iCloud & iCloud Photos · Security and Advanced Data Protection
What is Advanced Data Protection for iCloud?
Short answer: It's an optional iCloud setting that protects most iCloud data, including Drive, Photos and backups, so only your trusted devices can read it — not Apple. The trade-off: Apple can't recover your data, so you must set up a recovery contact or key.
It's an optional iCloud setting that extends Apple's strongest data protection to most of what you store in iCloud — including iCloud Drive, Photos, Notes and device backups — so only your trusted devices can read that data, not Apple. It's turned on in System Settings → your name → iCloud → Advanced Data Protection.
The trade-off is recovery: because Apple can't read your data, Apple can't help you recover it if you lose access. Before turning it on you set up a recovery contact or a recovery key, and all your devices need recent software.
Storage Studio works the same with it on or off — see Storage Studio and Advanced Data Protection.