Hello,
Has anyone enabled the "System preferences" option under iCloud Drive settings? Which preferences actually get stored here? Seems like this could be a security risk especially if it is unencrypted and someone were to manipulate your settings that would eventually get synced down to your computer.
Thoughts?
-BeachPort
MacBook Pro with Touch Bar
When an admin account is created and also an Apple ID is created by an administrator , every data on Mac and iCloud server is secured the data on iCloud server is encrypted see some articles https://support.apple.com/en-in/guide/mac-help/mtusr001/mac
https://support.apple.com/en-in/HT202303
Even guest user accounts are created they can't view the iCloud data and have very less privileges .
The settings you are talking in system preferences > iCloud window can't be opened by entering admin password see this https://support.apple.com/en-in/guide/mac-help/mchlp1088/10.15/mac/10.15
I'm sorry but this answer does not address the actual question at hand. The question is simply which 'System Preferences' are synced to iCloud Drive when the 'System Preferences' option is enabled under iCloud Drive?
There is no documentation from Apple that describes what is synced when the option is enabled. If these settings were to be manipulated by an outside source the results could be devastating.
It is my assumption that settings such as Filevault and Firewall would not be synced as they are low level system settings.
-Cheers
iCloud Drive stores something different https://support.apple.com/en-in/guide/icloud/mmd0b4a7f5e8/icloud
https://support.apple.com/en-in/guide/macbook-air/apd785390d2e/2019/mac/10.14.5
In system preferences , under iCloud the applications like notes , mails , calendars .....boxes are checked to get synced with iCloud , in front of iCloud Drive click on options button , the window shows , for those apps that were synced with iCloud will appear here , however you can uncheck the boxes of them and use according to the requirements , or from system preferences > iCloud you can uncheck the boxes of application according to need .
If you scroll all the way to the bottom there is an option for "System Preferences" under the documents tab in the screenshot you provided. If that option is enabled, which "System Preferences" settings are synced?
Unfortunately, there is no documentation in Apple's support pages for this.
When new Mac is signed in with Apple ID and password , the applications are synced using an admin account , checking and unchecking the box of system preferences doesn't make sense , why an article for it is not created only apple employees who create articles can answer it , we all here are just members in this discussions forum and not as apple representatives , your feedback can be sent to https://www.apple.com/feedback/icloud.html
The first part of your response is not true. The user has the option to not submit their iCloud account settings within the setup wizard. The user can then create a standard account and setup the iCloud under that standard account. The checked box enables "System Preferences" to be synced. Which preferences under "System Preferences" are synced remains a mystery.
Understood that Apple controls this, however, it is interesting to say the least that Apple has chosen to purposefully omit this feature from their documentation. I have my own personal theories as to why this is the case.
Thanks for your reply. Do you happen to know which settings within 'system preferences' are preserved? The settings such as Firewall and FileVault included? Has anyone ever tried doing a fresh install and applied their 'system preferences' settings in iCloud Drive after setting up?
Thanks,
Firewall and FileVault are part of Mac system preferences , how to enable them and use it are mentioned in the articles https://support.apple.com/en-in/HT201642
https://support.apple.com/en-in/guide/mac-help/mh34041/mac
About file vault https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204837
https://support.apple.com/en-in/guide/mac-help/mh11785/mac
The firewall preferences https://support.apple.com/en-in/guide/mac-help/mh11783/mac
FileVault preferences https://support.apple.com/en-in/guide/mac-help/mh35696/mac
Initially admin account is created then standard account if required is created by an administrator see the article https://support.apple.com/en-in/guide/mac-help/mtusr001/mac
The box of system preferences is to be checked by default , why it is appearing in that location the apple engineers have designed it and we don't know the reason .
iCloud Drive - System Preferences Option
