Understanding "The Cloud"

It is not magic weather. It is just someone else’s computer.

Difficulty

Easy

Time Est.

10 Minutes

Tools Needed

  • Concept

Concept 1: The Rental Locker

Imagine a locker at the gym. You put your stuff in it, lock it, and walk away. You can access it anytime, but you don't "own" the locker, you just rent the space. That is the Cloud. You are renting space on a server in a massive warehouse.

Concept 2: Syncing

When you take a photo on your iPhone, it uploads to the iCloud locker. When you open your iPad, it looks in that same locker and shows you the photo. If you delete it from the iPad, you are throwing it out of the locker—so it disappears from the iPhone too.

Concept 3: Streaming

Netflix is the cloud. The movie isn't on your TV. It is stored in Netflix's locker, and they are sending it to you piece by piece through a long wire.

Why Pay for Storage?

“iCloud Storage Full”

Apple gives you 5GB for free. This was enough in 2011. It is not enough today. A single minute of 4K video can be 400MB. You have two choices:

  1. Pay: $0.99/month for 50GB is the cheapest utility bill you will ever have. It is worth it for the peace of mind.
  2. Purge: Delete thousands of photos and videos. (Most people choose option 1).

Is it Safe?

Generally, Yes.

  • Physical Safety: Cloud data centers have armed guards, fire suppression, and backup generators. Your house does not.
  • Digital Safety: If you have a weak password (see our Password guide), your cloud can be hacked. If you have a strong password + 2FA, it is safer than a USB drive in your drawer.

Pro Tip: If you stop paying for the cloud, they won’t delete your data immediately, but they will stop you from adding new things (like receiving emails or saving new photos).