iCloud

By MacRumors Staff
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iCloud is Apple's cloud-based storage service and app server, designed to let users store data ranging from documents, photos, and music to device backups and app data, such as save states. iCloud is an essential part of the Apple ecosystem, ensuring customers do not lose data, files, or iOS device setups even when an Apple product is lost, stolen, or damaged.

iCloud also includes a set of cloud-based web apps, accessible on any browser though the iCloud website. With iCloud apps, users can access their mail, contacts, calendar, photos, notes, and reminders, or track the location of their iOS and Mac devices. Apple's iWork apps, Pages, Numbers, and Keynote, can also be used in a browser through iCloud.

Every iCloud user is given 5GB of free storage, but 50GB, 200GB, or 2TB of additional storage can be purchased for $0.99, $2.99, or $9.99 per month.

iCloud How Tos

How to Temporarily Disable iCloud Private Relay for a Specific Website on iPhone and iPad

Tuesday December 13, 2022 8:51 am PST by
When Apple introduced its paid-for iCloud+ service with iOS 15, it included a new security feature called iCloud Private Relay, which is designed to encrypt all of the traffic leaving your device so no one can intercept it or read it. Private Relay sends web traffic to a server that is maintained by Apple in order to strip the IP address. Once IP info has been removed, Apple sends the...
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How to Enable End-to-End Encryption for iCloud Backups

Tuesday December 13, 2022 7:51 am PST by
With the release of iOS 16.3 and macOS 13.2, Apple is introducing Advanced Protection for iCloud, which uses end-to-end encryption to provide Apple's highest level of cloud data security yet. Here's everything you need to know about enabling it on your devices. The new security feature ensures users will have the choice to further protect their important iCloud data, including iCloud Backup, ...
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Can't Upgrade Your iCloud+ Storage Plan on iPhone or iPad? Here's How to Fix It

Monday April 11, 2022 1:27 am PDT by
Every Apple device user is given 5GB of free iCloud storage to let them store their data in secure remote servers, but Apple also offers iCloud+, a premium cloud subscription service that gives you more storage as well as additional features like Private Relay and Hide My Email. Apple offers iCloud+ with 50GB, 200GB, or 2TB of additional storage for $0.99, $2.99, or $9.99 per month. If...
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How to Set Up Custom Email Domains With iCloud Mail on iPhone

Tuesday March 29, 2022 1:55 pm PDT by
With the release of iOS 15.4, Apple has added the ability for users with paid iCloud+ plans to create custom email domains directly on their iPhone. This article explains how it's done. When you subscribe to iCloud+ (prices start at $0.99) you can use custom domains to send and receive email with iCloud Mail. That means if you own a personal domain name, you can set up iCloud Mail to use it...
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iOS 15: How to Create a 'Hide My Email' Private Address

Thursday August 19, 2021 12:01 pm PDT by
With iOS 15 and Hide My Email, you can create unique, random email addresses that forward to your personal inbox whenever you want to keep your personal email address private. This is especially useful if you think that a business or website is likely to share your email address with ad agencies or other third-parties for marketing purposes. Providing them with a dummy address means you can ...
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iOS 15: How to Change Where 'Hide My Email' Addresses Forward

Thursday August 19, 2021 12:00 pm PDT by
With iOS 15 and the Hide My Email feature exclusive to iCloud+ subscribers, you can create unique, random email addresses that forward to your personal inbox whenever you want to keep your personal email address private. Hide My Email addresses are really useful if you think that a business or website is likely to share your email address with ad agencies or other third-parties for...
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iOS 15: How to Deactivate or Delete a 'Hide My Email' Private Address

Thursday August 19, 2021 11:59 am PDT by
In iOS 15, paid iCloud+ plans feature Hide My Email, which lets you create unique, random email addresses that forward messages to your personal inbox whenever you want to keep your personal email address private. They're really useful if you think that a business or website is likely to share your email address with ad agencies or other third-parties for marketing purposes. Providing them...
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iOS 15: How to Use Hide My Email

Thursday August 19, 2021 11:41 am PDT by
With the introduction of iOS 15, Apple rebadged its paid iCloud plans to "iCloud+" to reflect the fact that subscribers now get access to additional privacy features like Private Relay and Hide My Email. This article explains what Hide My Email is and how to use it. Hide My Email builds on the idea of Sign in With Apple by providing you with unique, random email addresses that forward to...
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How to Adjust iCloud Private Relay IP Address Settings

Wednesday August 18, 2021 4:33 pm PDT by
As part of iOS 15, Apple introduced iCloud Private Relay, a feature of all iCloud+ paid plans that's designed to encrypt all of the traffic leaving your device so no one can intercept it or read it. Private Relay works by sending web traffic to a server that is maintained by Apple to strip the IP address. Once the IP info has been removed, Apple sends the traffic to a second server...
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iOS 15: How to Turn iCloud Private Relay On and Off

Wednesday August 18, 2021 4:28 pm PDT by
Alongside iOS 15, Apple introduced an iCloud+ service that adds new features to its paid ‌iCloud‌ plans (upgraded ‌iCloud‌ storage tiers start at $0.99). One of these features is ‌iCloud‌ Private Relay, which is designed to encrypt all of the traffic leaving your device so no one can intercept it or read it. Private Relay sends web traffic to a server that is maintained by Apple...
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How to Free Up Space on iPhone and iPad By Storing Messages in iCloud

Thursday April 8, 2021 4:52 pm PDT by
Messages in iCloud, as the name suggests, stores your iMessages in Apple's cloud servers rather than on each of your individual devices, which has a number of benefits. When you receive a message on one device, it shows up on all devices logged into the same iCloud account. Likewise, when you delete messages and conversations they are instantly removed from all your devices. Another...
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How to Back Up Your iPhone or iPad Using iCloud

Tuesday April 6, 2021 3:50 pm PDT by
Creating an iPhone or iPad backup should be routine for most users, as it's a simple procedure and the easiest way to recover your data if your device is replaced, lost, or stolen. There are two types of backup available to iOS users. iCloud backups are encrypted automatically and stored in the cloud, and you can create and use them anywhere with a Wi-Fi connection. By contrast, computer-base...
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How to Use iCloud Email Address Aliases

Wednesday April 1, 2020 5:03 pm PDT by
Apple enables iCloud account holders to use email aliases, which allow you to send and receive emails without disclosing your true email address. Using an email alias to log in to websites and online services can help protect your genuine email address by hiding it from spammers and other sources of unsoliticted messages. In addition, email aliases make it easy to filter messages, because...
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How to Share iCloud Folders on iPhone and iPad

Friday February 7, 2020 12:55 pm PST by
As of iOS 13.4, Apple lets you share folders that you've synced to iCloud with friends and colleagues who have an Apple ID. Whether you're sharing from an iPhone or iPad, you'll be able to give people one-way access to the file, or allow them to modify the document if you're collaborating on a piece of work. This step-by-step guide shows you how it works. The sharing options that you choose...
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How to Access iCloud on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Windows, and the Web

Wednesday December 18, 2019 12:32 am PST by
iCloud is Apple's cloud platform that serves and secures all Apple devices. It can save and synchronize all your photos, contacts, files, reminders, and notes, and you can also use it to store device backups. You can access and manage your iCloud data on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Windows, and the web. Keep reading to learn how. iCloud stores your content securely and keeps your apps up to date...
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How to Enable Messages in iCloud and Fix Stuck Message Downloads

Wednesday December 11, 2019 9:24 am PST by
Messages in iCloud, as the name suggests, stores your iMessages in Apple's cloud servers rather than on each of your individual devices, which has a number of benefits. When you receive a message on one device, it shows up on all devices logged into the same iCloud account. Likewise, when you delete messages and conversations they are instantly removed from all your devices. Another...
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How to Sync Your Apple Music Library Across Devices

Thursday February 14, 2019 5:18 pm PST by
If you're an Apple Music subscriber, you can add and download songs, albums, playlists, and video content from the Apple Music catalog to your personal music library, and access all of them on any other Apple devices you own that have the Music app. With Apple's Sync Library feature enabled, the Apple Music content in your library will be synced across your devices as long as they are all...
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How to Recover Files, Contacts, Bookmarks, Calendars and Reminders in iCloud

Tuesday October 9, 2018 9:01 pm PDT by
Apple has little known iCloud tools that are designed to let you recover files that have been deleted from iCloud, as well as recover Contacts, Calendars, and Reminders that have been lost. Lost iCloud data isn't a situation that comes up often, but these tools were introduced following an iCloud Drive bug in 2015 that caused some users to lose documents stored in iCloud Drive, prompting the...
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How to Share an iCloud Photo Link in iOS 12

Thursday August 23, 2018 4:00 am PDT by
In iOS 12, Apple has added the ability to share pictures or video in your Photo Library using an iCloud.com link that lasts for 30 days. Not only is sharing a link quicker and less burdensome on your data allowance than sending several images or gigabytes of video, you can also share the same link as many times as you want within the expiry limit. For the new photo link option to appear,...
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How to Share Files Stored in Your iCloud Drive

Monday August 20, 2018 5:08 am PDT by
You can share files you've synced to iCloud with friends and colleagues who have an Apple ID using the step-by-step guide below. Whether you're sharing from a Mac or an iPhone, you'll be able to give people one-way access to the file, or allow them to modify the document if you're collaborating on a piece of work. The sharing options you choose automatically sync across your devices, so you...
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How to Set Up Out-of-Office Replies in Apple Mail and iCloud Mail

Tuesday March 6, 2018 11:31 pm PST by
Apple's native Mail application in macOS lacks a specific option for enabling out-of-office replies, but there is another way you can set them up on a Mac, and that's with Rules. It's worth bearing in mind at the outset that your Mac needs to be powered on for this out-of-office method to work. That's because Apple Mail rules are only applied locally to incoming emails, and aren't active on the...
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How to Merge and Remove Duplicate Contacts in macOS and iCloud

Thursday February 22, 2018 12:03 am PST by
If you've been maintaining and migrating the same Contacts list across Macs over the years then you've probably come across your fair share of duplicate contact cards. They can also appear seemingly out of nowhere after setting up iCloud Contacts on your Mac for the first time. Unless you intentionally keep certain information for the same contact separated out for whatever reason, duplicate...
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How to Use iCloud Keychain on Your iOS Devices

Wednesday February 7, 2018 3:08 pm PST by
iCloud Keychain is a feature of your Apple account that you can use to keep your website login credentials, personal details, credit card details, and wireless network information up to date and available across all your Apple devices. With so many usernames and passwords to remember these days, iCloud Keychain provides a convenient way of always having this information at hand. And with its...
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How to Sign Up for iCloud Family Storage Plans in iOS 11

Thursday September 21, 2017 4:19 pm PDT by
Apple's Family Sharing feature allows you to share music, movies, apps, photos, and more with family members, and in iOS 11, Family Sharing extends to Apple's iCloud Storage plans. When you purchase a 200GB or 2TB iCloud Storage plan, all members of your family can share the storage space. Depending on how many family members you have, family plans offer more storage at a better price than...
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How to Use iCloud Photo Library in Photos to Sync Pictures Between Devices

Tuesday April 28, 2015 11:56 am PDT by
iCloud Photo Library was introduced with iOS 8, but with the launch of the Photos for OS X app, it's now available on the Mac. In a nutshell, iCloud Photo Library is Apple's newest photo service that lets you sync all of your images across all your devices and to iCloud. iCloud Photo Library supports several photo and video formats, storing photos in their original format, and it makes all...
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iCloud Articles

icloud private relay outage

Apple Fixes iCloud Private Relay After Extended Outage

Monday July 29, 2024 4:50 am PDT by
Apple has resolved the iCloud Private Relay service outage, restoring full functionality for users around the world after several days of disruption. The recent iCloud Private Relay outage began at 02:34 AM Eastern Time on Thursday and lasted until 10:59 PM Eastern Time on Saturday. The issue disrupted web browsing for some users for over 48 hours, which is an unusually long period for an...
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iCloud 'Keep Downloaded' Option Included in iOS 18 and macOS Sequoia

Wednesday June 26, 2024 4:23 am PDT by
In iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia, Apple has added a new "Keep Downloaded" option when browsing items in iCloud, allowing users to designate which files and folders should remain permanently available locally on their device. In previous versions of iOS and macOS, users had limited control over which files and folders were kept offline. iCloud's automatic management system would...
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iCloud General Feature

Apple Redesigns iCloud App for Windows

Thursday February 8, 2024 4:27 am PST by
Apple this week rolled out its redesigned iCloud app for Windows, touting a range of new features and improvements to enhance the user experience (via TechCrunch). The latest update to the iCloud for Windows app brings an all-new design, an easier-to-use onboarding and setup process, syncing status, support for physical security keys for Apple ID sign-in, photos syncing performance...
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iCloud General Feature

Apple's iCloud Website Updated With iOS 17 and macOS Sonoma Features

Thursday September 28, 2023 11:07 am PDT by
Alongside the launch of iOS 17, iPadOS 17, and macOS Sonoma, Apple has updated its iCloud website with design changes and some of the new features that came in the software updates. Apple says that the ‌iCloud‌ homepage is now customizable, with options to select specific folders for Notes, a specific mailbox in the Mail app, favorite Photos, and more. Tiles are now interactive, so you can...
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icloud plus storage tiers

Apple Launches New 6TB and 12TB iCloud+ Plans

Monday September 18, 2023 10:17 am PDT by
Apple today launched the two new iCloud+ plans that it announced during last week's iPhone-centric event. The 6TB and 12TB ‌iCloud‌+ plans can now be purchased through the ‌iCloud‌+ interface as higher-tier options that join the existing 50GB, 200GB, and 2TB storage plans. The 6TB plan is priced at $29.99 per month, while the 12TB plan is priced at $59.99 per month. Apple suggests that the...
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icloud plus storage tiers

Apple Adds 6TB and 12TB iCloud+ Storage Tiers

Tuesday September 12, 2023 12:38 pm PDT by
Apple today announced new 6TB and 12TB storage tiers for its iCloud+ subscription service, pushing past 2TB for the first time. Every Apple ID receives 5GB of free cloud storage, but users can upgrade to a paid ‌iCloud‌+ storage subscription plan to get 50GB, 200GB, 2TB, 6TB, or 12TB of storage. All paid ‌iCloud‌+ storage plans include features like ‌iCloud‌ Private Relay, Hide My Email, and ...
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iCloud General Feature

Apple Hikes iCloud+ Subscription Prices in Many Countries Around the World

Tuesday June 27, 2023 5:41 am PDT by
Apple has increased the price of iCloud storage in several regions around the world, including the United Kingdom, Scandinavia, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and South America. Every Apple ID receives 5GB of free cloud storage, but users can upgrade to a paid ‌iCloud‌+ storage subscription plan to get 50GB, 200GB, or 2TB of storage. The price hike, first spotted by 9to5Mac, represents an...
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iCloud General Feature

Apple VP Overseeing iCloud, iMessage, and FaceTime Infrastructure Leaving Role

Friday March 3, 2023 11:01 am PST by
Apple's vice president of cloud engineering Michael Abbott plans to leave the company in April, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The report notes that Abbott oversees Apple's cloud infrastructure for services like iCloud, iMessage, FaceTime, and others. Abbott joined Apple in 2018 and was previously an executive at tech companies such as Twitter, Microsoft, and Palm. The report claims...
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iCloud General Feature

Apple Says iCloud Terms Can Be Accepted on Web After Viral Tweet [Updated]

Thursday February 9, 2023 5:10 pm PST by
Apple today shared a new support document explaining how to accept iCloud terms and conditions for an Apple TV without owning an iPhone or iPad. Apple says customers who do not have an iPhone running iOS 16 or later or an iPad running iPadOS 16 or later can accept the new terms and conditions on the iCloud.com website. The support document outlines the steps to take:1. Go to iCloud.com,...
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iCloud General Feature

Some iPhone Users Complain of iCloud Backup Issues After Updating to iOS 16.3

Wednesday February 8, 2023 9:31 am PST by
iOS 16.3 appears to be impacting the iCloud Backup feature for some people who have upgraded to the new software, based on complaints on the MacRumors forums and the Apple Support communities. Impacted users have seen automatic ‌iCloud‌ Backup disabled, and attempting to turn on automatic backups results in the following message: "An unknown error occurred. Please try again later." With the...
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HomePodandMini feature orange

Apple Details What to Do If You Can't Update HomePod When Advanced Data Protection Is Enabled

Friday January 20, 2023 4:00 am PST by
Apple has published a new support document explaining what to do if users are unable to set up or update a HomePod when Advanced Data Protection for iCloud is enabled. To use Advanced Data Protection for iCloud, all the devices logged into your Apple ID require a minimum software version. That includes HomePod speakers, which must be running at least HomePod software 16.2. However, accord...
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iOS 16.3 Expands Advanced Data Protection Option for iCloud Encryption Globally

Wednesday January 18, 2023 10:37 am PST by
Apple today announced that Advanced Data Protection is expanding beyond the United States. Starting with iOS 16.3, the security feature will be available globally, giving users the option to enable end-to-end encryption for many additional iCloud data categories, including Photos, Notes, Voice Memos, Messages backups, device backups, and more. iOS 16.3 is currently in beta and expected to be...
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Apple advanced security Advanced Data Protection screen Feature Purple

Expanded iCloud Encryption Can't Be Enabled From New Apple Devices Right Away

Friday December 9, 2022 7:08 am PST by
Starting with iOS 16.2, iPadOS 16.2, and macOS 13.1, all of which are expected to be released next week, users have the option to enable a new Advanced Data Protection feature that expands end-to-end encryption to many additional areas of iCloud, including Messages backups, Photos, Notes, Reminders, Voice Memos, and more. To protect users, Apple does not allow Advanced Data Protection to be...
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General iOS Mail Feature

iCloud Mail Experiencing Issues for Second Day in a Row [Update: Fixed]

Friday December 2, 2022 7:56 am PST by
Apple's iCloud Mail service is experiencing issues for the second day in a row, and Apple's System Status page says that the service may be slow or unavailable for some users. The outage began at 5:06 a.m. Pacific Time, and affected users may not be able to access their mail until the issue is resolved, which is the same problem that the service was having yesterday. Apple has not...
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General iOS Mail Feature

iCloud Mail Currently Experiencing Issues [Update: Fixed]

Thursday December 1, 2022 8:51 am PST by
Apple's iCloud Mail service is experiencing issues at the current time, and Apple's System Status page says that the service may be slow or unavailable for some users. The outage began at 6:06 a.m. Pacific Time, and affected users may not be able to access their mail until the issue is resolved. Apple has not provided a timeline on when a fix might be available, but we'll update this article ...
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iCloud General Feature

iCloud for Windows Users Complain of Corrupted Videos, Photos From Strangers

Monday November 21, 2022 11:05 am PST by
Apple's iCloud for Windows software appears to experiencing serious issues for some users, with complaints on the MacRumors forums about corrupted videos and images from strangers appearing in Photo Libraries. There are a handful of complaints from customers who are running into complications with iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro models. Videos recorded on an iPhone and then synced with ‌iClou...
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icloud com redesign

Apple Launches Revamped iCloud.com Website With All-New Design

Wednesday November 16, 2022 7:55 am PST by
Apple today rolled out a new design on iCloud.com following several weeks of beta testing. The page now features a colorful wallpaper with tiles for your Apple ID account and Apple apps like Photos, Mail, iCloud Drive, Calendar, and Notes. There is also a tile with icons for additional apps like Find My, Pages, Numbers, Keynote, and more. The page can be customized, with users able to choose ...
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General iOS Mail Feature

iCloud Mail Currently Down for Some Users [Update: Fixed]

Tuesday November 1, 2022 8:03 pm PDT by
iCloud Mail has been experiencing an issue over the past few hours and is currently down for some users, according to Apple's system status page. There have been a number of reports on Twitter and from MacRumors readers over the past few hours, although the volume of reports doesn't seem terribly high, so the issue may be affecting only a relatively small percentage of users. User ...
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iOS 16 iCloud Photos Guide Feature

Apple Delays iCloud Shared Photo Library Feature for iOS 16

Wednesday September 7, 2022 12:12 pm PDT by
Apple appears to have delayed its new iCloud Shared Photo Library feature for iOS 16, which is scheduled to be officially released on Monday, September 12. In iOS 16, currently still in beta, Apple has introduced an ‌iCloud‌ Shared Photo Library that aims to make it easer to share photos with your friends and family. With the new ‌‌iCloud‌‌ Shared Photo Library in ‌iOS 16‌, a new...
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iCloud General Feature

Some Apple iCloud Services Experiencing Outage [Update: Fixed]

Tuesday August 16, 2022 1:28 pm PDT by
Some of Apple's iCloud services are experiencing an outage at the current time, according to Apple's System Status page. ‌iCloud‌ Bookmarks and Tabs, ‌iCloud‌ Calendar, ‌iCloud‌ Contacts, iCloud Drive, ‌iCloud‌ Keychain, ‌iCloud‌ Mail, ‌iCloud‌ Web Apps, and ‌iCloud‌ Storage upgrades are having problems, as is iCloud Photos. Apple says that these services may be slow or unavailable for some...
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