How do i sign into icloud on my mac

How do i sign into icloud on my mac

  • You can access iCloud on any computer or phone by going to icloud.com.
  • On an iPhone, iPad, or Mac, your Apple ID menu lets you manage iCloud and choose what data it saves.
  • To access iCloud on a new device, you might need to enter a two-factor authentication code.

If you're like most users, you've probably got more data stored in iCloud than you realize. Photos, contact information, notes — even your Health app information is stored in the cloud by default.

But it isn't always obvious how to access iCloud, or how to manage what data it stores. Luckily, it's easy to do both.

How to access iCloud through the website

As long as you have a computer or phone that's connected to the internet, you can access iCloud.

1. Head to icloud.com and enter the email address linked to your Apple ID account.

2. Click the arrow icon, and then enter your password.

3. If you have two-factor authentication set up on your Apple ID account, a code will be sent to all your devices. Enter this code on the iCloud website to gain access.

You'll be shown a list of icons and options — more icons will be available on the desktop version of the site than the smartphone version. Click any of these icons to see the data stored in your iCloud account. From there you can delete, move, or download nearly anything you've saved.

The iCloud home page shows icons for the most important Apple apps. William Antonelli/Insider

How to access iCloud on an iPhone, iPad, or Mac

Alternatively, you can go through the Apple ID menu. This menu is at the top of the Settings app on every device.

  • On an iPhone or iPad, open Settings and then tap your name at the top of all the options.
  • On a Mac, click the Apple logo in the top-left corner and select System Preferences, and then Apple ID.

Once you've reached this page, tap or click the iCloud option.

Open the "iCloud" page. William Antonelli/Insider

You'll be shown how much storage space you have in iCloud, and what kind of data it's currently holding. Selecting the Manage option shows you exactly how much data each app takes, and lets you upgrade your iCloud storage plan.

You'll also find an Apps Using iCloud section. Here, select which apps are allowed to save data to iCloud, and which ones have to keep their data stored only on your device. Turning off an option will erase its data from iCloud immediately.

Photos will likely take up the most space in your iCloud account. William Antonelli/Insider

William Antonelli

Tech Reporter for Insider Reviews

William Antonelli (he/she/they) is a writer, editor, and organizer based in New York City. As a founding member of the Reference team, he helped grow Tech Reference (now part of Insider Reviews) from humble beginnings into a juggernaut that attracts over 20 million visits a month. Outside of Insider, his writing has appeared in publications like Polygon, The Outline, Kotaku, and more. He's also a go-to source for tech analysis on channels like Newsy, Cheddar, and NewsNation. You can find him on Twitter @DubsRewatcher, or reach him by email at .

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iCloud Drive on Mac

(Image credit: iMore)

With iCloud Drive, you can access all of the files you're currently storing and syncing in Apple's iCloud storage service. On iOS, you can find your folders and documents in the Files app. You can access iCloud Drive on the web or via a Finder window on the Mac. Here's how.

How to enable iCloud Drive on your Mac

To turn on iCloud Drive on Mac, choose the Apple menu at the top left, then select System Settings from the pull-down menu. Click the iCloud account at the left, then toggle iCloud Drive at the bottom on the right side.

(Image credit: iMore)

If you haven't already enabled iCloud Drive on your Mac, you can do so manually at any time on any of the best Macs.

  1. Click on the Apple menu icon in the upper left corner of your Mac.
  2. Click on System Settings.
  3. Choose your Apple ID at the top left. 
  4. Toggle on iCloud Drive to enable it.

How to access iCloud Drive from a web browser

To use iCloud Drive online, visit the iCloud.com webpage and log in with your Apple ID. Once logged in, choose iCloud Drive. You can access your files there.

(Image credit: iMore)

You can access all of your iCloud files right from the web on any device, even a PC.

  1. Navigate to iCloud.com from your web browser.
  2. Enter the email address and password associated with your Apple ID.
  3. Click or tap on the Arrow next to the password.
  4. Enter the verification code sent to your trusted device for two-factor authentication if prompted.
  5. Click on iCloud Drive.

You can view files from the web browser and either download them onto your Mac, move them to a different folder, email them, or delete them.

How to access iCloud Drive from Finder on your Mac

To bring up iCloud Drive from Finder, click Finder, then choose Go from the menu bar. Choose iCloud Drive from the pull-down menu.

(Image credit: iMore)

You can also access iCloud Drive right on your Mac without having to use a browser in a Finder window.

  1. Launch Finder on your Mac.
  2. Click Go on the menubar. 
  3. Choose iCloud Drive from the pull-down menu. 

You can also search for iCloud Drive in Spotlight to quickly find iCloud Drive on your Mac.

How to disable iCloud Drive on Mac

To make iCloud Drive inactive on Mac, click on the Apple logo at the top left, then choose System Settings from the
pull-down menu. Highlight iCloud on the left hand side and then toggle off iCloud Drive towards the bottom on the right.

(Image credit: iMore)

If you don't want to keep iCloud Drive on your Mac, you can disable it the same way you enabled it.

  1. Click on the Apple menu icon in the upper left corner of your Mac.
  2. Click on System Settings.
  3. Click on Apple ID.
  4. Untoggle iCloud Drive to disable it.

Now you can use iCloud Drive on Mac

If you're an iCloud user, you will definitely want to take advantage of iCloud Drive. Use it to store the most important files that you want to access across your Apple devices. If you know how to open a folder on your Mac, you already know how to use iCloud Drive. 

Bryan M. Wolfe has written about technology for over a decade on various websites, including TechRadar, AppAdvice, and many more. Before this, he worked in the technology field across different industries, including healthcare and education. He’s currently iMore’s lead on all things Mac and macOS, although he also loves covering iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch. Bryan enjoys watching his favorite sports teams, traveling, and driving around his teenage daughter to her latest stage show, audition, or school event in his spare time. He also keeps busy walking his black and white cocker spaniel, Izzy, and trying new coffees and liquid grapes.

Why won't iCloud let me sign in on my Mac?

Check that your details are correct If you still can't log in to iCloud after restarting your Mac, you should check that the Apple ID and password for your account are correct. The quickest way to do that is to sign in to iCloud online in Safari. Sign in using your Apple ID and password.

How do I sign into my iCloud on my computer?

Sign in to iCloud.com.
Go to iCloud.com, then sign in with your Apple ID. ... .
If you set up two-factor authentication or two-step verification, follow the onscreen instructions to verify your identity by entering a code sent to a trusted device..