I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again: Apple is no longer just a hardware company. It’s not even a software company. Apple is a service company – at least after their obvious flagship iPhone. After the iPhone, services make up the second-largest share of the company’s quarterly revenues, reaching almost 30% last quarter.
Contributing to this massive growth areservices we all pay for(happily or not), such as App Store subscriptions, in-app purchases,Apple Card,AppleCare+,Apple Fitness+,Apple News+,Apple Arcade,Apple Music,Apple TV+, and the focus of this piece,iCloud+.
What is Apple iCloud+, how much does it cost, and what’s included?
Apple released an upgrade to its iCloud paid subscription service with iOS 15. That upgrade is called iCloud+ (or iCloud Plus).
Apple iCloud+
iCloud+’s Cloud storage
From file synchronization to iCloud backups
Cloud storage is easily the feature we associate most with iCloud. After all, when the service was first released, that’s all it was. However, yesterday’s iCloud is all but gone except for the free 5GB Apple users receive when signing up for the service.
iCloud+ has five paid tiers:
iCloud+ is also included in the individual, family, and premier Apple One bundles, which offer 50GB, 200GB, and 2TB of storage, respectively.
On the other hand, I share iCloud storage with my family to ensure their iPhones and iPads are backed up should something happen to them. Equally, I appreciate the digital safety net my iCloud backups provide. So much so that I wish Apple would release iCloud backups for Macs.
Why Apple won’t give more than 5GB of iCloud storage for free
Even though iCloud is necessary to back up everything from your photos to your apps, you get barely any storage for free from Apple. Here’s why.
iCloud+ hides my email
Email aliases to reduce spam and tracking
For those two reasons, I continually generate an email alias when signing up for a new account or even checking out as a guest.
Is your iCloud storage full? How to clear it and free up space
Getting the iCloud storage full warning? Here’s how to clear up some space on your apple device – and how to keep it clear.
iCloud+ works well with HomeKit secure video
Security camera cloud storage at no additional cost
Suppose you’re a smart home enthusiast like me who uses Apple HomeKit. In that case, you may want security cameras around your home without paying for a questionable cloud subscription service. Fortunately, Apple has our backs.
After the iPhone, services make up the second-largest share of the company’s quarterly revenues, reaching almost 30% last quarter.
I have eight Eufy 2C cameras surrounding my house’s outdoor area and seven Eufy C120s inside that turn on when I leave home. Thanks to Family Sharing, my mother also uses some HomeKit Secure Video cameras around her property.
5 new Apple HomeKit features I can’t wait to try
Apple didn’t forget about HomeKit in 2024. It may not be the biggest update, but there are still some exciting additions.
iCloud+ provides Custom Email Domain
An email alias for small businesses and hobbies
This feature is excellent for someone like me who wanted a professional business email but didn’t want to pay Google, Microsoft, or another email hosting provider. Instead, I linked my new website domain to my iCloud account and was able to create three professional emails with it. While running for a local office, I linked a second domain to my iCloud email to now have a separate campaign address.
This article does not coveriCloud Private Relay. You can read more about what’s included with an iCloud+ subscription from Apple’siCloud User Guide.
What is Apple iCloud Private Relay? Plus how to use it on iOS or Mac
Apple’s iCloud+ subscription service includes a VPN-like feature called Private Relay. Here’s everything you need to know about it.
