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What is the cloud?

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Quick answer

'The cloud' just means computers and storage you use over the internet instead of owning them yourself. When your photos back up online or an app runs on a remote server, that's the cloud — someone else's powerful computers, rented and reached over the network, so you can get to your stuff from anywhere.

Key things to understand

  1. Computing and storage used over the internet.
  2. Runs on remote data-center servers, not your device.
  3. Access your data from any device, anywhere.
  4. You rent capacity instead of owning hardware.

People also ask

Where is 'the cloud' actually?
In data centers — huge buildings full of servers around the world — that you reach over the internet.
Is the cloud safe?
Reputable providers encrypt and back up your data, but your account security (strong password, two-factor) matters just as much.
What's an example of the cloud?
Google Photos, Gmail, Netflix, and online document editors all run in the cloud.