What Samsung Cloud is and how to find it

Samsung Cloud is built into most Samsung phones and tablets — you do not read it separately. It backs up your contacts, calendar, messages, and photos automatically once you turn it on. The service is free for the first 15 GB of storage; after that, you pay a monthly fee if you want more space.

Samsung Cloud lives inside your phone's Settings app, not as a separate icon on your home screen. This means many people own it without realizing it. If you have a Samsung Galaxy phone or tablet made in the last five years, you almost certainly have access already.

The service works only with Samsung devices — you cannot use Samsung Cloud on an iPhone or Android phone from another manufacturer. If you own multiple Samsung devices, Samsung Cloud syncs your backed-up data across all of them, so your contacts appear on both your phone and tablet automatically.

Key Takeaways

  • Samsung Cloud is built into Samsung phones and tablets and requires no separate read or purchase to start using.
  • You turn on Samsung Cloud inside Settings by signing in with your Samsung account, which is the same account you use for the Galaxy Store.
  • The first 15 GB of storage is free; additional storage costs money and requires a paid subscription through Samsung.
  • Samsung Cloud backs up contacts, calendar, messages, photos, and some app data, but not all files on your phone.
  • Your backed-up data syncs across all your Samsung devices once you sign in with the same Samsung account on each one.

How to turn on Samsung Cloud on your phone

Open the Settings app on your Samsung phone. Scroll down and tap Accounts and backup (on some older phones this section is called Cloud and accounts). Tap Samsung Cloud.

You will see a screen asking you to sign in. Tap Sign in and enter your Samsung account email and password. If you do not have a Samsung account yet, tap Create account and follow the prompts — you will need an email address and a password you choose. This is the same account you use to read apps from the Galaxy Store, so if you have ever bought an app on your Samsung phone, you already have one.

Once you sign in, you will see toggles for different types of data. Turn on the ones you want to back up: Contacts, Calendar, Messages, Photos and videos, and Device settings. You can turn on all of them or only the ones that matter to you. The backup starts automatically once you turn on a toggle.

Your phone will back up data whenever it is connected to Wi-Fi and plugged in, usually overnight. You can also force a backup right away by tapping the menu button (three dots) at the top right and selecting Back up now.

What Samsung Cloud actually backs up

Samsung Cloud does not back up everything on your phone. It backs up your contacts, calendar events, text messages, photos and videos in your gallery, and some device settings like your home screen layout. It does not back up apps themselves, your email messages, files stored in folders, or data inside most third-party apps like social media or banking apps.

This is important to understand because many people assume Samsung Cloud is a complete backup of their phone. It is not. If you want to back up everything — including apps, email, and all your files — you need a different service like Google Drive or Microsoft OneDrive, or you need to use Samsung's other backup option called Smart Switch, which is designed for transferring data to a new phone.

Photos and videos take up the most storage space. If you take a lot of photos, you may fill up your free 15 GB quickly. You can see how much space you are using by going back to Settings > Accounts and backup > Samsung Cloud and looking at the storage meter at the top of the screen.

How to restore your backed-up data

If you get a new Samsung phone, the easiest way to restore your Samsung Cloud data is during the initial setup when you first turn on the phone. The phone will ask you to sign in with your Samsung account, and then it will offer to restore your contacts, calendar, messages, and photos from your backup. Tap Restore and wait for the process to finish — this usually takes a few minutes to an hour depending on how much data you have.

If you have already set up your new phone and want to restore data later, you can do it manually. Go to Settings > Accounts and backup > Samsung Cloud, sign in with your Samsung account, and tap the menu button (three dots). Select Restore and choose which types of data you want to restore. The phone will read your backed-up contacts, calendar, messages, and photos and merge them with what is already on the phone.

Restoring does not delete anything currently on your phone — it adds your backed-up data on top of what is there. If you had the same contact on both your old phone and your new phone, you may end up with duplicates. You can delete the duplicates manually afterward.

Understanding Samsung Cloud storage limits and paid plans

Every Samsung account comes with 15 GB of free storage. This is shared across all your Samsung devices — if you have a phone and a tablet both using Samsung Cloud with the same account, they share the same 15 GB pool. Once you use all 15 GB, Samsung Cloud stops backing up new data until you either delete old backups or pay for more storage.

Samsung offers paid plans that give you more storage. The exact pricing varies by region and changes over time, so check Samsung's website for current rates. You can buy additional storage directly through the Samsung Cloud settings on your phone by tapping the storage meter and selecting an upgrade option.

If you run out of free storage, your phone will notify you. You can then choose to delete old backups to free up space, or you can upgrade to a paid plan. Deleting a backup is permanent — once it is gone, you cannot restore that data anymore — so make sure you really want to delete it before you do.

Signing into Samsung Cloud on multiple devices

If you own more than one Samsung device, you can use the same Samsung account on all of them. Sign into Samsung Cloud on each device using the same email and password. Once you do, your backed-up data will be available on every device — your contacts will appear on your phone and tablet, your calendar will sync across both, and your photos will be accessible from either device.

This syncing happens automatically once you turn on the backup toggles on each device. You do not have to do anything else. If you add a new contact on your phone, it will appear on your tablet within a few minutes (assuming both devices are connected to Wi-Fi).

If you want to stop syncing on one device, go to Settings > Accounts and backup > Samsung Cloud and turn off the toggles for the data types you do not want to sync anymore. That device will no longer back up or receive updates for that data, but your other devices will continue to sync normally.

Troubleshooting common Samsung Cloud problems

If Samsung Cloud is not backing up, the most common reason is that your phone is not connected to Wi-Fi or is not plugged in. Samsung Cloud only backs up automatically when both conditions are met. Plug your phone in and connect to Wi-Fi, then wait a few minutes. You can also force a backup by going to Settings > Accounts and backup > Samsung Cloud, tapping the menu button, and selecting Back up now.

If you see an error message, make sure you are signed into your Samsung account correctly. Go to Settings > Accounts and backup > Samsung Cloud and check that your email and password are correct. If you forgot your password, tap Sign in and select Forgot password? to reset it through Samsung's website.

If your backed-up data is not appearing on another device, make sure you are signed into that device with the same Samsung account. Go to Settings > Accounts and backup > Samsung Cloud and verify the email address shown is the same one you use on your other device. If it is different, sign out and sign back in with the correct account.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Samsung Cloud cost money?

The first 15 GB is free. If you need more storage, Samsung offers paid plans at various price points depending on how much space you want. You only pay if you choose to upgrade beyond the free 15 GB.

Can I use Samsung Cloud on a non-Samsung phone?

No. Samsung Cloud only works on Samsung phones and tablets. If you switch to a different brand of phone, you will not be able to access Samsung Cloud on it. You would need to use a different cloud service like Google Drive or OneDrive instead.

Will Samsung Cloud back up my apps?

No. Samsung Cloud backs up contacts, calendar, messages, photos, and device settings, but not the apps themselves. If you want to back up your apps when you get a new phone, use Samsung's Smart Switch tool instead, which is designed specifically for transferring everything to a new Samsung device.

What happens to my Samsung Cloud data if I delete my Samsung account?

If you delete your Samsung account, your backed-up data will be deleted after a grace period (usually 30 days). During that time you can recover your account and your data. After the grace period ends, the data is permanently deleted and cannot be recovered.

Can I see my Samsung Cloud backup on a computer?

You can view some of your backed-up data through Samsung's website if you sign in with your Samsung account, but you cannot read or restore it from a computer. To restore your data, you need to do it on a Samsung phone or tablet.