iCloud Drive safely stores any kind of file so it can be accessed in iCloud-enabled apps on iPhone, iPad, Mac, or PC. With macOS, users can even access their Mac desktop and Documents folder on iOS.
ICloud Drive is just one part of the overall 5GB free iCloud storage all Apple owners get, which is also used for iOS device backup, your iCloud email, and the iCloud Photo Library, or for storing. ICloud Drive lets you organize your files with folders, rename them, and tag them with colors. And when you make a change, the update is made across all your devices. You can even have everything in your Mac Desktop and Documents folders automatically available in iCloud Drive.
Enable iCloud Drive in Your App
Create a folder for your app in iCloud Drive so your users can quickly access the documents they’ve created using your app. All their edits are automatically synced to all their devices.
Flexible Organization and Collaboration
Users can organize documents in iCloud Drive in ways that work best for them. Add support so users can open their documents using your app from anywhere in iCloud Drive.
Get Started
Download and install the latest version of Xcode and use the development resources below to learn about enabling your document-based apps to work with iCloud Drive.
Xcode and SDKs
Xcode includes the SDKs for building apps that support iCloud Drive.
Documentation
Get the details on how to build a document-based apps that support iCloud Drive using the UIKit framework.
Before you begin
- Update your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch to the latest iOS or iPadOS, and your Mac to the latest macOS.
- Set up iCloud on all of your devices.
- Make sure you’re signed in to iCloud with the same Apple ID on all of your devices.
- If you have a Windows PC, update to Windows 7 or later and download iCloud for Windows.
If you have a device that can't be updated to the latest iOS or macOS, take a look at the minimum system requirements to use iCloud Drive.
Get started
Set up iCloud Drive everywhere you want to access and edit your files.
On your iPhone, iPad and iPod touch
- Go to Settings > [your name].
- Tap iCloud.
- Turn on iCloud Drive.
You can find your iCloud Drive files in the Files app.
If you're using iOS 10 or iOS 9, tap Settings > iCloud > iCloud Drive. Turn on iCloud Drive, and tap Show on Home Screen. Then you'll find your files in the iCloud Drive app.
On your Mac
- Go to Apple menu > System Preferences, then click Apple ID. If you’re using macOS Mojave or earlier, you don’t need to click Apple ID.
- Select iCloud.
- Sign in with your Apple ID, if you need to.
- Select iCloud Drive.
If you want to add the files from your Mac Desktop and Documents folder to iCloud Drive, update your Mac to macOS Sierra or later then turn on Desktop and Documents. On your Mac, you can find the files on your Desktop and in your Documents folder in Finder under iCloud. If you add a second Mac Desktop, the files from your second Mac won't be merged automatically with the files on your first Mac. Go to your Desktop and Documents folders in iCloud Drive, then look for a folder with the same name as your second Mac.
On iCloud.com
- Sign in to iCloud.com.
- Select Pages, Numbers or Keynote.
- Click Upgrade to iCloud Drive, if you are asked to upgrade.
On your Windows PC
Download Icloud Drive To Mac
After you've set up iCloud Drive on your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch or Mac, you can set it up on your Windows PC.
- Go to Start, open Apps or Programs and open iCloud for Windows.
- Enter your Apple ID to sign in to iCloud.
- Select iCloud Drive, then click Apply.
Download Icloud Photos To External Hard Drive Mac
What's next?
After you've set up iCloud Drive, any documents that are already being stored in iCloud will be moved to iCloud Drive automatically. Your iPhone, iPad and iPod touch keep your files in the Files app in addition to the Pages, Numbers and Keynote apps. If you can't see your files in these apps, they may be on a device that doesn't have iCloud Drive turned on.
Download Icloud Photos To External Drive Mac
Find out more about using iCloud Drive.