What Is iCloud Plus? Should You Upgrade From iCloud?
iCloud Plus or iCloud+ is a paid subscription to Apple’s cloud storage. While the company gives Apple users 5GB of free iCloud space, you can also upgrade to iCloud+ and get higher storage.
Apple launched iCloud Plus on June 7, 2021, at WWDC. The service was rolled out for public use later in September with iOS 15.
What are the iCloud+ features?
iCloud Plus gives you additional storage along with some cool features. Here’s everything you get with iCloud+.
- Storage: 50GB, 200GB, and 2TB storage plans starting from $0.99.
- iCloud Private Relay: Keeps your location private while browsing with Safari. You can read about how Private Relay works in the linked article.
- Hide My Email: Hide your real email address and remove trackers from incoming emails in Apple’s Mail app. You can also create a burner email. Read more about how it works here.
- Family Sharing: Share your iCloud storage with up to 5 family members.
- HomeKit Secure video: Depending on your plan, you can connect 1, 5, or unlimited cameras to your iCloud+ account.
Should you upgrade to iCloud+?
Your iCloud storage requirements are the principal decision-makers for whether you should upgrade to iCloud Plus. In essence, it offers more storage along with added features.
If you’re not using any iCloud alternatives and want more storage, iCloud Plus is a no-brainer. You can get paid plans and share them with your family. Private Relay and Hide My Email are also good services to keep your privacy online.
However, if you don’t use iCloud, you may not need iCloud Plus. For instance, you can get Hide My Email-like features from DuckDuckGo Email Protection.
That said, if you’re someone who wants to use an iPhone along with a Windows or Android device, you should read our article on the right way to use the Apple ecosystem.
If you like this simple explainer, check out our Short Bytes section. We take complex tech topics and break them into short, easy-to-understand articles.
