How to Set Up iCloud For Your iOS Devices

Apple has introduced iCloud and Wi-Fi connectivity for Mac and other mobile devices. This is the most unique feature of iOS 5 for iPad, iPod and iPhone. It is difficult to connect the iOS device to iTunes with the help of USB to create a backup for app files or update playlist.

Apple has taken care of this issue. You can now easily buy a device from the Apple store and run it quickly. In case you are already using an iOS device, just connect once in order to make iCloud work. This connects the iOS device without wires. But this does not completely set up iCloud on your device.  There are certain things which you should know while setting up iCloud.

What is Required?

There are certain requirements for using iCloud. Create a MobileMe account. In case you are already using iOS, you must be having this account. While adding iCloud, you will receive a notification to set up an account if you do not have one.

The iOS device can now be connected to iTunes. Complete the update of iOS 5. You must ensure that the iTunes backs up the current content on your device. On the completion of the update, go to ‘Info’ menu and click on the same.

In case you want to use iCloud to sync iCal Calendar and Address Book together, look for the sync buttons and uncheck those.

Go to ‘summary’ page. Click on ‘Back up to this computer’ or ‘Back up to iCloud’. You must remember that you will get a free storage of only 5MB in case you wish to take the existing content of the iOS 5 device to the iCloud. If your content is more than 5GB, it will not serve any purpose.

If you back up your content to iCloud, you will get another place where you can keep your data secure. Therefore, backing up content to iCloud is useful for an average user.

Few More Options

There are few other options that should be taken care of before using iCloud. Go to “Sync with this iPad over Wi-Fi”. Check it and all the boxes under it.

In order to manage the music, you need to visit ‘Music’ section. If your iTunes library is quite large, click on ‘Selected artists, playlists, genres or albums’. In case you do not want iTunes to load the complete library to your iOS device, go to ‘Options’. Select “Manually manage music and videos”or  “Sync only checked songs and videos”.

You can add and remove songs on your iOS device through Wi-Fi network connection. This cannot be done over 3G. Once the process is done, connect to iCloud by clicking on ‘Apply’ & ‘Sync’ buttons.

Once your device restores the data, restart it. You will now receive a notification to set up iCloud. You also have an option to skip this procedure and set up iCloud by following the below mentioned directions.

How to Set Up iCloud on An iOS Device

To install iCloud on iOS 5 device, check out ‘Settings’ app. Tap ‘iCloud’. Your account has to be added and the items should be enabled that you wish to integrate through iCloud. Follow the same process for your PC or Mac.

Select the data that has to be uploaded to the iCloud. Enable it. Sync it between the iOS device and your computer. You can use ‘Photo Stream‘ after enabling it in Apple’s Aperture and iPhoto. You can use ‘Documents and Data’ with iWorks app of Mac- Keynote, Numbers and Pages and the iOS device.

Check out the menu of iCloud. Hit ‘Storage & Backup‘. You can now buy additional storage.

Enable the iCloud Backup. This will back up the content on your iOS device to iCloud or your system. You can back up the data manually to various devices and iCloud by using ‘Back up Now’.

On the completion of the backup, tap on ‘Manage Storage’. This will ensure that the back up of all the items is complete on iCloud.

How to Use iCloud

The iCloud performs synchronization on its own. You can go to iTunes and add apps or songs to the iOS device. Adding an app again to a device on Mac is a very slow process. You can simply go to App store and buy the app.

Your Mail, calendar, contacts are accessible online by signing in to iCloud with the user details ofMobileMe or iCloud account. You can also synchronize, upload or download the documents of iWork.

To sync iCloud and iWork documents, your documents have to be uploaded to your account. Hit ‘iWork’ icon. Hit ‘gear’ button. Your documents will be uploaded to iCloud. Your documents cannot be uploaded within the iWork apps.

In case you are an average iWork user, switch over to iCloud to sync your documentsautomatically with the devices that support iCloud.

‘Photo Stream’ automatically uploads the photos of iPhone to Aperture/iPhoto library and various devices.

The photos are kept in the iCloud account for a period of 30 days. You cannot delete these photos from the iCloud. The Photo Stream feature can also be turned off if you want.