What is "icloud"

iCloud is a cloud storage and cloud computing service from Apple Inc. launched on October 12, 2011. , the service had 782 million users.

The service provides its users with means to store data such as documents, photos, and music on remote servers for download to iOS, Macintosh or Windows devices, to share and send data to other users, and to manage their Apple devices if lost or stolen.

The service also provides the means to wirelessly back up iOS devices directly to iCloud, instead of being reliant on manual backups to a host Mac or Windows computer using iTunes. Service users are also able to share photos, music, and games instantly by linking accounts via AirDrop wireless.

It replaced Apple's MobileMe service, acting as a data syncing center for email, contacts, calendars, bookmarks, notes, reminders (to-do lists), iWork documents, photos and other data.

One of Apple's iCloud data centers is located in Maiden, North Carolina, US.

Beginning in 2011, iCloud is based on Amazon AWS and Microsoft Azure (Apple iOS Security white paper published in 2014, Apple acknowledged that encrypted iOS files are stored in Amazon S3 and Microsoft Azure). In 2016, Apple signed a deal with Google to use Google Cloud Platform for some iCloud services.