Take Control of iCloud, 8th Edition (Version 8.0.1)

Understand iCloud’s capabilities and limitations, and put its key features to good use!
Version 8.0.1, updated February 12, 2022

Apple’s iCloud service is highly useful, but it can also create headaches for the average user. In Take Control of iCloud, Eighth Edition, Joe Kissell explains how to avoid frustrations and make iCloud work for you across all your devices.

iCloud is a simple idea in theory—access to all your data on all your devices, via the cloud—that can become complicated when put into practice. Instead of wasting time fiddling with iCloud, when there are many other more important things to be done with the information it contains, learn how to minimize frustrations with Take Control of iCloud, Eighth Edition!

Whether you want a quick tip or a deep dive into the inner workings of iCloud, you’ll find what you need in this best-selling book by Apple expert Joe Kissell. Start by learning what iCloud can do, how it differs from other cloud services, and how best to set it up on Macs, iOS and iPadOS devices, Apple TVs, and Windows PCs.

Then, move on to finding out the key aspects—and hidden gotchas—of iCloud’s core features, including:

iCloud+, Apple's paid membership tiers with extra features
Photo features: iCloud Photos and iCloud Photo Sharing
Family Sharing
iTunes Match and iCloud Music Library
iCloud Drive
Mail and Mail Drop
Contacts, Calendars, Reminders, and Notes
iCloud Keychain
the iCloud website
Location features: Find My Device, Find My Item, Find My Friends, and the Find My app
Two-factor authentication
Activation lock
Backing up and restoring data
Managing your privacy and security
This edition not only covers the changes to iCloud in macOS 12 Monterey, iOS 15, and iPadOS 15 but also includes details about recent changes to iCloud that span operating systems, including iCloud+. It also continues to cover macOS 10.15 Catalina, macOS 11 Big Sur, and iOS 14/iPadOS 14, but drops coverage of earlier operating system versions.