iCloud Options

In this lesson for macOS Mojave, I look at the different options we have with iCloud on the Mac. With iCloud, we can sync our contacts, calendars, and more including our Desktop and Documents folder.

Accessing iCloud Settings
To access the different settings and services iCloud has to offer, you need to open the System Preferences. One way of doing this is by going to the Apple Menu and selecting System Preferences. In the window that opens, select the iCloud Preference Pane.

Turning different services on and off
Once the iCloud preference pane opens, all the services available through iCloud will show. To turn on or off a service, just select or deselect the checkbox.

Syncing Desktop and Documents
With iCloud Drive, there are a few more options you can choose. Click on Options to see these features. The first option is for Desktop and Documents. When this is selected, your desktop and documents folder will be available through iCloud. This way you could access the files and folders on your Desktop or in your Documents folder from the Files app on your iPad or iPhone. If you use this feature on another Mac, the two Macs will share the same Desktop and Documents folders. You can also select with apps are able to store information in iCloud.

Syncing Photos
With Photos, we can set if you want to use iCloud Photos. When you click on Options next to Photos and select iCloud Photos, all your photos on your Mac are stored in iCloud. If you use iCloud Photos on your other devices, they will share the same photos. If you add a photo on your Mac, it will be added to your iPad and iPhone. Edit a photo on your iPhone, the edited version will show on your Mac and iPad. This option does take up space so you may need to buy more space. You can also set if you want to use My Photo Stream and Shared Albums. If you use iCloud Photo Libray, you do not need to use My Photo Stream. Shared albums allow you to create albums that you can share with other iCloud users.

Buying more Space
Apple gives you a small amount of space to start out with. Space can be used quickly, especially if you use iCloud Photo Library. To see what is using your space, look at the bar chart toward the bottom of the window. To purchase more space, click on Manage.

See this Lesson Action
To see this lesson in action, take a look at the video above.

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