While “cloud storage” sounds like something you might hear about in a weather report, it really refers to saving your smartphone or computer data to an off-site storage system maintained by a third party. With cloud storage, your photos, music, videos and other personal files are uploaded to remote online servers. There is no physical component to it; instead, files are saved in “virtual warehouses.” Once your files are saved to the cloud, you can open them on any of your devices and in any location as long as you have Internet access.
The cloud offers virtually unlimited storage, and using it means you’ll always have a backup solution in case something goes wrong with your cellphone or tablet. There’s no need to worry if you accidentally delete a photo, for instance; if something happens to one of your files, you can access the cloud to retrieve an item that may have been deleted or damaged on your device.
To get started storing files to the cloud, you’ll need to choose an app. Every iPhone includes iCloud for free, which provides up to 5GB of storage for contacts, photos, or messages. Once it’s enabled, iCloud will automatically backup your files, and update regularly to add new ones. The items you store to the iCloud are kept safe and can be accessed from your computer or another device. You can even setup automatic sharing for photos, or share other documents using a unique link. And if you find yourself needing more space, there are additional options available for a small monthly fee.
Millions of Android and iPhone users have come to rely on Google Photos as a handy, free way to store pictures. It offers unlimited storage of photos and videos under 16MP each, and can also be set to automatically backup your files. Best of all, with both of these apps, once files have been saved to the cloud, they can be deleted from your device, freeing up space for more things.
There are plenty of other free options to choose from. Google Drive lets you store and easily share documents; Dropbox also offers easy storage and sharing of documents and photos, plus it allows you to edit files right from your phone or tablet. Amazon Prime members receive access to 5GB of free cloud photo storage using Prime Photos as part of their annual membership.
Cloud storage offers unique ways to conveniently store your personal files, and gives you more flexibility with your device. I find it simple, secure, and easy to use—and love having a little extra “closet space” for all my important information!
How do I delete voicemails?
Thank you for your post, David! You can delete voicemails by dialing your voicemail (you do this by pressing and holding down on the number 1) > Enter your PIN for it > Listen to the voicemail > Press the number 7 to delete it. If you need assistance with accessing your voicemail or changing your voicemail PIN number you can give us a call at 888-345-5509 as well.
I would love to be able to save pictures for memories. Thank you so much. I’m not tech savvy at all and I need your help 4 sure.
Thank you for your post, Paul! We are always happy to assist you with any questions you have about the phone!
How do you access the cloud to delete whatever pics and stuff you don’t want stored anywhere and just intended to delete for good? I have an Android.
Hi Rhonda, great question! For Android phones, it’s going to depend on where you are backing the phone up to. Apple phones only have iCloud whereas Android phones have access to things such as Google Drive, Gmail, Dropbox, etc. to use as a cloud storage system. If you are wanting to delete files that are backed up to Google Photos you would go into there and then delete them as this is what acts as that storage space. Apps will just need to be uninstalled to allow for more space when they’re gone, they will not need to be removed from a cloud storage area.
I am traveling to UK can I use my cell phone? Do I need international calling added to my plan?
Hi Shashi, we do have international roaming available, and I see that you were able to get that enabled with one of our agents. If you have any questions, please let us know!
Hello. I have 5G of iCloud storage with my Apple account and 5G with Prime. How is it determined where my photos are backed up to.
Hi Rosa, great question! If your phone is an Apple iPhone, your information is backed up to the iCloud account that is on the phone since the phone syncs with that regularly. If you have another account that you’re wanting to back it up to, you may need to do this manually.
My daughter has been a consumer cellular customer for many years. Recently her phone had a severe death. When she bought a new phone at Target the clerk was able to recover everything from the old phone but photos. Is there a way to recover the photos?
That may depend on her device, Robert. If she has an iPhone, she can check iCloud to see if photos were backed up there. If she has an Android device with a Google account, she can check Google Drive or Google Photos. If the phone can at all be powered on, you can also try connecting it to a computer to search for the photos.
Can a link ll flip phone be backed up to cloud?
Hi Denise, thanks for your question! The Consumer Cellular Link II doesn’t have a cloud option to back up to since it can’t access data or WiFi. You can back it up to a microSD card or to your computer though.
Do I HAVE TO HAVE iCloud on my phone? I’m Ruth consumer cellular and don’t understand why I keep getting notifications that tell me to put $ on my account? Why is this?