Apple Merging 'iCloud Documents and Data' Service With iCloud Drive in May 2022

[MacRumors]

Apple plans to merge its iCloud Documents and Data service with iCloud Drive starting in May of 2022, according to a support document published late last week (via MacGeneration).

iCloud Drive and iCloud Documents and Data share the fundamental ability to backup data from apps. However, iCloud Documents and Data was often a cumbersome, confusing experience. In contrast, iCloud Drive is more unified, with users able to access their files and content through the Files app across all their devices.

As Apple explains, starting in May of next year, users who are using iCloud Documents and Data will have their accounts automatically migrated to iCloud Drive. However, users must manually enable iCloud Drive to view their files once the merger occurs.

In May 2022, the iCloud Documents and Data service, our former document synchronization service, will be interrupted and completely replaced by iCloud Drive. Therefore, if you use iCloud Documents and Data, your account will be migrated to iCloud Drive after that date.

If you use the iCloud Documents and Data service, you must activate iCloud Drive by following the steps below to view your files. Upgrading to iCloud Drive does not change the storage space used by your files saved in iCloud.

iCloud Drive launched in 2014 as a unified, seamless way for Apple users to keep all their files, documents, and more synchronized across all their devices. To activate it, users on iOS or iPadOS devices can go to Settings -> iCloud and enable iCloud Drive, or through System Preference -> iCloud, and select iCloud Drive on macOS.

Article Link: Apple Merging 'iCloud Documents and Data' Service With iCloud Drive in May 2022

 

[yellow8]

And from a developer point of view, I'd love to see some improvements in the API as well =). It's also very confusing.

 

[Marco Klobas]

I'd like to add external storage (or, at least, one folder) to iCloud.

 

[Aetles]

In 2043 Apple will consider merging Apple ID accounts.

 

[CmdrLaForge]

Thats a good idea. Next: allow people to merge 2 or more accounts !

 

[senorgreg]

So, I am a little confused. How would someone keep their Documents and Desktop folder in iCloud after this change?

 

[carlsson]

Thank you, finally.

 

[hagar]

I’m confused. Is this about the weird mess where apps have their own folders in iCloud, separate from the Documents folders?

This was invented before file structures were accessible on iOS and I would be very happy if they went away. Saving files “inside” the apps was a horrible idea by Steve Jobs.

 

[chris4565]

I'm confused. I don't even know what "iCloud Documents and Data" is. Anyone can enlighten me?

 

[videosoul]

FINALLY!

The amount of times I've had to attempt to explain how iCloud works to people who are not tech-savvy has been unbearable. It was, in my opinion, always such n illogical system. Trying too hard to be clever and simplifying things, and as a result making it more confusing.

 

[SW3029]

In 2043 Apple will consider merging Apple ID accounts.

Honestly. Being stuck with two Apple IDs is the WORST user experience possible. Ironically, it's Apple's longest customers who are likely to have the 2 Apple ID Problem, and thus the most loyal have the worst experience.

 

[lexvo]

About time! This is one of the most confusing things in iCloud.

 

[Zadigre]

So, I am a little confused. How would someone keep their Documents and Desktop folder in iCloud after this change?

If iCloud Drive is enabled and desktop and documents are enabled in your iCloud settings, your files are already on iCloud Drive… so there’s no change for that

 

[Ritsuka]

There is no change at all for 99.999% of iCloud users.

The only change in for super-uber-old appleid users that never used iCloud Driver and never clicked the "Upgrade to iCloud Drive" that has been available since 2014.

 

[tomtad]

There is no change at all for 99.999% of iCloud users.

The only change in for super-uber-old appleid users that never used iCloud Driver and never clicked the "Upgrade to iCloud Drive" that has been available since 2014.

I would be nice if the App folders could be deleted from iCloud Drive

 

[daanodinot]

Good. Reminds me of iCloud Photo Library and Photo Stream (which still exists).

 

[lexvo]

There is no change at all for 99.999% of iCloud users.

The only change in for super-uber-old appleid users that never used iCloud Driver and never clicked the "Upgrade to iCloud Drive" that has been available since 2014.

I don't know. You can see folders from apps in iCloud drive, but not for all apps. For example, Carrot weather stores backups in iCloud, but I don't see a Carrot folder under iCloud drive.

 

[amartinez1660]

I’m confused. Is this about the weird mess where apps have their own folders in iCloud, separate from the Documents folders?

This was invented before file structures were accessible on iOS and I would be very happy if they went away. Saving files “inside” the apps was a horrible idea by Steve Jobs.

Confused over here too...
Do those iCloud backed documents and data app info counts towards iCloud space? If it didn’t, the update for sure will though.
Agreed that it is cumbersome, but it would be nice to still have that siloed functionality, i.e separate folders that each app can find/update/remove without users tinkering with it like the Library or Application Support on the Mac where removing an app always leaves traces and garbage or if the app doesn’t find a folder it creates a new one, so on and so forth.

It makes think there was a valid reason to tie a Data storage blob to where the app was installed and only that’s what accessible to an application, I think.

 

[Digital Dude]

Thanks for reminding me that I have an iCloud and storage account. The service is so pathetically slow and convoluted that I seldom think about it.

 

[daanodinot]

I would be nice if the App folders could be deleted from iCloud Drive

Well, you can, but they get recreated as long as the app is installed. This behavior should change to only create a folder when you’ve saved a file. It’s ****ing annoying to have e.g. the Shortcuts folder cluttering up your files.

 

[tomtad]

I'm confused. I don't even know what "iCloud Documents and Data" is. Anyone can enlighten me?

It pre-dates iCloud Drive and is essentially cloud storage limited to individual apps.

As there was no Files app on iOS, lets say you created a new document in Pages on your iPad it would auto save in the app. iCloud Documents and Data then put the document in the cloud so if you opened Pages on your Mac you were given a list of documents saved and could continue editing, your changes are then auto saved back into the app.

It was intended to make things simple and fit the new apps paradigm of iOS. I want to play Music, I go to the Music app. I want to edit a document, I go to the Pages app.

The problem is it's very limiting, you can't create folders that have files from two apps etc, and it didn't interface with the file system on Mac making the whole thing confusing. Finally Apple gave in with this approach and allowed a file system on iOS along with iCloud Drive which lets create your own file system that can be accessed across all devices.

It still hangs around though. Create a Pages document and you get the option to save in the Pages app or in Files. You also get app folders that sit in iCloud Drive cluttering it up. Glad it's finally going away.

 

[Joosst]

Create a Pages document and you get the option to save in the Pages app or in Files. You also get app folders that sit in iCloud Drive cluttering it up. Glad it's finally going away.

I hope this is indeed what they mean by this, but I'm still not sure. These automatically created app-folders are super annoying and don't make any sense. But, is that what they call 'iCloud documents and data'? No one really know for sure it seems. It's a mess. Steve thought 'mere mortals' were too stupid to use a file system, so they created an even more confusing system. Please get rid of it.

 

[DanTSX]

It’s about time! Apple innovates then lags far too often.

 

[chris4565]

It pre-dates iCloud Drive and is essentially cloud storage limited to individual apps.

As there was no Files app on iOS, lets say you created a new document in Pages on your iPad it would auto save in the app. iCloud Documents and Data then put the document in the cloud so if you opened Pages on your Mac you were given a list of documents saved and could continue editing, your changes are then auto saved back into the app.

It was intended to make things simple and fit the new apps paradigm of iOS. I want to play Music, I go to the Music app. I want to edit a document, I go to the Pages app.

The problem is it's very limiting, you can't create folders that have files from two apps etc, and it didn't interface with the file system on Mac making the whole thing confusing. Finally Apple gave in with this approach and allowed a file system on iOS along with iCloud Drive which lets create your own file system that can be accessed across all devices.

It still hangs around though. Create a Pages document and you get the option to save in the Pages app or in Files. You also get app folders that sit in iCloud Drive cluttering it up. Glad it's finally going away.

Thanks a lot for the detailed explanation, appreciate it Indeed, the individual app folders in iCloud Drive are quite annoying. Also glad this gets removed soon.

 

[bklement]

I’m confused. Is this about the weird mess where apps have their own folders in iCloud, separate from the Documents folders?

Whaaaat? I already hate when some apps on Mac but their garbage inside the Documents folder, where I store, well, my documents. Does this transition mean that apps will now flood that folder with their crap?