At WWDC 2021, Apple has upgraded the capabilities of its cloud storage service iCloud with a new tier it calls iCloud+. iCloud+ or iCloud Plus is meant to enhance the privacy aspect of iCloud, and as part of this effort, the Cupertino giant has added three new features in iOS 15. Today, we will be discussing the features of iCloud+ and how you can get iCloud+ on your Apple account.

iCloud+ is Apple’s latest subscription tier introduced to iCloud. We have detailed its features, pricing, availability, supported countries, release date, and even how it differs from iCloud. Hence, read on till the end to know everything about iCloud+.

  • What is iCloud+?
  • iCloud+ Features
  • Private Relay
  • Hide My Email
  • HomeKit Secure Video Expansion
  • iCloud+: Price
  • Is iCloud+ Part of Apple One Subscription?
  • iCloud+: Release Date and Supported Countries
  • iCloud+ vs iCloud

What is iCloud+?

iCloud+ enhances the capabilities of iCloud with new privacy features. The features in question include Private Relay, Hide My Email, and expanded HomeKit Secure Video support. Before we start, it is worth pointing out that iCloud Plus features are exclusive to paid iCloud customers.

  • Private Relay

Private Relay is a new feature that helps protect your privacy while browsing the web through the Safari browser. According to Apple, Private Relay uses a dual-hop architecture while you are browsing. All the web traffic that leaves your device is encrypted and sent through two internet relays.

Private Relay

  • Hide My Email

Hide My Email

HomeKit Secure Video Expansion

You can connect one, five, or an unlimited number of cameras based on your plan. To be specific, you can connect a single HomeKit Secure Video camera with the 50GB plan, up to five HomeKit Secure Video cameras in the 200GB plan, and unlimited cameras in the 2TB plan.

Now, many of you must be wondering — how much does the iCloud+ subscription cost? Well, Apple will make iCloud+ available to paid iCloud customers at no additional cost. If you are in the United States, you can get iCloud Plus in the 50GB plan that costs $0.99 per month, 200GB plan priced at $2.99 per month, and 2TB at $9.99 per month. This translates to Rs. 75 for 50GB plan, Rs. 219 for 200GB plan, and Rs. 749 for 2TB plan for customers in India.

Several Apple One customers have been asking if they will get iCloud+ as part of their Apple One subscription. And the answer to that question is yes. You will get iCloud+ if you have Apple One since the subscription includes iCloud too.

iCloud+ will be available to all users later this fall. The service will go live in regions where Apple already operates iCloud. However, Apple has confirmed to Reuters that iCloud Plus’ Private Relay feature will not be available in China and select other countries citing regulatory reasons.

Apart from China, iCloud+’s Private Relay will also be unavailable in Belarus, Colombia, Egypt, Kazakhstan, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkmenistan, Uganda, and the Philippines.

As we discussed earlier, iCloud+ is not meant to replace iCloud. Instead, it brings new features to enhance the iCloud experience. The best part is that you get all the new iCloud+ features at no additional cost.