ICloud Drive vs Google Drive

grosvenor wrote:

Question therefore is: if I delete the Google Mail app will I immediately save space BUT will it affect my gmail within Apple Mail ?

With Gmail, the master copies of your mail normally live on the Google servers (IMAP connection).

Deleting the Google app on your iPhone won't destroy your Google account, or eliminate the ability to access your Gmail using Apple's Mail app. It won't free up any of the Google storage space you are using, either.

Hey Gros,

Here’s a quick rundown on how I run not only my personal life but my business life using both iCloud and Google Drive.

I am currently paying three dollars a month for 200 gigs of iCloud Drive so $36 a year isn’t very much but the benefits that come with iCloud Drive are amazing especially the hide my ID feature and other private proxy features that come in the higher tier iCloud drives.

with Google I am paying $20 a year for the basic hundred gigabytes that comes with VPN protection ,dark web monitoring, and other photo edit upgrades using AI to better your pictures.

As far as storage space on my phone, I don’t really take that many pictures but I do save a lot of screenshots or record in 4K30 FPS on my phone so data space on can sometimes be an issue. but if you go into your Google Photos app on your phone, you can find an option in the settings that says free up space on device and that will get rid of what is already backed up into your Google Photos

As far as the Gmail question, they’re really for me isn’t a reason to have the Gmail app installed on my phone because the Gmail section in the mail app is good enough for me for what I need to do. I really don’t see any benefits right now to have the Gmail app installed on your phone now there is an AI function coming to Gmail and other products later this year named Gemini that might entice you to download it again which I should suggest you do.

Hope this helps ask me any questions. I’ll respond if I get the notification.

I had this problem when reinstalling. Check what Google Drive is actually uploading from your mac to the cloud. I have had this message and it was backing up things I didn't want it to. Once changed it to just documents and photo'sI have much more free space to use.

Be careful if you are using iCloud Photos and Google Photos at the same time.

If you are using iCloud Photos, deleting a photo on one device is taken as a request to delete it everywhere – on that device, in iCloud, and on other computers and devices connected to the same iCloud Photos account.

If you have photos synced to both places, and you start deleting photos to free up Google storage, you might delete your iCloud Photos copies too, before you realize it.

There are three major advantages of having iCloud Storage

1. iCloud syncs your iPhone data and keeps backup safely for future use if your iPhone is damaged or lost. The data is safe on iCloud
2. You can save space on your iPhone by keeping low-resolution photos on your iPhone and keep the originals on iCloud. Whenever you open a photo on your iPhone it will fetch the original photo from iCloud and display it to you, provided you have internet. --> Manage your photo and video storage - Apple Support
3. You get more space on iCloud Drive and keep any file on it safely, Also you can view and delete them from any device.

iCloud Drive is part of iCloud Storage. What you store in iCloud Drive counts against your storage limit.

See the pic below. These are things which you can view. There are many things that you can't view such as messages, backup, message attachments etc..

You may not realize the importance of a backup until if you find yourself in the following situation.

1. Buy another device and want to have the same data on all the devices.
2. Trade-in your iPhone
3. Lose your device
4. Damage your Screen

iCloud Drive and Google Drive are both popular cloud storage and synchronization services, but they have different advantages and features that might make one more suitable for your specific needs. Here are some advantages of each service:

1. Advantages of iCloud Drive:
   1. iCloud Drive is deeply integrated into the Apple ecosystem, making it the default choice for users who primarily use Apple devices such as iPhones, iPads, and Macs. It works seamlessly across these devices and provides easy access to files and data.
   2. Apple places a strong emphasis on user privacy and security. iCloud Drive uses end-to-end encryption for certain types of data, and Apple has a reputation for not mining user data for advertising purposes.
   3. iCloud Drive automatically backs up your iOS devices, ensuring that your device data, including app data and settings, is securely stored in the cloud.
   4. With iCloud Family Sharing, you can share your iCloud storage plan with family members, making it cost-effective for families using multiple Apple devices.
   5. iCloud Drive is designed to be user-friendly and integrates well with the Apple operating system, offering a familiar interface for Apple users.
2. Advantages of Google Drive:
   1. Google Drive works across a wide range of platforms, including Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS. This makes it a more versatile choice for users who use devices from different manufacturers.
   2. Google Drive excels in real-time collaboration. Multiple users can edit documents, spreadsheets, and presentations simultaneously, making it a great tool for teamwork and remote collaboration.
   3. If you use Google Workspace (formerly G Suite) for business or education, Google Drive is tightly integrated with other Google productivity tools like Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides.
   4. Google Drive offers 15 GB of free storage to all users, which is notably more than iCloud Drive's initial free storage offering.
   5. Google Drive has an open API that allows third-party apps to integrate with it, giving you more options for managing and working with your files.
   6. Google's powerful search capabilities extend to Google Drive, making it easy to find files even in large storage repositories.

Ultimately, the choice between iCloud Drive and Google Drive depends on individual needs and the devices and ecosystems you're already invested in. If you're heavily invested in the Apple ecosystem and prioritize privacy, iCloud Drive might be the better choice. On the other hand, if you need cross-platform compatibility, collaboration features, and more free storage, Google Drive could be the preferred option. It's also worth considering other factors like pricing, additional features, and your comfort level with each platform's user interface.

Before upgrading to a larger Google Drive Storage you might try using the following Google Storage Manager to see what is using the Google Storage space: https://one.google.com/storage/management

Maybe you'll be able to clear enough storage space in Google Drive before paying more money for storage.

That link is for Google One accounts only (https://one.google.com/storage/management). It didn't work for me because I have a Google Workspace account. After some searching online, I found a tool called Filerev that showed me how my storage was being used. I was able to pinpoint my largest folders and files as well as clean up over 12,000 duplicate files in my account that I didn't know about. The tool has a free plan, but I paid for a month, and it helped me get back into the free tier of Google Drive. Totally worth it!

I am in same situation. This is my first iPhone. I paid for upgrade my google drive because they said that I will be not able to receive emails into Gmail. Now iCloud wants to pay for space for backup and everything. Gmail is lot important to me. The pictures or videos I may transfer to the external and to use iCloud space, but the mail is the problem. Or I need to pay for both of them….

iCloud works well on my iPhone, but absolute garbage for my Mac. For whatever reason, it takes up all the space on my HD. I've tried the "optimize" setting and it does nothing, I tried to get help from one of the so called Apple Geniuses, and got nothing. When you want to delete something off your computer to make more space, it says it will also delete it off the cloud and other devices. For the life of me, I can't understand why I would want my cloud to be taking up HD space; the whole point of cloud services is for extra storage, but Apple makes it incredibly confusing. I have 2TB storage, yet I can't free up any space on my MacBook. I ended up logging off my iCloud, because I'm sick of having 20MB space because iCloud keeps using up all the HD space. My 128GB iPhone seems to be using iCloud the way I'd want. It doesn't use up all my storage space, and I can look at one of my thousands of pics/videos very easily, but If I had to do it all over again, I'd get One Drive, or Google Drive. You can actually delete things off your device and it stays on the cloud, like it should be. Why apple made such an inferior garbage cloud is beyond me.

I would think it depends on why and how you use your cloud storage. Another consideration is are you going to be a long term APPLE product user?

I've had a Mac & iPad for years really like the devices but use a Google Pixel phone. Due to the way I use my files, photos and etc... it makes sense to use both Google Storage and iCloud storage.

Personally I don't think one storage cloud space is better than the other, and just depends on the device being used and what you use cloud storage for.

Im all Apple -macbook air ipad iphone using them for running two small allied health therapy businesses . Why do I need google one to get more storage when Im paying for 400gb of icloud storage . I really dont want to change my gmail address as its been out there for long time and people know how to contact me . Where do I go to delete files in the google drive section when I didnt choose to put them there in the first place ?

I am paying for 100 GB of Google storage and 50 GB of iCloud storage. Is this redundant? Any reason to keep both?