Store your data securely in iCloud (2024)

Table of Contents

Apple Personal Safety User Guide

Welcome
- - Use Safety Check to stop sharing
  - How Safety Check works
  - Additional considerations when using Safety Check
- - Limit access
  - Stop sharing
  - Manage location
Personal safety at a glance
- Intro to review and take action
- Secure AirDrop and NameDrop
- Securely control whom you share content with from iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch
- Securely control whom you share content with from Mac
- - Share or stop sharing your location
  - Manage automatic ETA sharing in Maps
  - Manage Location Services settings
  - Stop and remove location metadata in Photos
  - Detecting unwanted trackers
- Safely manage how you forward content
- Reject unknown sign-in attempts
- Record suspicious activity
- Store your data securely in iCloud
- Delete suspicious content
- Manage Family Sharing settings
- Avoid fraudulent requests to share info
- Securely control your Home accessories
- How to erase all content and settings
- Restore the data you backed up
- Intro to privacy and safety tools
- Update your Apple software
- Set a unique passcode or password
- Secure your iPhone or iPad with Face ID
- Secure your devices with Touch ID
- Delete unknown fingerprints from iPhone or iPad
- Add or delete fingerprints on your Mac
- Keep your Apple ID secure
- Use two-factor authentication
- Help prevent being locked out of your device
- Keep your device, app, and website passwords secure on iPhone and iPad
- Manage shared password and passkeys
- App privacy features in Apple products
- Harden your devices against mercenary spyware
- Manage safety settings in Messages
- Use Check In for Messages
- Block calls and messages
- Receive warnings about sensitive images and videos on iPhone, iPad, and Mac
- Keep your browsing history private
- Make an emergency call or text on iPhone or Apple Watch
- Obtain evidence related to another person’s account
What’s new in personal safety
Copyright

iCloud securely stores your photos, videos, documents, music, apps, device backups, and more—and keeps them updated across all your devices. iCloud also allows you to share with friends and family—such things as photos, calendars, and your location. You can sign in to iCloud on your device or the web with your Apple ID.

See the iCloud User Guide for more detailed information about what’s stored in iCloud.

iCloud security options

Apple offers users two options to encrypt and protect the data stored in iCloud:

Standard data protection (the default setting): Your iCloud data is encrypted, the encryption keys are secured in Apple data centers, and Apple can assist you with data and account recovery. Only certain iCloud data—14 data categories, including Health data and passwords in iCloud Keychain—is end-to-end encrypted.
Advanced Data Protection for iCloud: An optional setting that offers you Apple’s highest level of cloud data security. If you choose to turn on Advanced Data Protection, your trusted devices retain sole access to the encryption keys for the majority of your iCloud data, protecting it using end-to-end encryption. And with the Advanced Data Protection, the number of data categories that use end-to-end encryption rises to 23 and includes your iCloud Backup, Photos, Notes, and more.

For more information, see the Apple Support articles How to turn on Advanced Data Protection for iCloud and iCloud data security overview, the section “Data categories and encryption.”

Find out how: To view a task below, select the plus button next to its title.

View and change iCloud settings

You can view and change your iCloud settings on each device, including which apps (Apple and third-party) use iCloud, iCloud backups, and more:

On your iPhone or iPad: Go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud.
Disabling this feature means you can’t use it if your device is lost or stolen and powered down.
On your Mac running macOS 13 or later: Choose Apple menu > System Settings, click Apple ID, then click iCloud.
On your Mac running macOS 12 or earlier: Choose Apple menu > System Preferences, click Apple ID, then click iCloud.

Sign out of iCloud

You can also sign out of iCloud completely on a device. If you sign out of iCloud, it no longerbacks upthe information on that device.

On your iPhone or iPad: Go to Settings > [your name] > scroll down, then tap Sign Out.
On your Mac running macOS 13 or later: Choose Apple menu > System Settings, click Apple ID, clickOverview, then click Sign Out.
On your Mac running macOS 12 or earlier: Choose Apple menu > System Preferences, click Apple ID, clickOverview, then click Sign Out.

See alsoUse your Apple ID with iCloud – iCloud User GuideIntroduction to iCloud – iCloud User GuideiCloud for Windows User GuideAdditional safety resources

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