How do I access iCloud data without Internet access?

Question

How do I access iCloud data without Internet access?

I have multiple homes, but one of my favorite homes is in the country with no Internet access. I refuse to use iCloud because I spend a fair amount of time there and cannot see how I can use the cloud if I don't have Internet. I can get mail over my GSM access but the idea of having all my photos and music in the cloud (when I currently have them on my devices and therefore available without Internet) is just a non-starter. Can I have them both in the cloud and on my devices (I own the gamut - Macbook Pro, iPad, iPhone, iPod)?

Posted on Jun 22, 2014 4:59 AM

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Answer 1

Jun 22, 2014 3:28 PM in response to Albert Fisher1

You don't need iCloud, if you just have the 5Gb free plan, my only advice is don't let it get anywhere near full. So stop your devices from backing up your stuff to the cloud unless you really want it to.

Keep your photos and music on an external hard-drive. 2Tb for €70 is reasonable, to be really safe, get two, one to travel with you and the other to stay at home... In a fireproof safe...

Sell your iPod. (Unless you are a "why use 1 when 4 will do" kind of person)

Make a custom playlist to put any music you want onto your phone (The process actually helps you find stuff you had forgotten you had, great for those nostalgic feelings..)

The only clouds you should see are those underneath the plane!!!

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Answer 2

Jun 22, 2014 6:03 AM in response to QuickTimeKirk

Thanks for your input. I really have the impression that if one don't have Internet access where one is then the cloud is not only useless, it keeps you from getting access to things, like photos, that you have stored in the cloud. I find Gmail frustrating enough because accessing it over mobile telecom is expensive and I can't find an email from the past easily (or affordably). I don't understand why anyone signs up to use the cloud unless they live in a fixed area and don't travel. I have homes on two continents and travel to a dozen countries a year. The cloud is useless to me so the hype really annoys me. I was hoping that I just didn't know about some features that would deal with this, but it doesn't seem so. Thanks again for your contribution.

Al Fisher

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Answer 3

Jun 22, 2014 9:08 PM in response to Lazlo Woodbine

Lazlo, I have been operating exactly as you recommend, but I get so effing frustrated that at every turn I get this messages saying "you are not signed in to iCloud for this or that app" and there seems to be no way to just tell Apple I don't want to use the cloud so stop bugging me. I can't believe Apple is designing systems that are useless unless you have access to the Internet. I was in the computer business 35 years, 25 in international systems development, and was in the air almost every month. How in the world can you rely on the cloud when you travel, and if you can't have your data with you what is the point of laptops and Air? Have they become so cloistered in silicon valley that they don't know a lot of their users are mobile? It is frustrating. It is nice to know I am not alone, or a luddite, because I don't like and don't want to use the cloud.

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Answer 4

Jun 22, 2014 5:53 AM in response to Albert Fisher1

Your iOS devices can use the data portion of your service get some stuff but Internet access or Wi-Fi is required to get the rest.

iOS devices can't log into iCloud.com and a Mac or PC is required to view some data via a browser.

Your music isn't stored at iCloud unless your use the iTunes Match service ($25 a year).

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Answer 5

Jun 23, 2014 12:04 AM in response to Albert Fisher1

Dear Albert,

I have just this week upgraded my iPhone 3GS to an iPhone 4S (If my old phone had not been in a swimming pool 3 times and dropped into unresponsiveness I would still be using it, and I don't like to get things as soon as they come out, the second or third batch are always better! What do you mean there's an iPhone 6 on it's way and support for the 4S is going to be dropped... Support? what Support did I need for my 3GS? Anyhoo, I digress...)

To get back to the point, go to Settings / iCloud and switch everything off apart from FindMyiPhone... simple. Forget the cloud, just use it for a back up when you back up to some other place too.

My laptop is still on 10.6.8 (See, I don't upgrade stuff too soon until you are really sure the new stuff is ok) so iCloud isn't even on there in SysPreferences!

I still don't have a tablet of any variety, I just don't see the point

Just because it is there doesn't mean it suits us, I think we all began using apple years ago because we just liked the way they were, stuff worked. It suited us. Now there are a lot more people using Apple stuff, they have to have their needs met too.

Some people need a Cloud...

...Others can make do with just the silver lining!

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Answer 6

Jun 23, 2014 12:07 AM in response to Community User

Go to iCloud.com on safari and view there... download any you really want and leave the rest where they are. We only need to see ONE photo of your baby / wedding / holiday! (Is one allowed to say the word dropbox?)

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Answer 7

Jun 23, 2014 2:59 AM in response to Lazlo Woodbine

As I mentioned, I was in system development for decades and I share your opinions on new products and releases completely. Please notice, the cloud has been around for at least a year (we talked about it as a possible future direction 20 years ago) and I am just now asking about the possibility of using it. I use Time Capsule as my backup and love it. I am still not on Maverick - no reason to yet and probably still buggy - no longer use PhotoShop as they kept forcing you to new products all the time. My MacBook Pro is three years old and I see no reason to upgrade. I listed an iPod as one of my products but haven't really used it since I got the iPhone 4S (my first iPhone, wanted to let it bake in before I went to it) and have no interest in an iPhone 6. We seem to be on much the same page about our systems.

Al Fisher

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Answer 8

Jun 22, 2014 9:24 PM in response to Albert Fisher1

Thank you for your email I have a short question

my old iPhone with 32 GB is damage, I bought a new iPhone with 16 GB

I went to try to download from iCloud the capacity of the cell phone is not enough to download all the photos of the iCloud, so How can Isee the photos in the iCloud when I already activated before

kind regards

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El 22/06/2014, a las 11:08 p.m., Apple Support Communities Updates <discussions-updates@apple.com> escribió:

New discussion activity

Albert Fisher1 has posted in the icloud.com community.

How do I access iCloud data without Internet access?

Lazlo, I have been operating exactly as you recommend, but I get so effing frustrated that at every turn I get this messages saying "you are not signed in to iCloud for this or that app" and there seems to be no way to just tell Apple I don't want to use the cloud so stop bugging me. I can't believe Apple is designing systems that are useless unless you have access to the Internet. I was in the computer business 35 years, 25 in international systems development, and was in the air almost every month. How in the world can you rely on the cloud when you travel, and if you can't have your data with you what is the point of laptops and Air? Have they become so cloistered in silicon valley that they don't know a lot of their users are mobile? It is frustrating. It is nice to know I am not alone, or a luddite, because I don't like and don't want to use the cloud.

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Answer 9

Aug 3, 2016 4:14 AM in response to Albert Fisher1

Strewth I don't know! I've only got one home and a huge mortgage. And my gamut is rented out to a homeless person.

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