Why Is iCloud Greyed Out In My Settings? 3 Solutions
If you’ve noticed that your iCloud is greyed out in your Settings app, there are several reasons this may be happening. Anyone who frequently uses their iCloud to back up data and information on their iPhone or other Apple device knows the frustration when it is not working properly. Diagnosing the issue and determining what needs to be done to fix it is important and necessary to get your iCloud back up and running properly.
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Why Is iCloud Greyed Out in My Settings?
Your iCloud may be greyed out in your Settings app because the Apple server is not working properly, you need to update your iOS, or you aren’t currently connected to Wi-Fi and need to enable your cellular data feature.
Sometimes I can’t remember what we did before Apple introduced us to services such as iCloud. It is a terrific tool for keeping our data safe and being able to store tons of material in a remote location that is easy to access as well.
I’ve spent time making sure I understand how my iCloud works and knowing what to do when it isn’t. Perhaps my research and troubleshooting tips can help you if your iCloud isn’t working the way it should.
Reasons iCloud Is Greyed Out In Settings
When Apple introduced us to the concept of iCloud in 2011, it did not take long for people around the world to embrace the idea and get on board with using it.
Today, more than 850 million people globally take advantage of the fact that, through iCloud, they can store thousands of photos, documents, and music to then later download onto their various devices as they need to.
By keeping all of your important and personal data in one remote spot, Apple is providing a tool to safeguard your information and also allow you to have access to it, regardless of what device you are using.
For example, let’s say you filmed a movie on your last vacation on your iPhone. By storing this movie on your iCloud account, you will not only keep it safe from any virus or glitch that could happen on your iPhone, but you are also making it possible to be able to access that movie at a later time from any of your Apple devices that are connected to your iCloud account.
So, you could go back and now watch that movie from your iPad or laptop as well as on your iPhone.
Pretty cool, right?
The problem comes when we have gotten used to using iCloud for all of our storage, and suddenly – our iCloud account is not working.
The best way to realize this is to look at the Settings app on your iPhone or other Apple device.
If the iCloud icon is greyed out in the Settings app, you will know that it isn’t working properly and that your information is no longer uploading to the remote server.
In order to get your iCloud up and running again, you need to first determine why it isn’t working and then troubleshoot through the various options available.
I’ve put together some of the main causes of iCloud not working correctly, and some tips for how you can get your iCloud to start storing your data again the way it is designed to do.
1. Check to See if Apple’s Server is Down
When your iCloud icon is greyed out in your Settings, the best thing to do first is check and see if this is an issue on Apple’s side before you worry it’s something with your device.
Occasionally, Apple will be having an issue with iCloud that is affecting more users than just you. There could be a software problem, a server malfunction, or there may just be some routine troubleshooting or updating going on that Apple is currently in the process of fixing.
In order to figure out if this is the case, you have two options.
First, you could just wait for thirty minutes or so and check the system again. Oftentimes if iCloud is not running on your device because of Apple’s server, this problem will be fixed relatively quickly.
Second, if you don’t want to wait, or have already waited for a while and it’s still not working, you can check the status of the iCloud on Apple’s network yourself.
This is easy to do. Download the Apple Support Page on your iPhone or another device. You will see a long list of Apple features that should be running on all devices in Apple’s network.
If there is a green dot next to the iCloud feature, this means the issue with your iCloud not working is not because of a glitch on Apple’s side.
On the other hand, if you see a yellow diamond next to the iCloud listing, you now know that the fact that your iCloud icon is greyed out on your iPhone or other device is because of an internal issue with the Apple server, and you won’t be able to do anything about this until Apple resolves it on their end.
2. Update Your Device
Another common reason for iCloud to be greyed out and not running is because your device may need an update.
We all are pretty aware of the fact that Apple rolls out iOS updates relatively often. Anytime their software engineers find a way to improve the operation of our devices, they will send out updates for us to install.
These updates usually happen automatically at night, when our devices are plugged in and we are sleeping.
But it’s easy to miss an update from time to time. When this happens, certain features won’t work as well as they should, or may stop working altogether.
To ensure that Apple’s latest update has been installed on your device, just go into your Settings app and click on the tab that says, “General.”
After you open that setting, find the icon titled, “Software Update” and tap on that.
It may take a few minutes, but now your device will begin the update, and any system that wasn’t running appropriately should now be bug-free and running at its best version, including iCloud.
3. Make Sure You’re Connected to Wi-Fi or Enable Your Cellular Data Feature
Your iCloud can only work when you are connected to Wi-Fi, since it is a feature that needs an internet connection to operate.
If you have moved out of an internet range, you will find that the iCloud feature on your iPhone or other device is greyed out.
You can fix this by reconnecting your device to an internet server and the system should start running again.
If you are in an area where Wi-Fi is not accessible and you need to use iCloud, you can do this by enabling Cellular Data on your iPhone to begin operating.
Your Cellular Data system is normally set to be turned off, since using it will cause you to incur additional costs on your cell phone bill. But, it’s a service that’s available when you need it.
In order to turn on your Cellular Data, just go to your Settings app and tap on the Cellular icon.
Once there, you can move the toggle bar to the “on” position.
Once the Cellular Data system is enabled, you should find that your iCloud is back to operating like normal.
Make sure you disable the Cellular Data system once you are back in a Wi-Fi area. Otherwise, you will see a big jump in next month’s cell phone bill.