Open Settings > [your name] > iCloud > See All to choose which apps and features use iCloud on your iPhone. This is the route in Apple's current iPhone guide. You can turn on a feature for syncing or open its detail screen for more options. Check what the feature stores before turning it off, especially if you use it on several devices.
For Contacts specifically, you can view iCloud contacts on a computer and compare All Contacts with the iCloud list on your phone. That checks the synced collection without running a full device backup.
You need to be signed in to an Apple Account. If your name is missing at the top of Settings, tap Apple Account and sign in. Some iCloud features have minimum software requirements or vary by region. This guide covers choosing iCloud features on an iPhone; changing your Apple Account or signing out is a different task.
Choose what syncs
- Open Settings and tap your name at the top.
- Tap iCloud. This screen shows your storage and a selection of features.
- Tap See All to view the full list of apps and features that can use iCloud.
- Open the item you want to change, or use its switch if one is shown. The available controls depend on the feature. Turn it on if you want that app’s supported data to use iCloud. Before turning it off, read any prompt about what will remain on or be removed from this iPhone.
- Check another device signed in to the same Apple Account if cross-device availability is your goal. Each device may need the relevant iCloud feature enabled.
For example, enabling iCloud Drive makes files stored in iCloud Drive available on your other devices. iCloud Photos is a separate setting for the Photos library, and iCloud Backup is a separate backup feature. Enabling one does not mean the others are enabled. If your goal is to sync photos, follow the dedicated iCloud Photos setup guide and check its upload status. If storage is your concern, check how much iCloud storage remains before changing sync settings.
Decide which setting you need
The iCloud screen covers several related jobs. Choose the item that matches the data you want to manage:
– Photos: Keeps your photo library in sync when iCloud Photos is enabled. Review the Photos detail screen before changing it; synced photo deletion affects other devices using the same library. – iCloud Drive: Makes files in iCloud Drive available on devices using the same Apple Account. Files outside iCloud Drive are not moved there merely by turning this on. – iCloud Backup: Stores a backup of eligible iPhone data. It is separate from the live syncing controls for Photos, Drive, Contacts, and other features. – App entries: An app may offer its own switch or a detail page. A switch affects that app's supported iCloud data; it does not change all iCloud features at once.
The storage meter near the top of iCloud settings helps you see how much account storage is in use. It is not the same as Settings > General > iPhone Storage, which measures space on the phone. If you are trying to solve a full-storage warning, identify which storage is full before deleting or disabling anything.
Confirm that you are signed in to the intended Apple Account, then check See All. A feature may be under its own detail screen rather than represented by a single switch. Software version, region, and account restrictions can affect what appears. Read any on-screen explanation before turning off a feature; the choices for keeping local data differ by app.
If a feature is on but data is not appearing on a second device, check that device's Apple Account and the same feature's iCloud setting. Give the devices time to connect and sync. Do not use Sign Out simply to change one app's sync choice; signing out affects the account's services more broadly.
To reverse a change, return to Settings > [your name] > iCloud > See All, open the same feature, and turn it back on. Read any prompt about merging or keeping data before confirming. If you are unsure which data is already stored in iCloud, review the feature on your other devices before disabling it.
Common questions
Does turning on iCloud Drive turn on iCloud Photos? No. They are separate entries on the iCloud screen. Select each feature you intend to use.
Will changing one iPhone's switch change my other devices' switches? Check each device individually. Apple's guide tells you to customize iCloud features on your other devices too. The data available on each device depends on its own settings and Apple Account.
Where do I change my Apple Account password? The account controls are outside this iCloud feature list. Avoid signing out when you only need to change which apps sync.
Decide whether to sync or keep information only on the phone
Each iCloud switch controls a category such as Photos, Contacts, Notes, or device backup. Before turning one off, check what it does on the iPhone and whether another device uses the same Apple Account. A sync switch is not the same as deleting the data. Depending on the category, iOS may ask whether to keep a local copy or remove the synced copy from this iPhone. Read that prompt carefully rather than choosing based only on storage concerns.
If you are troubleshooting a missing item, first confirm the correct Apple Account and that the specific category is enabled. Then check iCloud storage, network access, and any status message in the relevant app. Switching every iCloud option off and on creates more uncertainty and can interrupt ongoing uploads. Change one setting at a time and verify the result before moving to another category.
Does turning off one category sign me out of iCloud? No. It changes that category's synchronization behavior. Signing out of the Apple Account is a separate action with broader effects.
Apple’s Use iCloud on iPhone documents the Settings path, supported feature examples, and account requirement.
Setting up an AirTag? Apple suggests turning on iCloud Keychain first. See how to connect an AirTag to your iPhone.
Matthew Burleigh has been writing tech tutorials since 2008. His writing has appeared on dozens of different websites and been read hundreds of millions of times.
After receiving his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science he spent several years working in IT management for small businesses. However, he now works full time writing content online and creating websites.
His main writing topics include iPhones, Microsoft Office, Google Apps, Android, and Photoshop, but he has also written about many other tech topics as well.