We’ve rounded up all of the latest details on iCloud Plus, so you know exactly what you’re getting before you sign up.
What is iCloud Plus?
iCloud Plus is essentially a more fully featured version of iCloud, which is a cloud service which allows you to store content such as files, notes, photos and videos without taking up space on your Apple device.
The first new feature is called Private Relay, which lets you browse Safari in a new privacy mode, automatically encrypting outgoing traffic. This means nobody, including Apple, will be able to see your browsing activity.
Hide my email is another new feature, which enables you to create temporary email addresses which will forward mail to your primary mailbox. This means you’ll be able to sign up to an online store with a temporary email address, and then delete it whenever you start to get fed up with the spam mail directed from that site.
Apple will even provide you with random email addresses upon request, so you don’t have to think up your own unique email address every time you want to use this clever privacy feature.
The final feature will allow you to connect your Homekit security camera to your iCloud account, so captured video footage will automatically be uploaded to your account. You can connect multiple cameras to your iCloud account, and Apple has confirmed it won’t count towards your iCloud storage limit.
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How much will iCloud Plus cost?
Apple has confirmed that iCloud Plus will not see an increased price to the standard iCloud plans. This means it’s best thinking of this as an improved service rather than a completely new tier.
Apple currently charges £0.79/$0.99 per month for 50GB of storage, £2.49/$2.99 per month for 200GB of storage, and £6.99/$9.99 per month for 2TB of storage.
There is also a free plan for iCloud, which limits you to 5GB of storage. However, it seems like you won’t get access to the new iCloud Plus features by using this free plan.
If you’re concerned about privacy you should also check out our best VPN guide, which details the best data protection tools we’ve tested.
The Trusted Take
iCloud Plus looks like a a great new incentive to subscribe to Apple’s existing paid-for cloud service plans. I would have been a little more sceptical about it if Apple had hiked up the price, but it’s hard to complain when Apple is adding some excellent-looking privacy features to its existing premium plans at no extra cost.
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Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.