Do all users of Apple products know about iCloud? iCloud is an online storage service provided by Apple. It allows you to synchronize several types of iPhone, iPod, or iPad data with iCloud: your photos and videos, notes, messages, and many other data will be copied to online storage. This data will be accessible from your iOS devices, but also if you connect to iCloud from a Windows computer.
In this article, we explain how to access your iCloud account on a PC.
- How do I access my iCloud
- How to access iCloud photos on PC with CopyTrans Cloudly
- How to access messages on iCloud with CopyTrans Contacts
- How to access iCloud backup with CopyTrans Backup Extractor
- Access iCloud – log in to icloud.com
- iCloud for Windows login
How do I access my iCloud
Are you wondering if you need an Apple computer to manage your iCloud data? The answer is no. It is also possible to connect to iCloud under Windows operating system, and it is also very convenient!
Software developed by Apple is not always easy to use on Windows PCs. So, the CopyTrans team has developed applications to make data management between your iOS devices and Windows PCs easier and more enjoyable.
In the CopyTrans range, there are 3 apps that help you access iCloud:
- CopyTrans Cloudly (photos and videos)
- CopyTrans Contacts (contacts, SMS, WhatsApp, Viber, notes)
- CopyTrans Backup Extractor (iCloud backups)
Each software has its own features and benefits. Below we explain how to access your iCloud account from these programs.
How to access iCloud photos on PC
One of these applications is used to manage your photos and videos stored on iCloud. This application is called CopyTrans Cloudly.
Advantages of CopyTrans Cloudly
- Upload all your photos and videos in one click
- Add photos in JPG, HEIC, or PNG format to iCloud
- Keep your album structure
- Save your iCloud photos to an external hard drive
- Rescue “permanently deleted” photos
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To access iCloud photos on PC, download and install CopyTrans Cloudly:
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Enter your Apple ID (the one you use to access iCloud) and password:
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If you have enabled two-factor identification, a validation code will be sent to your iOS device. And that’s it! The connection to iCloud was successful.
You can now manage your iCloud photos from the PC or refer to the full guide for CopyTrans Cloudly, to learn how to take advantage of all the features of the software.
How to access messages on iCloud
Another CopyTrans software that offers the possibility to connect to iCloud is CopyTrans Contacts. Here is a summary of its features:
Advantages of CopyTrans Contacts
- Backs up contacts to the PC;
- Works with different formats: .xlsx; .vcf; .csv
- Transfers contacts between iPhone, iCloud, Outlook, and Gmail
- Saves iPhone messages to PC
- Manages calendars from iPhone, iCloud, Outlook, and Gmail.
CopyTrans Contacts offers the possibility to manage the data that are stored on your iOS device as well as the data stored in iCloud. How to go to the cloud in CopyTrans Contacts?
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Download and install CopyTrans Contacts:
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Tap on New Cloud Account. A new Configure Cloud window will appear.
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In the window that appears, press the New Connection button, then choose iCloud. Then, enter your email (Apple iCloud account ID), your password and press the Add Account button. Also, enter the code you received if you have a two-factor identification enabled.
❗ To establish the connection with iCloud, the software needs iCloud for Windows. Download iCloud for Windows, and then log into this software. As soon as you have logged into iCloud in CopyTrans Contacts, you can remove iCloud for Windows from your computer.
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And now your iCloud account is connected to your PC. CopyTrans Contacts will load your iCloud data and display it in the software. You can now manage your iCloud contacts, messages, and notes from CopyTrans Contacts.
How to access iCloud backup
Access iCloud from your PC and manage your iCloud backups with CopyTrans Backup Extractor. This application decrypts your local backups and iCloud backups and extracts their data to the PC.
Advantages of CopyTrans Backup Extractor
- Extract data from any backup to your PC
- Find all the backups automatically (FREE feature)
- The free version allows you to see what a backup includes
- Compatible with different backups: iCloud, iTunes, CopyTrans Shelbee
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How to access iCloud storage? Start with downloading CopyTrans Backup Extractor here:
Download CopyTrans Backup Extractor
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Then click on “Log in to iCloud” at the bottom of the main screen:
CopyTrans Backup Extractor requires iCloud for Windows to be able to connect to iCloud. Press the “Download” button (iCloud for Windows) and follow the instructions in the tutorial.
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Once you have installed iCloud for Windows, sign in to iCloud using your Apple iCloud account ID and password. If two-factor identification is enabled on your device, enter the validation code received:
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That’s it! You have access to your iCloud backups. You can recover your data selectively on your PC.
Access iCloud – log in to icloud.com
The iCloud website is convenient for those who don’t want to install apps on the PC to manage photos, contacts, calendars, iCloud Drive, and other cloud data.
Disadvantages
❌ Not all formats are supported
❌ Not possible to upload videos to iCloud
❌ No export of SMS, or WhatsApp chats from iCloud
❌ Transfer time is quite long
❌ Limit is up to 1000 photos at once
❌ Impossible to download notes
Advantages
✔️ Various data are supported: photos, contacts, calendars, notes, etc.
✔️ Importing photos and contacts from iCloud to PC and vice versa
✔️ Creation of online calendars
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To connect to iCloud, you need to open a browser and go to icloud.com. In the window that opens, enter your Apple iCloud account ID and password:
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Once you’ve logged into iCloud from icloud.com, you can view and manage the data stored on your iCloud. Check out our tutorial if you want to know how to upload your photos from icloud.com.
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However, the site doesn’t show all the synced data. To find out what files are kept on the cloud, go to Settings on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod, tap on your Apple ID at the top of the menu, then select iCloud. Data synced with iCloud is marked with “Yes” or the green switch.
iCloud for Windows login
iCloud for Windows is an alternative to icloud.com. If you want to sync the photo library or other data of your iOS device with your PC via iCloud, iCloud for Windows is a good solution.
Disadvantages
❌ Not easy to configure
❌ Requires downloading photos and videos to PC to view them
❌ Cannot delete photos and videos from iCloud
❌ Transfer time is slow
❌ Changes the format and quality of photos and videos
❌ Mail/Contacts/Calendars can only be synchronized with Outlook
❌ Passwords can only be synchronized with Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome
❌ Favorites can only be saved in Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Chrome
Advantages
✔️ Synchronizes several data between iCloud and PC: iCloud Drive, Photos, Mail, Contacts, Calendars, Favorites, Passwords
✔️ Previews photos and videos on PC before downloading them
✔️ Adds photos and videos to iCloud via Shared Albums
Let’s proceed directly to the steps of connecting to your account from the application.
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Download iCloud for Windows and install it on your PC.
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Enter your Apple iCloud account ID and password in the window that appears. Enter the code sent to your iPhone if you have enabled two-factor identification.
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That’s it! You have logged in to your cloud account. You can now choose the types of data to synchronize with your PC and the backup folder.
Access iCloud from PC
Conclusion:
In this article, we have explained how to access iCloud from PC under the Windows operating system. Thus, you have 3 possibilities to choose from according to your preferences:
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install specialized software CopyTrans to manage separately your photos and videos, your backups, your contacts, your iCloud messages;
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install iCloud for Windows (an Apple software) to synchronize your iOS device with your PC via iCloud;
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access the icloud.com website and manage your data online without installing an application.
Keep in mind that connecting to iCloud requires Internet access. If you experience problems transferring data in CopyTrans and iCloud for Windows, check the stability of your connection or try another network.
