4 Types of iCloud Storage Plans and How to Pick the Best
All iPhone and iPad users have different storage needs, and there are plenty of iCloud storage plans to choose. Use this guide and find the right storage plan.
If you’ve ever had an apple device, you’re probably familiar with iCloud. You may have even gotten a pesky message reminding you that your storage was almost full. Every iCloud account gets 5GB of storage for free. However, if you intend to back up your phone or computer contents on the cloud, you’ll definitely need to expand your storage.
There are several paid options to choose from when it comes to iCloud storage expansion. When factoring in these costs, keep in mind that physical external hard drives are also costly, but they are not recurrent costs. If you’re interested in learning more about iCloud storage plans, follow along!
Apple’s iCloud Storage Plans
1. The Free 5GB Plan
This is the perfect plan for those who only own an iPhone or an iPad and don’t have a lot to store on the cloud. If you already invested in another storage option, such as Dropbox or Google, or simply use their free trials for your files stick with the free one!
2. The 50GB Plan
This plan is Apple’s second-tier plan. It costs $0.99 every month but gives you ten times more storage. This plan is perfect for those who don’t want to spend much but still want to use the cloud to its full potential. Here, iPhone backups are entirely possible. You can even take as many images as you want without worrying too much.
Consider investing in this plan if you’re constantly seeing a message popping up on your phone reminding you that your iCloud storage is almost full. This plan could also benefit those who only want to back up certain documents on their Macs. If this sounds like you, give it a try! You can always cancel.
3. The 200GB Plan
This third-tier plan comes up at $2.99 per month. It is perfect for those who want to back up their computers and their phones without worry. You can amass a substantial amount of pictures with this plan on the iCloud Photo Library, so if you’re a budding photographer or find it hard to delete your pictures this is a great option for you!
Keep in mind that if you want to pack up your entire laptop and you have a full, 250GB memory, this plan will not be enough and you may want to check the last option.
4. The 2TB Plan
Apple’s fourth-tier plan, the 2TB plan, is the mother of all plans. At $9.99 per month, it’s their most expensive plan. However, it comes with 40 times more storage than their second-tier plan but does not cost 40 times as much so it is the most cost-effective by far. In fact, it only costs ten times as much!
With this plan, you can definitely back up all of your devices onto the cloud, including your iCloud Photo Library, Music Library, and iCloud Drive. If your family has multiple devices, this is also a perfect plan! It is more cost-effective to use this plan than to set everyone up with a different iCloud account.
How Do I Pick the Right Plan?
When deciding which plan to pick, make sure you consider all your options and needs. If you find yourself constantly having to delete photos, apps, or music try the $0.99 plan first. You can always upgrade or downgrade if you need to! and when you have locked out of your iCoud account after purchasing or unauthorized login attempt you can still unlock the icloud with the use of icloud activation lock removal tools.
If you store most of your photos, documents, and music on the cloud or use most of iCloud’s features already, it may be smarter to go with a more expensive plan. This is especially true if you have a large family that does not mind sharing the same iCloud account. If you’re still unsure, check out others’ experiences!
How To Buy More (or Less) iCloud Storage
Once you’ve made up your mind, buying more iCloud storage is simple. There are different ways to do it, depending on which device you’re making your purchase on, so feel free to skip to the section which pertains to you!
- Buying More iCloud Storage on An iPhone or iPad
- Open theSettings app on your device.
- Scroll to the top and tap your Apple ID banner.
- Tap on iCloud(This should be located near the middle of your screen).
- Hit Manage Storageunderneath the storage breakdown bar.
- Tap Change Storage Plan.
- Pick your plan from the list of available storage plans.
- Hit Buy.
- Enter your iCloud password and tap
- Buying More iCloud Storage on A Mac
- Open the System Preferencesapp from your dashboard.
- Select the iCloudtab from the third row.
- Hit Manageat the bottom of the screen next to the storage breakdown bar.
- Click on Change Storage Plan.
- Enter your Apple ID and password if prompted.
- Choose your new plan and click Done.
- Downgrading Your Plan
If you ever need to downgrade your storage plan because you started with too much or have found a different service, follow the steps above on your device until you reach the list of available plans. Here, scroll to the bottom of the page until you see a tab or header that reads ‘Downgrade options’. Select it to choose a cheaper plan and follow the prompts.
Wrapping Up
Storing all your precious memories, favorite songs, and important documents are essential in this day and age. Technology has allowed us to ditch paper and bulk for sleek devices with invisible storage. However, the amounts of storage given in free options are rarely enough.
If you find yourself needing extra iCloud storage on any of your Apple devices, hopefully, this list of iCloud storage plans has helped you pick the right one for your wallet and your needs. Keep in mind that you can always complement this service with other free cloud services, such as DropBox’s free option.
If you liked this list and are interested in learning more about Macs, iPhones, gadgets, and other techy stuff, don’t hesitate to read our other content! We have anything and everything you might want to know including tips and how to’s!
