I still don't understand why I need Dropbox when I have Icloud backup to send pictures and videos. I never used Dropbox until I got a new Iphone and suddenly it kept popping up and telling me I'm out of storage. I've always sent data using the icloud and purchase more space for the icloud. Thank you in advance.
[Re-Titled by Moderator]
Original Title: Dropbox vs Icloud ?
iPhone 15 Pro, iOS 18
Dropbox may have its uses. It can be used as a backup, for instance.
Except for the mobile backups, iCloud is not meant as a backup service. The reason we use iCloud Photos and iCloud Drive is so that this makes our stuff available on all of our devices.
iCloud Photos is a synchronization service. When you engage iCloud Photos on a device, then the Library on that device is kept exactly the same as the iCloud Photos Library. So, for instance, if you take a picture with your iPhone, it is added to the iPhone's Photos Library, copied to iCloud Photos Library, and then copied to the Photos Library on each of the other devices that you have connected. If you delete a picture on your Mac, then that picture is deleted at iCloud and on all the other devices.
So you can't think of iCloud Photos as a backup service, since it backs up mistakes, and there's no way to undo them. Whatever you do with Photos on your device-- it happens everywhere else.
iCloud also offers iCloud Backup for mobile devices. But iCloud Backup doesn't include pictures if they are already being copied at iCloud Photos.
So we keep backups on external drives or, perhaps, in other internet services, like Dropbox. I don't use Dropbox.
Dropbox may have its uses. It can be used as a backup, for instance.
Except for the mobile backups, iCloud is not meant as a backup service. The reason we use iCloud Photos and iCloud Drive is so that this makes our stuff available on all of our devices.
iCloud Photos is a synchronization service. When you engage iCloud Photos on a device, then the Library on that device is kept exactly the same as the iCloud Photos Library. So, for instance, if you take a picture with your iPhone, it is added to the iPhone's Photos Library, copied to iCloud Photos Library, and then copied to the Photos Library on each of the other devices that you have connected. If you delete a picture on your Mac, then that picture is deleted at iCloud and on all the other devices.
So you can't think of iCloud Photos as a backup service, since it backs up mistakes, and there's no way to undo them. Whatever you do with Photos on your device-- it happens everywhere else.
iCloud also offers iCloud Backup for mobile devices. But iCloud Backup doesn't include pictures if they are already being copied at iCloud Photos.
So we keep backups on external drives or, perhaps, in other internet services, like Dropbox. I don't use Dropbox.
TriciaHit wrote: …When I purchase a new Apple device and I have to 'backup' my data into the cloud I thought I was backing up everything.
iCloud Backup on mobile devices does keep a copy of your data that's not duplicated by iCloud Photos or iCloud Drive, so you're safe there. It's exactly what I use when I buy a new phone or iPad.. But even that isn't at all handy if you suddenly realize you've just erased your Masters Thesis that due tomorrow. Time Machine for the Mac lets you go back to yesterday with just that file. iCloud Backup for iPhone would force you to erase your phone and start over from, usually the last few days.
I haven't used Dropbox in ages, but some of the internet services now allow a synchronization sort of like iCloud. I wouldn't turn that on.
Hello Richard. Thanks so much for your detailed response. Makes sense though I wasn't aware that Icloud Photos is only a synchronization and not backup. When I purchase a new Apple device and I have to 'backup' my data into the cloud I thought I was backing up everything. I need to purchase more Icloud storage as well as Dropbox (because I continue getting this message that I'm out of storage in Dropbox as well) if I want to use Dropbox, which I do not. I've always backed up on external drives. Thank you again. Tricia
Difference between Dropbox and iCloud storage for sending pictures and videos
