Here's How You Can Access Apple's Newly Redesigned iCloud

Apple has released several new software updates in the last few months, dropping iOS 16 for the iPhone in September, and more recently, iPadOS 16 and MacOS Ventura. However, there's another important upgrade, albeit a smaller one, that hasn't received as much attention as these big overhauls.

The website version of iCloud, where you can access your stored photos and videos, files, notes and other important data from across your Apple devices, just got an updated design, making it easier to view and access all your files storied in the cloud.

This new version of iCloud is currently in beta testing, so you'll need to learn how to access it first. Here's what you need to know.

While you're here, check out some other under-the-radar features, like these nine hidden iOS 16 features we were surprised to find. And learn about what's new on the latest iOS 16.1 update that just released.

How to access the new iCloud beta

There are two ways to access the new iCloud beta website in your web browser (works only in the latest versions of Safari, Firefox, Chrome, Edge, and Opera).

The first way is to got directly to beta.icloud.com, which is probably the easier way. You'll have to sign in to your regular iCloud account when asked. The other way is to go to the regular icloud.com website and then just click the prompt at the top of the page that says "A new iCloud.com is coming soon. Try it now and let us know what you think." 

You can redesign your iCloud beta home page

Instead of the standard app icons, the beta iCloud features a dynamic and redesigned user interface, filled with large widget-like tiles that give you a sneak peek into your data, like your files in Drive, events in Calendar and grocery lists in Notes.

If you want to switch up what you see on your new iCloud beta home page, click the Customize Home Page button at the bottom of the page to throw your home page into jiggle (edit) mode to remove or add tiles for corresponding Apple apps. The list includes:

• Photos
• Mail
• Drive
• Notes
• Calendar
• Numbers
• Pages
• Keynote
• Apps

You can still use other favorites such as Find My and Contacts -- they're just not available as tiles. Instead, you can access those apps and more using the status bar icons at the top-right of the website. You can also send an email, create a calendar event, manage your iCloud account and more from here.

For now, the redesign seems to be mostly geared towards aesthetics, although the update does make it easier to navigate through your files and find what you're looking for faster. If you're not a fan of the beta version, you can always just go back to the classic iCloud by going to iCloud.com.