ICloud
cloud storage and cloud computing system
iCloud is a personal cloud service run by Apple. Launched on October 12, 2011, iCloud enables users to store and sync data across devices, including Apple Mail, Apple Calendar, Apple Photos, Apple Notes, contacts, settings, backups, and files, to collaborate with other users, and track assets through Find My. iCloud's client app is built into iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, tvOS, macOS, and visionOS, and is available for Microsoft Windows. iCloud may additionally be accessed through a limited web interface.
iCloud offers users 5 GB of free storage which may be upgraded through optional paid plans to up to 12 TB; all paid plans include iCloud+ providing additional features. Optional end-to-end encryption has been available since 2022 for all iCloud data, except Calendar, Contacts, and Mail, which rely on legacy sync technologies for compatibility with third-party apps (CalDAV, CardDAV, IMAP). As of 2018, the service had an estimated 850 million users, up from 782 million users in 2016.
History
iCloud was announced on May 31, 2011, in a press release. On June 6, 2011, during the WWDC 2011 keynote, Steve Jobs announced that iCloud would replace MobileMe, which had been widely seen as a "failure", a fact which Steve Jobs acknowledged during the announcement. iCloud was released on October 12, 2011, and MobileMe was discontinued on June 30, 2012.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “ICloud” as cloud storage and cloud computing system. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the science & nature register because the source frames it as cloud storage and cloud computing system. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
Stable identifiers, scientific names and standards terminology offer the best bridge between this overview and specialist evidence. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 18, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q283469. None of the 1 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 2011, 2022, 2018 and 2016.
Current terminology should not be projected backward without checking the classification used when the underlying evidence was created. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Check terminology, classification and the date of the cited evidence. Scientific names and technical consensus can change while older records retain historical value.
- Current terminology
- Classification context
- Finding cited technical literature
Primary datasets, specimen catalogues, standards bodies and the most recent peer-reviewed literature.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “ICloud”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow ICloud primary sources, ICloud archive and ICloud research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “ICloud”?
- Which observation, specimen, dataset or publication supports the account?
- Is the terminology current, historical or disputed?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “ICloud” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.