What Is Cloud Storage, and How Can You Use It?
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You might have heard the term “cloud storage” thrown around a lot recently. Sometimes people will say that their photos and files are “on the cloud” or that their video game save files are backed up with cloud storage.
But what, exactly, is the cloud? How does cloud storage work, and how can you use it to back up your files? Let’s take a closer look at this convenient new form of technology.
“The cloud” refers to pretty much any off-site server. While you would normally store files on your phone directly to the handset’s flash memory, files saved to the cloud are actually on servers in remote locations. Typically these servers are housed in large server banks and contain millions of gigabytes of information.
The purpose of this off-site storage is to make it easier to have backups of your information in case you either run out of physical storage or lose the device that contains the files. For instance, if you lose your phone, you could still have your contacts and pictures saved to the cloud, thus keeping them present on your replacement phone.
In the world of computing, a well-known adage is to “back up your backups”. In short, you can never be too redundant when it comes to files that you’ve spent a long time creating, organizing, and cataloging. For most normal uses, like cell phone files, your saved information is automatically backed up by things like your Apple ID or Google profile.
Some budget phones might not have this functionality turned on automatically, however. Make sure you’ve got cloud backups enabled for your phone in case you lose it or have it broken in an accident.
For bigger files, like those stored on your PC, you might need to get a dedicated cloud save service subscription. These services, like BackBlaze and Norton, allow you to back up files like music, video, text files, photos, and whatever else you might store on your PC.
If you’re a creator, you might want to invest in this sort of backup technology. Musicians, filmmakers, photographers, and writers typically all keep their work saved on their computers. Losing those files would mean losing days, weeks, even years of work in the blink of an eye. Keep that nightmare from becoming reality by backing up your important files to the cloud, today!
