcade. Family plans, at $19.95 (£19.95) per month, up the storage to 200GB, while Premier subscriptions increase this to 2TB and add Apple News+ and Apple Fitness+, for $29.95 (£29.95) per month. You could save up to $25 (£22) per month, but be careful not to fall for clever marketing if you don’t need these additional services.

While Box offers substantial 25% discounts for annual subscriptions, iCloud has no such promotion. On top of this, iCloud plans are targeted at personal users, while Box offers a range of business-oriented services, albeit at rather a large cost.

Box vs iCloud Drive: Verdict

Picking between a pair of cloud drives is never easy, and with each user’s needs and wants varying it’s hard to give a clear-cut answer. Things are a little easier in this Box vs iCloud Drive showdown, though.

If you are a personal user, it’s iCloud Drive every day. You can get twice the storage as Box for more than $11 (£8.50) cheaper per month. If you’re already living in Apple’s ecosystem, its bundles also serve to save you some cash, although at $29.95 (£29.95), Apple One Premier (the only bundle to include Fitness+) isn’t cheap.

If you’re a business user, unless you’re willing to set up completely separate individual accounts on iCloud, or create small ‘families,’ you’ll need to turn to Box. Yes, it’s expensive, but if it’s between Box and iCloud Drive, then its the only choice.

Check out the very best in cloud storage.