How to Sign into iCloud From Any Device

iCloud, Apple’s cloud storage service, provides owners of Apple devices with a variety of features, including device backups, data syncing and lost device management. Sign into iCloud from an iOS device is almost always simple, but the process will vary somewhat, depending on the kind of gadget a user owns.

People can also sign into iCloud accounts on non-iOS devices. Still, the process will be a little more complicated — and in some cases, there may not be an Apple-developed app built specifically for the gadget they’re using.

With an iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch

To log in to an iCloud account on an iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch, users can follow these steps:

1. Open the device’s Settings menu by tapping the Settings icon.
2. Tap the Sign In button at the top of the screen. If an account is already signed in, an account card will replace this button. Users can tap this button.
3. A sign-in pop-up with a field for an email address should appear. A user should enter their email, then tap Next.
4. A password field should appear. Fill out this field, then tap Next again.
5. At this point, the device may prompt the user to enter a passcode. Typing it in will allow them to continue.
6. Now, the device can access their iCloud account.

Once logged in, the gadget may prompt the person to merge their iCloud data with the data on their device. Merging data will update information on their iPhone — like contacts, photos and bookmarks — with any additional data from their iCloud account.

To do so, tap the “Merge” button.

With an iMac

To log in to an iCloud account on an iMac, users can follow these steps:

1. Open the Apple menu by clicking the Apple icon in the top left corner of the screen. A drop-down menu should appear.
2. On this menu, click System Preferences. This action will open the Systems Preferences window.
3. Click the iCloud icon in the window that just opened. This step will open the iCloud window.
4. Now, enter the Apple ID email address into the Apple ID field in the new window. Then, click next and enter the password.
5. Next, click the Sign In button at the bottom of the window. After, the person will be in their iCloud account on their iMac.

Once logged in, the system may ask them to download iCloud information onto their iMac. To do so, they can follow the on-screen prompts.

With an Apple Watch

With an Apple Watch, it’s not possible to sign in to iCloud directly. Instead, Apple Watch owners need to log in using the Watch app on an iPhone or other iOS device. 

1. To start, they will need to open the Watch app.
2. Tap General, then Apple ID.
3. Next, the user will enter their Apple ID and password.
4. If already signed in to an iCloud account on the device they’re using, they’ll be automatically signed in on their Apple Watch. Otherwise, Apple will send a six-digit verification code to a trusted device. The user needs to enter this code to finish signing in. 

With a Windows Computer

To log in to an iCloud account on a Windows desktop, the user will need to start by downloading the iCloud for Windows app. This app will only work for those running Windows 7, or a newer version of Windows. Others will need to follow the instructions under the “Via the Internet” section below. 

1. Users with a Windows computer can start by navigating to Apple’s official download page for iCloud for Windows. Then, they should follow the instructions on the page and install the app onto their computer.
2. Once the user installs the program, they will need to restart their computer.
3. Once their computer has restarted, they can open the iCloud for Windows app.sign into icloud
4. In the window that appears, they should enter their Apple ID email address and password, then click Sign In. Once they do, they’ll be in their iCloud account on a Windows computer.

Via the Internet

If a person wants to log in to their iCloud account from a device that isn’t an iPhone, iPad, iMac or Windows desktop, they’ll need to use the iCloud website, which they can access via www.icloud.com.

1. To start, users should navigate to the iCloud website using their browser of choice.
2. Once there, they should enter their Apple ID in the Apple ID field and click or tap the arrow to proceed.
3. A field for the password will appear. Fill this field out, then click or tap the arrow in the Password field.
4. If they have two-factor authentication active, the iCloud website will ask if they trust the browser they’re logging in from. If the device is theirs, they should press the Trust button. Otherwise, the website will ask them to input a six-digit code sent to an Apple device already logged in to their account.
5. Now, they will be logged in to their iCloud account and have access to the web iCloud dashboard.

Sign into iCloud

Once someone has logged in, they’ll have access to iCloud’s features, including storage, contacts and calendar. Their dashboard may not show all available features, depending on what device they’ve logged in from, but they should have access to all iCloud functions and tools.