Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Phones
  3. Apple
  4. Buying Guides
  5. Mobile
  6. Evergreens

iCloud doesn’t encrypt your data, but these cloud storage apps do

Add as a preferred source on Google
 

By now, it’s well-known that Apple does not encrypt your iCloud backups, but there’s no need to fret. There are plenty of other ways to accomplish the task of securely backing up your data to the cloud. Several services offer more secure storage with various encryption options. Here are the iOS apps to consider if privacy is your thing.

Tresorit

Tresorit
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Tresorit offers encryption services for business, enterprise, and personal users. Secured with AES 256 end-to-end encryption, your files are safe both on the company’s servers and while in-transit to your device. Tresorit stores your data across multiple Microsoft Azure data centers in the European Union. The company is headquartered in Switzerland, which has stricter privacy laws than most other countries, including the U.S. Tresorit features include document version tracking and the ability to share drive documents securely. Prices range from free to $24 per month.

Mega

MEGA
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Mega provides a secure cloud option featuring browser-based, high-performance, end-to-end encryption. Files are secured with AES 128 encryption, storing your data via a subsidiary of Cogent, a U.S. company with servers in Germany. Mega offers secure sharing of cloud files, an integrated audio/video call feature, public source code for its apps that allows third parties to verify the company’s offerings, and a free tier that includes 50GB of storage. Subscription levels range from $5 to $30 per month.

pCloud

pCloud
Image used with permission by copyright holder

pCloud provides secure cloud storage, while its pCloud Crypto feature lets you create secure folders with AES 256 encryption. For a flat price of $175, you can have 500GB of cloud storage for life or for $350, and you can increase that amount to 2TB. The newest updates let you allow people who can access your folder links to upload files to your account. You can now add password protection to your file or folder links and control expiration dates. You can now also scan documents to directly upload to your account.

Sync.com

Sync
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Sync.com offers a private cloud with secure end-to-end encryption. Some of the features that allow Sync.com to stand out include its enterprise-grade infrastructure with multiple data center locations featuring SAS RAID storage, automatic failover systems, and a rated 99.9% or better uptime. This service also offers HIPAA and other compliance options allowing legal, healthcare, and accounting practices to make use of its offerings. Subscriptions range from $5 to $15 per month, with up to 10TB per user. All options include sharing and collaboration features, real-time backup, and file recovery options.

Cryptomator

Cryptomator
Image used with permission by copyright holder

While not a cloud storage host, Cryptomator keeps your files encrypted on private and public clouds such as Apple’s iCloud. If you’re already a fan of Apple’s services and aren’t looking to move, this software option lets you continue working with your favorite cloud storage provider, including iCloud Drive, Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, and WebDAV-based cloud storage services. Cryptomator encrypts your files before they are uploaded to the cloud.

Boxcryptor

Boxcryptor
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Boxcryptor encrypts files and folders in conjunction with popular storage providers like Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, and others. It lets you encrypt data on your device before syncing it to your service. You get the highest end-to-end encryption standards of AES 256 and RSA 4096, as well as secure file sharing with other Boxcryptor users. The app is free for a single cloud storage provider on two devices. For $48 per year for individuals and $96 per year for businesses, you get unlimited cloud providers, an unlimited number of devices, filename encryption, and email support.

Michael Archambault
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Michael Archambault is a technology writer and digital marketer located in Long Island, New York. For the past decade…
Huawei’s latest tri-fold phone is thinner, tougher, and wilder than ever
Executive, Person, Accessories

We’ve reached a point where a phone folding in half doesn’t feel particularly strange anymore. Huawei, however, is still determined to make foldables weird. The company has introduced the Mate XT 2 Ultimate Design, the second generation of its trifold smartphone. And while the basic idea remains familiar — two hinges, three sections, one enormous folding screen — Huawei has upgraded almost everything around it.

Fold the Mate XT 2 completely, and you get a relatively conventional 6.5-inch smartphone. Open another section when you need some extra room, or unfold the whole thing into a 10.2-inch, 3K display with an almost square 12.8:9 aspect ratio. Perhaps the wildest number is its thickness. Fully opened, the Mate XT 2 measures just 3.5mm. Naturally, stacking three sections of the phone on top of one another makes it considerably thicker, at 12.3mm when completely folded. And Huawei isn't being subtle about the "Ultimate Design" part either. Black, white, and purple finishes are paired with gold detailing, while the camera housing gets a star-diamond pattern. It's very clearly supposed to look as expensive as it is.

Read more
WhatsApp could soon let you call people who don’t have an account
WhatsApp is working on guest voice and video calls that let non-users join through a link without downloading the app, creating an account, or verifying a phone number.
Electronics, Mobile Phone, Phone

WhatsApp is preparing to eliminate one of its biggest friction points by letting you hop on voice and video calls with people who don't have an account. According to a new report from WABetaInfo, the messaging platform is working on a new guest calling feature for WhatsApp Web that'll let non-users join a call through a link without needing to download the app, create a profile, or verify their phone number.

Call anyone, no account needed

Read more
Apple is days away from launching a foldable, but its rivals just stole a head start
Two major Chinese phone makers have unveiled new foldables days before Apple's expected entry into the category, setting up what could be a pivotal week for folding phones.
Electronics, Phone, Mobile Phone

Apple may be about to make its long-awaited move into foldable phones, but Huawei and Xiaomi clearly have no intention of letting it have the week to itself. Both Chinese smartphone makers unveiled new flagship foldables in China on Monday, just two days before Apple is expected to introduce its first foldable iPhone. The timing is difficult to ignore. Foldables have been around for years, but an Apple entry could bring a fresh wave of attention to the category, and Huawei and Xiaomi want their newest hardware in the conversation before that happens.

Huawei is taking the more unusual route with the Mate XT 2, its second-generation trifold phone. Like its predecessor, it uses two hinges to transform from something resembling a regular smartphone into a much larger tablet-sized device. It is also the first Huawei phone based around the company’s new LogicFolding chip design philosophy. Xiaomi, meanwhile, has taken a different approach with the Xiaomi 18 Fold. Its passport-like folding design is notable because it resembles the form factor Apple is expected to use for its first foldable iPhone.

Read more