How to set up and use iCloud on Windows PC?

December 17, 2019February 17, 2020 Nav Taylor

iCloud has been available as a utility on Windows for years and now there is a new and improved version of the software in the official Microsoft Store. This new version is a smarter sync process, so you can keep files in the cloud without having to save them locally on a Windows machine, while still having easy access to them. There’s also tighter integration for iCloud within File Explorer.

The iCloud app lives down in the notification area on the right of the taskbar in Windows: It gives you quick links to downloading photos, uploading photos, and heading to the iCloud portal on the web. With iCloud for Windows, the photos, documents, and bookmarks on your PC are updated automatically on your Apple devices.

How to set up iCloud on Windows PC?

Before you download iCloud for Windows, you need to set up iCloud on all of your Apple devices. You can sign in to iCloud with your Apple ID. Just follow the set up instructions for your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch with iOS 5 or later or Mac with OS X Lion 10.7.4 or later.

Your system requirements should be

Microsoft Windows 10
iCloud for Windows 7or iCloud for Windows 10. Windows 10 version 1903 or later is recommended for iCloud for Windows 10.
iTunes 12.7
Outlook 2010 – Outlook 20163
Microsoft Edge, Firefox 45 or later, or Google Chrome 54 or later (desktop mode only)

To find out which version of Windows your device is running, press the Windows logo key + R, type winver in the Openbox, and then select OK.

Select the Start button > Settings > System > About .
Under Device specifications > System type, see if you’re running a 32-bit or 64-bit version of Windows.
Under Windows specifications, check which edition and version of Windows your device is running.
iCloud requires an Internet connection. iCloud might not be available in all areas and features vary. If you use a Managed Apple ID, iCloud for Windows isn’t supported.

Now DownloadiCloud for Windows. If it doesn’t install automatically, go to File Explorer and open iCloud Setup.
Restart your computer.
Make sure iCloud for Windows is open. If it doesn’t open automatically, go to Start, open Apps or Programs, and open iCloud for Windows.
Enter your Apple ID to sign in to iCloud.
Choose the features and content that you want to keep up to date across your devices.
Then Click Apply.

Download your photos and share with friends

When you turn on Photos, iCloud for Windows creates a Photos folder in File Explorer called iCloud Photos. iCloud Photos uploads new photos and videos that you add to the iCloud Photos Uploads folder on your PC so you can view them in the Photos app on your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, and Mac, and on iCloud.com. New photos and videos you take automatically download from iCloud Photos and you can choose to download your entire collection by year. And Shared Albums lets you view, share, and comment on the photos and videos you share with other people.

You can also use these steps to find your photos on your PC:

Windows 10: From the Start menu, scroll down and open the iCloud folder. Select iCloud Photos.
Windows 8.1: From the Start screen, click the down arrow in the bottom-left corner, then click the iCloud Photos app.
Windows 8: From the Start screen, select iCloud Photos.
Windows 7: Click the Windows Start button, then click Pictures. Click iCloud Photos or Photo Stream under the Favorites menu in the panel on the left. Double-click My Photo Stream to view your photos. This also shows up as a folder in the window that appears.

Note that My Photo Stream isn’t available on iCloud for Windows 10 and later.

See your files with iCloud Drive

When you turn on iCloud Drive, iCloud for Windows creates an iCloud Drive folder in File Explorer. Any documents that you’ve stored in iCloud will automatically download to the iCloud Drive folder in File Explorer. Files that you create on your PC and save to this folder automatically appear on your other devices.

You can also access your iCloud Drive files at iCloud.com.

Keep your mail, contacts, calendars, and reminders up to date on all of your devices

Make sure that you set up iCloud Mail on all of your devices

On your PC, open iCloud for Windows, select Mail, Contacts, Calendars, and Tasks, then click Apply. You’ll see your iCloud Mail account in the folder pane on the left side of Microsoft Outlook 2007 through Outlook 2016.
On your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, tap Settings > [your name] > iCloud and turn on Mail.
On your Mac, choose Apple menu () > System Preferences, click iCloud, then select Mail.

Manage your iCloud storage and account information

You can manage your iCloud storage by upgrading your storage plan or reducing the amount of storage that you’re using. If you want to make changes to your Apple ID, you can update your email, mailing address, or other account information.

To see your available storage, open iCloud for Windows.
To manage your storage, click Storage. Select an app to see how much storage you’re using, or click Buy More Storage to upgrade.
To manage your Apple ID, open iCloud for Windows and click Account details. Click Manage Apple ID.
If you use iCloud for Windows 10 or later, you can pin files to keep them local to your device. When you un-pin them, they upload to iCloud instead.

Update your version of iCloud for Windows

To check for updates, open Apple Software Update on your PC. To get notified when an update is available through Apple Software Update, choose Edit > Preferences, and select when you’d like to check for updates. You can choose Daily, Weekly, Monthly, or Never.

Sign out of iCloud on your PC before you upgrade and install iCloud for Windows.

How to turn off or uninstall iCloud for Windows?

If you turn off a service in iCloud for Windows, your information won’t automatically stay up to date in iCloud, and you won’t see updates made on your other devices. Follow these steps to turn off a service or iCloud:

To turn off a service on your PC, Open iCloud for Windows, then select or deselect that service. To save your changes, click Apply.
To turn off iCloud for Windows, open iCloud for Windows, then sign out.

If you want to uninstall iCloud for Windows, remember to make a copy of your iCloud data and save it on your PC. Then sign out of iCloud for Windows on your PC, and follow these steps:

Windows 8 or later:

Go to the Start screen, right-click in the bottom-left corner or click, then select Control Panel.
Click Uninstall a Program.
Click iCloud > Uninstall.
When asked to confirm, select Yes.

Windows 7:

Choose Start menu > Control Panel.
Click Programs > Program and Features.
Select iCloud > Uninstall.
Click OK to continue.

How to increase your iCloud Storage?

You automatically get 5GB of iCloud storage just for signing up. When you increase your storage plan, starting at 50GB for $0.99 (USD) a month, you get even more space to securely store what’s most important to you in iCloud. That means extra room for all of your photos, videos, documents, apps, and more. You can upgrade right from your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac, or PC.

Buy more iCloud storage from your PC: