All iPads iCloud as extra storage for an iPad?

[Loa]

Hello,

We're planning on getting my daughter an iPad as a main computer (she won't have another computer to plug it into) and I'm afraid that the storage will be insufficient.

Can iCloud storage be used as extra space on an iPad?

Thanks!

 

[ZombiePete]

Sort of; you can’t manage iCloud storage the way you can other storage options, where you designate some folders/files to remain online and not be downloaded to the iPad, so it’s a little more challenging managing space that way. They will download when you use them, and then there’s no way to specifically move a file or folder back to the cloud to restore space on the local device. I believe that it can dynamically remove the local copies of files/folders, but it’s not quite as easy to manage as, say, Microsoft OneDrive is. (Is it still called OneDrive? I can’t remember)

However, the Files app on iOS is much better for using external storage; I have an Anker USB hub (I’m actually connected to an external monitor and Logitech keyboard/mouse right now just for S&Gs) and it works fine. I have used this hub to move video files onto my iPad while on plane trips, and it works great. There’s no reason you couldn’t use an SD card or portable HDD to increase your storage capacity this way; it just requires adopting the “dongle life”. I think it’s fine personally.

 

[AutomaticApple]

Hello,

We're planning on getting my daughter an iPad as a main computer (she won't have another computer to plug it into) and I'm afraid that the storage will be insufficient.

Can iCloud storage be used as extra space on an iPad?

Thanks!

What kind of stuff will she store on her iPad? Certain things can be backed up to iCloud in their entirety.

 

[ignatius345]

As ZombiePete says, it's not really very controllable what iCloud decides to keep stored locally, but if you're confident in having good internet access consistently it's pretty great to be able to fetch things on demand. I have the 2TB plan and love it. iCloud works wonderfully with Photos, for instance. It'll download small thumbnail placeholders to the device and then fetch full-resolution images and videos when you click on them. Files is really the same principle.

The more onboard storage you have, of course, the less the device will purge things and make you re-download them later.

 

[Loa]

What I'm the most worried about are long video files (that she will shoot herself).

But from what I learned in your responses and elsewhere online I can't just use 50GB of iCloud storage as an "external drive".

Guess I'll have to find her a real external drive.

 

[ZombiePete]

What I'm the most worried about are long video files (that she will shoot herself).

I would definitely use an external drive for that. You don't want to have to be uploading/downloading big video files all the time because you don't have enough local storage, especially if you're editing video projects. Get a good external drive and a dongle or compare what you're going to be paying for that setup and consider just biting the bullet and paying a little more for local storage.
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I have the 2TB plan and love it. iCloud works wonderfully with Photos, for instance. It'll download small thumbnail placeholders to the device and then fetch full-resolution images and videos when you click on them. Files is really the same principle.

Yeah, iCloud storage works great and I use it extensively as well. My wife as the 2TB storage plan and she uses the heck out of it for the many photo projects she's working on; it's great having everything synced across her many Apple devices without any issues. Even the desktop is synced, which is great for her because she has no file or folder management system to speak of (drives me nuts).

 

[akash.nu]

What I'm the most worried about are long video files (that she will shoot herself).

But from what I learned in your responses and elsewhere online I can't just use 50GB of iCloud storage as an "external drive".

Guess I'll have to find her a real external drive.

Well, you don’t have to “manage” the storage if optimise storage is turned on and there’s good internet connection. So you can use iCloud storage as an ‘extended’ storage rather than ‘external’ storage.

 

[jpadhiyar]

What I'm the most worried about are long video files (that she will shoot herself).

But from what I learned in your responses and elsewhere online I can't just use 50GB of iCloud storage as an "external drive".

Guess I'll have to find her a real external drive.

What I will suggest is give the thought some rest and buy her iCloud storage or external drive as her iPad starts to fill up.

This will allow both her and you to decide on the matter better. For instance, does she prefer auto back-up or enjoys doing it manually, organizing and sorting what she wants and not wants. Or how comfortable she is carrying a drive everywhere.

Another important thing to note is indeed the price points of both the options. Monthly/yearly subscription vs. one-time drive cost.

What I do is a mix of both. My current projects and some important files are backed in both iCloud and my drive. In case, I need something and my drive is not with me, the cloud storage suffices. Once a project is finished, I clear out the iCloud, maintaining the limited space, while keeping it safe on the drive for as long as I want.

 

[sparksd]

One other thing to consider is any issue regarding datacaps on her primary Internet service - any monthly upload/download limits on what she is using.