iCloud is the best way to get everything in sync between your iPhone, iPad and Mac. It ensures all the important things like photos, contacts, calendars, notes, reminders, music and even documents are exactly the same on every device you own. iCloud syncs a lot of other things you might not know about! Check it out:
1. Text Shortcuts
To setup text shortcuts on iPhone or iPad, navigate to Settings > General > Keyboard > Text Replacement. Or, on Mac, find System Preferences > Keyboard > Text. If you’re signed in with the same iCloud account, these shortcuts sync between all your devices.
2. Signatures
iCloud syncs signatures between Preview for Mac and Mail for both Mac and iOS. On Mac, open Preview and click Tools > Annotate > Signatures in the menu bar. From there, you can create an electronic signature using the trackpad, or sign a piece of paper and take a picture of it with the FaceTime camera. You can use these signatures in Mail too, by tapping a PDF and the toolbox at the top. Inside the toolbox, there’s a section to add a signature. You should see any signatures you create appear on all other devices.
3. WiFi Connections and Settings
This one requires iCloud Keychain to be enabled, but as long as you have it turned on on your devices, iCloud will sync WiFi networks you’ve connected to and their corresponding settings.
4. Favorites and Searches in Maps
iCloud will sync any places you mark as favorite in Maps across devices. Marking a favorite is much easier now thanks to iOS 9. Simply tap the heart icon in the top right corner when viewing details about the location, or tap Share > Add to Favorites.
It will also sync anything you’ve searched on another device. For example, if I search for “CityMac” on my iPhone, I can start typing “TD C...” on my Mac and iCloud will autofill the suggestion.
5. Call History
Your call history will be synced between each device if they are using the same Apple ID account. On Mac, you can view call history in the FaceTime app. The new Continuity features in Mac OS X allow you to take regular phone calls from Mac too!
6. Blocked Numbers
iCloud also syncs blocked numbers, so you won’t receive messages or phone calls from numbers you’ve blocked on other devices.
7. Podcast Playback Positions and Reading Position in iBooks
Both the Podcasts app and iBooks app will sync where you’re at between devices.
8. Credit Cards and Wallet Info
With the new Wallet app in iOS 9, all of your cards are synced across devices. You must have iCloud Keychain enabled for this to work.
9. Open Tabs in Safari
If you ever find yourself wishing you could quickly see which tabs are open on your Mac while on the go, iCloud has you covered. On iPhone or iPad, open Tab view in Safari (the icon in the bottom right) and scroll to the bottom. You’ll see what tabs are open on any of your other devices. Just tap one to open it on your current device.
10. Stocks and Weather
The locations you've saved for weather and the stocks you choose to follow will be synced between devices.
There you have it. iCloud is an incredibly powerful tool for keeping everything in sync. What’s your favorite iCloud feature? Let us know in the comments below!