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Does iCloud Automatically Sync and How to Enable?

Sticking in the question “Does iCloud Drive sync automatically”? This post aims to answer this question and provide you with a comprehensive understanding of automatic data synchronization through iCloud. For later using iCloud syncing, the post will also show you how to enable iCloud sync on your iPhone, Mac, or Windows PC.

August 16, 2023

The Basics of iCloud Synchronization

Does iCloud automatically sync? Yes. iCloud operates in the background, constantly syncing your data across devices. It works by storing your data in the cloud and ensuring that changes made on one device are reflected on all other devices connected to the same iCloud account. This synchronization ensures that your information is up-to-date and readily accessible.

Why Make iCloud Automatically Sync?

Does iCloud Automatically Sync

Automatic synchronization via iCloud offers several benefits that enhance your digital experience and here lists the 4 main ones.

  • Seamless Accessibility: With iCloud's automatic sync, your data is available across devices. Whether you're on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac, you can access your files and information without manual transfers.
  • Real-time Updates: As you make changes to documents, add new photos, or update contacts, iCloud ensures that these changes are reflected in real time across all linked devices.
  • Data Backup and Recovery: In addition to synchronization, iCloud serves as a backup solution. For example, you can backup your precious photos to iCloud as adding additional protection to them. Your data is stored in the cloud, providing a safety net in case of device loss or damage.
  • Collaboration Made Easy: iCloud's sync feature also promotes collaboration. Multiple users can work on the same document simultaneously, with changes automatically updated for all contributors.

How to Enable iCloud Sync on iPhone & Mac & PC

Does iCloud Sync Automatically

Now, you know the answer to “Does iCloud automatically sync” and must want to know how to run the sync process. The following parts will show the specific steps for enabling it on your iPhone, Mac, and Windows PC.

Enable iCloud Sync on iPhone

Step 1: Go to “Setting” on your iPhone and tap your profile.

Step 2: Open “iCloud” on your Apple ID page and then choose what app you want to sync with iCloud. For example, if you want to sync photos to iCloud, click “Photos” and switch on the button beside “iCloud Photos”.

Choose to Sync iCloud Photos on iPhone

Step 3: Scroll down the iCloud page, find “iCloud Backup”, and select it. Then turn on iCloud Backup and click “Back Up Now”. iCloud will automatically sync with your iPhone.

Enable iCloud Backup on iPhone

Enable iCloud Sync on Mac

Step 1: Click the Apple button in the upper-left corner and select “System Preferences…” in the dropdown menu.

Select System Preferences

Step 2: Tap on “Sign in” beside “Sign in to your Apple ID” if you didn’t sign in before.

Step 3: Select your profile and tick the services you would like to sync with iCloud. Then the service’s data will sync with your iCloud. Here you can select iCloud Drive to sync with your Mac and this may answer your question about “Does iCloud Drive Automatically Sync”.

Select iCloud Services to Sync on Mac

Enable iCloud Sync on Windows PC

Step 1: Download and install iCloud for Windows if you didn’t install it on your PC.

Step 2: Launch iCloud for Windows and sign in to your iCloud account.

Sign in on iCloud for Windows

Step 3: Tick the boxes beside apps and click “Apply” to run the sync process.

Choose iCloud Services to Sync on iCloud for Windows

Bonus Tip: How to Automatically Sync iCloud Photos to Another Cloud via MultCloud

There is another solution on how to sync iCloud Photos and this section will introduce it to you. That is using MultCloud Cloud Sync. Cloud Sync can also run constantly and keep updating files to another cloud. Besides, Cloud Sync supports 7 different sync modes like Incremental Sync, Cumulative Sync, Full Backup Sync, and Update Sync. You can make full use of these sync modes and make the sync process more suitable for your needs.

The following steps will show you how to automatically sync iCloud Photos to Google Photos.

Step 1: Sign up for a MultCloud account by clicking on the “Get started for free” button.

Step 2: Select “Add Cloud” and click the iCloud Photos icon. Then go through the two-factor authentication and log in to your iCloud account. Also, Add Google Photos with the same operations. But this time there is no authentication.

Add iCloud Photos and Google Photos to MultCloud

Step 3: Choose “Cloud Sync” in the left sidebar after adding the 2 clouds. Then select iCloud Photos in the FROM box and Google Photos in the TO box.

Sync iCloud Photos to Google Photos

Step 4: Switch the “Normal Sync” mode to “Real Time Sync” and tap on the “Sync Now” button to start running the sync task. Then your iCloud Photos will continuously update to Google Photos unless you manually stop it or there is nothing that changes for 7 days.

How to Sync iCloud Photos to Google Photos Automatically

Note:

  • Since the sync process will run constantly, if you have many files to sync, you may run out of the free 5 GB of traffic quickly. Then you can upgrade your plan to get more traffic and sync without interruption.
  • If you consider the Google Photos storage problem and only want to sync photos, not videos to it, you can use Filter to make it. To use Filter: Open “Options” > Choose “Filter” > Tick “Only include files with these extensions” > Enter the photos’ extensions in the box > Click “Add” and then “Save”.
Cloud Sync Filter

Conclusion

The answer to the “Does iCloud automatically sync” question is yes and you can enable automatically sync on your iPhone, Mac, or Windows PC with the steps above. With benefits ranging from real-time updates to data backup and recovery, iCloud's automatic sync simplifies data management and enhances collaboration.

Besides, you can also automatically sync iCloud Photos with another cloud using MultCloud Cloud Sync. Or, if you don’t need the real-time sync but only want to transfer some photos from iCloud Photos to Google Photos, you can use MultCloud Cloud Transfer instead. It can make you abandon the traditional download & upload way to transfer files but automate the whole process.

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