Apple has a list of remarkable devices that have conquered the world. You can find iPads, iPhones, and Macbooks everywhere, and maintaining them can be a challenging task. However, Apple has a cloud-based storage service, called iCloud, that you can use to manage your storage space and protect your device. You can access all of your iCloud content with any Apple device by using the same Apple ID. This helps you sync and protect your data across all your devices.
Using iCloud is a straightforward process, but it can still be a problem for beginners. So, here’s everything you need to know about setting up iCloud on your iPad.
Offline vs. iCloud Storage
Offline storage is the inbuilt storage that your iPad comes with. It is not expandable and is generally faster than iCloud storage. However, we think that iCloud storage is also a great place to store your data as it is automatically backed up and synced across all your devices, and it is also expandable if you need more storage space. So, get started with using iCloud by following the guide down below.
How to set up iCloud?
The first thing you need to do before you set up your iCloud account is to get your data organized and check what you want to sync up. After you’ve done that, you can go ahead and get iCloud ready. You can either do this when you turn on your iPad up for the first time, and you will be asked to use iCloud Drive to store your data. If this is the case, then tap on “Yes”, and you’re all set.
However, if you have already skipped this step and selected “No” during the setup process, you can still enable it manually by going to the “Settings” app. To do this, follow the steps below:
- Launch the Settings app.
- Tap on your Apple ID section.
- Click on “iCloud”.
- Toggle on iCloud.
- Finally, log in with your Apple ID account to set up iCloud.
How can you view your iCloud account information?
You can quickly check all your information (password and security, registered devices, and data) on your iCloud Drive by following the steps below:
- Launch the Settings app.
- Tap on your Apple ID section.
- Click on Name, Phone Numbers, or Email.
Note: This will help you change any data or information that needs to be updated or removed.
How to use Find My iPad?
Find My iPad lets you locate your iPad if it gets lost. It brings a lot of features, and you can even send an alert with a message to your tablet if you can’t find it, and you can also remotely wipe all your data from it if the worst comes to shove. However, the best part about this feature is that if you have “Find My iPad” enabled on your iCloud account. Thieves or anyone else won’t ever be able to turn it off without entering your iCloud password and would be stuck with an unusable iPad. We highly recommend enabling the feature and learning everything you can about how it can help you protect your devices and personal data from any trouble it might face. You can enable Find my iPad by:
- Go to Settings > Apple ID > Find My iPad.
- Turn on the Find My iPad toggle.
- Turn on “Find My Network or Enable Offline Finding” (helps to find offline devices)
- Enable “Send Last Location” (instantly forwards you the last location of your device)
How to use iCloud with the Files app?
iCloud is fantastic to store all your documents in as they are accessible throughout all web pages without issues. You can use your Files app to backup any of the data you want straight to your iCloud Drive, and it makes it easy to share documents or collaborate in real-time on everything that you store in your iCloud Drive. You can enable the settings on your iPad so that your documents are automatically saved to iCloud Drive. To do this:
- Launch the Settings app.
- Update settings for the Pages, Numbers, or Keynote option.
- Tap on “Document Storage.”
- Now choose iCloud Drive to save your documents automatically.
[ Related: How to Retrieve iPad Notes Data from an iCloud backup? ]
How to access your iCloud Photo Library?
iCloud Photo Library is the storage location of all your photos synced automatically across all your devices for ease of access. You don’t have to do anything significant, and it works by creating an album or folder on your iPad Photos app, and it will instantly sync up to iCloud and all other iCloud-ready devices. It can help you free up a lot of storage space on your iPad by allowing you to stream photos and videos instead of keeping them locally or downloading them. iPads are generally connected with a constant WiFi connection, and hence, streaming saves a ton of on-device storage for apps and other data. The following steps will help you create an album that can sync up with your iCloud Drive.
- Launch the Photos app.
- Swipe from the left edge of the screen to bring out the sidebar, then tap on “New Album.”
- Give a name to the album, then tap on Save.
- Choose all the photos you want to add and then tap on Done.
Note: This will help you create an album, and it will get automatically synced with your iCloud Drive Storage.
How to use iCloud Photo Sharing?
iCloud Photo Sharing is another part of the Photos app on the iPad. It allows you to create a shared photo album that can be shared with friends and family to view, add or use. It’s a fantastic way to share all your photos with a small group of people through their iCloud accounts. You can follow the steps below to create a Shared Album:
Note: You need to go to Settings > Your Apple ID > iCloud > Photos and then turn on Shared Albums.
- Launch the Photos app.
- Swipe from the left edge of the screen to bring out the sidebar.
- Tap on “New Shared Album.”
- Give the album a name, and then tap on Next.
- Choose people you want to invite and then tap on Create.
How to use Apple Music with iCloud?
Apple Music with iCloud Drive lets you access and stream all the media content on your iCloud Drive. This also includes support for music from the iTunes Store and even ebooks or podcasts you’ve purchased. You can also pair your iCloud account with your Apple TV to stream media straight to your iPad without any hassle. You can get started using Apple Music with your iCloud Drive by:
- Head on to the Settings app > Music.
- Turn on Sync Library.
This will sync all your music to iCloud Drive, and you’ll be able to access all your files on every iCloud-enabled device that you own.
How to use Family Sharing with iCloud?
We have partly discussed Family Sharing in the Photos section, but it can also be used to share iTunes music library and App Store purchases with your trusted family or friends. Family Sharing also adds some convenient features such as tracking and permission controls which are very handy if you have children. It can help you manage the content they can view and add restrictions to age-appropriate content. You can enable Family Sharing on your iPad by following the steps below:
- Head on to the Settings app > Tap on your Apple ID > Family Sharing.
- Tap on your name.
- Now confirm your Apple ID so that it can be used to share any content.
- Tap the Back button present in the upper-left corner to go back to the Family Sharing page.
- Tap on the Purchase Sharing toggle and make sure that Share Purchases with Family is turned on.
This will share all your purchases and content with your selected family member’s account.
Final words
We have covered everything from setting up your iCloud Account to making data and content available to your family with Family Sharing. We highly recommend you try out these fantastic features and turn on the Find my iPad and Family Sharing features as soon as possible, as they are an excellent asset to any device owner. With this, we end our guide, and if you’re still facing any issues, please comment below so that we can help you sort it out.
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