How to access and manage your iCloud account on any device

OSTN Staff

An iPhone displaying the iCloud logo, laid on top of a MacBook.
You can access iCloud easily, as long as you have an internet connection.

  • You can access iCloud on any computer or phone by going to icloud.com.
  • On an iPhone, iPad, or Mac, your Apple ID menu lets you manage iCloud and choose what data it saves.
  • To access iCloud on a new device, you might need to enter a two-factor authentication code.
  • Visit Insider’s Tech Reference library for more stories.

If you’re like most users, you’ve probably got more data stored in iCloud than you realize. Photos, contact information, notes – even your Health app information is stored in the cloud by default.

But it isn’t always obvious how to access iCloud, or how to manage what data it stores. Luckily, it’s easy to do both.

How to access iCloud through the website

As long as you have a computer or phone that’s connected to the internet, you can access iCloud.

1. Head to icloud.com and enter the email address linked to your Apple ID account.

2. Click the arrow icon, and then enter your password.

3. If you have two-factor authentication set up on your Apple ID account, a code will be sent to all your devices. Enter this code on the iCloud website to gain access.

You’ll be shown a list of icons and options – more icons will be available on the desktop version of the site than the smartphone version. Click any of these icons to see the data stored in your iCloud account. From there you can delete, move, or download nearly anything you’ve saved.

The iCloud home menu, which shows options for Mail, Contacts, Calendar, Photos, Notes, and more.
The iCloud home page shows icons for the most important Apple apps.

How to access iCloud on an iPhone, iPad, or Mac

Alternatively, you can go through the Apple ID menu. This menu is at the top of the Settings app on every device.

  • On an iPhone or iPad, open Settings and then tap your name at the top of all the options.
  • On a Mac, click the Apple logo in the top-left corner and select System Preferences, and then Apple ID.

Once you’ve reached this page, tap or click the iCloud option.

An iPhone's Apple ID menu, with the iCloud option highlighted.
Open the “iCloud” page.

You’ll be shown how much storage space you have in iCloud, and what kind of data it’s currently holding. Selecting the Manage option shows you exactly how much data each app takes, and lets you upgrade your iCloud storage plan.

You’ll also find an Apps Using iCloud section. Here, select which apps are allowed to save data to iCloud, and which ones have to keep their data stored only on your device. Turning off an option will erase its data from iCloud immediately.

An iPhone screen showing how much data is stored in an iCloud account, and which apps make up that data.
Photos will likely take up the most space in your iCloud account.

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Read the original article on Business Insider

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