iCloud Plus: What It Is and How to Use It

Apple's iCloud+ is a paid upgrade to the free iCloud service that adds several useful features. The key features delivered by iCloud+ are upgraded storage limited, privacy-centric features like iCloud Private Relay and Hide My Email, and support for storing the video from HomeKit-compatible security cameras.

iCloud+ Features and Plans

While the basic iCloud service is free, you can get iCloud+ by upgrading to any paid iCloud plan (including Apple One, as we'll cover later in this article). Here's how the iCloud+ plans compare to each other:

Most aspects of iCloud+ are pretty self-explanatory, but there are two that need a little explanation:

• iCloud Private Relay: This is a VPN-style feature that routes all of your web browsing traffic through an Apple server and a third-party server. By adding two additional steps between you and the websites you're visiting, Apple can partially anonymize your traffic, protect user privacy, and prevent tracking and data gathering. Check out our full article on iCloud Private Relay.
• Hide My Email: This feature generates disposable, anonymous email addresses that you can use to sign up for services and accounts without providing your actual, personally identifiable, trackable email address. It's another way that Apple is helping users stop themselves from being tracked and monitored. Apple delivers the anonymized emails to your actual email address without sharing your information.

Like other Apple subscriptions, the cost of iCloud+ is billed each month to the payment method you have on file in your Apple ID. The price of iCloud+ varies depending on your country, but the lowest-cost plan costs US$0.99/month in the United States. Apple has a complete list of iCloud+ prices in countries around the world.

Is iCloud Plus Available?

Yes. ICloud+ is available now in dozens of countries around the world.

How Do I Update iCloud+?

Updating to iCloud+ is easy. All you need to do is upgrade your free iCloud account to any paid account. You can do that on an iPhone or iPad, a Mac, or even on Windows.

Update to iCloud+ on iPhone

Use the steps below to update iCloud+ using your iPhone.

1. Tap Settings > [your name].

2. Tap iCloud.
   

   

3. Tap Manage Storage (or iCloud Storage, on some devices).
   

4. Choose the plan you want to upgrade to and follow the on-screen prompts.
   

   

Update to iCloud+ on Mac

Updating iCloud+ is slightly different when you're using a Mac, so follow these steps:

1. Click the Apple menu in the top left corner and click System Preferences.

   

2. Click Apple ID > iCloud > Manage.

   

3. Click Buy More Storage and select the plan you want.

4. Click Next and enter your Apple ID password.
   

Update to iCloud+ on Windows

In Windows, you'll need to update your iCloud+ account using iCloud for Windows. Here's how.

1. Open iCloud for Windows.

2. Click Storage.
   

3. Click Change Storage Plan.
   

4. Select the plan you want to upgrade to and click Next.
   

5. Enter your Apple ID password and click Buy.
   

Does Apple One Include iCloud+?

Yes. To get iCloud+, you need any paid iCloud plan. Apple One—Apple's bundle that includes all of its subscription services, such as Apple Music, Apple TV+, and Apple Arcade—provides an upgraded iCloud account with 50GB of storage (or 200GB for family plans and 2TB for Premier plans). So, if you've got Apple One, you automatically get iCloud+, too.

What Is the iCloud Plus Release Date?

Apple officially released iCloud+ along with iOS 15 in Sept. 2021. Some features of iCloud+ were available in beta versions of iOS 15 that were released before the official rollout.

Apple announced iCloud+ at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June 2021.