I had the same exact reaction as many of you did as we learned yesterday that Apple released an iCloud app for the Microsoft Store on Windows 10.
Not sure about all of you, but this announcement was the first time I heard this work was even happening. I don’t remember any leaks over the last few months and according to the apps listing in the Microsoft Store on Windows 10 it has been around since at least the beginning of February 2019. That would indicate it has been in some type of private testing over the last few months.
Again, impressive that nothing apparently leaked about this app and service coming to Windows 10.
What is interesting about this app is it uses the same underlying technology that is used in OneDrive for Windows 10. That means iCloud Drive has features such as:
- Files on Demand with options to store files in the cloud or locally
- File Explorer integration for sharing and managing files in your iCloud Drive storage
- Cross device access to your iCloud files
Once installed and setup, you will have an iCloud icon in the system tray and there will be a folder added to File Explorer for quick access.
The iCloud app provides access to all of these areas of the service right from your Windows 10 device:
- iCloud Drive
- iCloud Photos
- Contacts
- Calendar
- Reminders
- Safari Bookmarks
It will also integrate with Outlook 2016 or later for syncing Mail, Contacts, and Calendars plus it supports the following browsers and their successors for syncing bookmarks:
- Internet Explorer 11
- Firefox 57
- Google Chrome 73
This is just one more barrier down between the Apple and Microsoft ecosystems and it is most certainly a win for users who now gain integrated access to their iCloud storage right from the Windows 10 desktop.
Windows 10 iCloud App Screenshot Gallery
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