Apple has released a new version of the iCloud application for Windows, which offers many new features and improvements. The previous version of the app had been criticized for its inconvenience and bugs, but Apple has decided to change that.
The new version of iCloud for Windows has a completely redesigned interface, making it more user-friendly. Additionally, the updated app offers a simpler setup process and supports physical keys for secure login. Now, users won’t receive as many login prompts, which was an annoying issue in previous versions.
One of the most important new features is the ability to check the synchronization status of iCloud content. Furthermore, Apple promises improvements in synchronizing photos, contacts, and calendar with the Outlook program. However, synchronization with Outlook requires Windows 11 version 22H2 or newer.
For Mac users, syncing online content with iCloud is easy and convenient thanks to the built-in feature in macOS. However, Windows users have faced difficulties with this process. The only solution has been to install the iCloud app for Windows, which always seemed unfinished and created solely to meet the needs of Windows users.
The iCloud app for Windows allows for the synchronization of selected items stored in iCloud with the Windows system. This enables you to access your iCloud photos in the Microsoft Photos app on Windows 11 and update them across all your devices. You can also create shared albums that other users can view.
Enabling iCloud Drive allows you to browse and access your folders and files stored online directly in File Explorer. You can also share files and automatically sync any changes made.
The app also allows you to log in to websites using the login credentials saved in iCloud Keychain. You can access your passwords and create new ones in the iCloud Passwords app, which is automatically added during the installation of iCloud for Windows. The iCloud Passwords extension also works on Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge browsers. You can also generate verification codes for logging in to websites.
You can also directly view your iCloud calendars and contacts in the Microsoft Outlook program and sync Safari bookmarks with the iCloud Bookmarks extension in Chrome, Edge, or Firefox browsers.
If you already have the previous version of iCloud for Windows, the new version will be automatically installed upon the next app launch. If you don’t have it yet, you can download and install it from the Microsoft Store.
After launching the app and logging in for the first time, the setup screen allows you to choose the content to synchronize. You can decide whether to sync your iCloud photos with the Microsoft Photos app, sync iCloud Drive with File Explorer, sync passwords in iCloud Keychain, sync Safari bookmarks, and sync iCloud calendars and contacts with Outlook.
After completing the setup, you will find yourself on the newly redesigned iCloud for Windows screen. Here, you can track the synchronization status of each type of content and choose which ones to enable or disable. The screen also shows how much space your data occupies in iCloud and how much space is still available.
Is the new iCloud for Windows a significant improvement compared to the previous version? Some users are reporting synchronization issues and other errors, but many others give the new version five stars. In some reports, it is mentioned that the app performs better on Windows 11 than on Windows 10, especially in terms of syncing photos, contacts, and calendar.
During my testing, the app ran smoothly on Windows 11 without any issues. There was only one crash on Windows 10 when trying to sync my photos with iCloud, but other than that, it behaved correctly. At least for now, it seems to be a significant improvement compared to the old version.
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The source of the article is from the blog myshopsguide.com