The
importance of SD cards and internal storage is waning in the face of
the greater options for "cloud storage." For those who
aren't aware, cloud storage allows you to upload & back up your
data to an online source, saving you precious gigabytes of data on
your Android device. Here is our list of the best cloud storage apps
for Android .
Google Drive: the all-rounder
We're
starting with an obvious one. Google
Drive is
just so hard to overlook because it offers 15 GB of
no-questions-asked free storage and never fails. Google Drive shows a
nice history of your changes too, you can allow others to view and
edit your work and it offers support for many different file types.
It's
an obvious solution for anybody with a Google account because it's so
seamless and requires very little time or management from the user.
As
a side note, the Google+
social
network app provides a pretty excellent cloud storage service,
allowing you to store an infinite amount of pictures (at less than
2048 pixels) and videos (under 15 minutes long and no more than 1080p
resolution). Not too shabby.
Dropbox: reliable and well-liked
Dropbox
has
been a firm favorite on Android for many years now. It has a
relatively 15px storage capacity - a paltry 2 GB to begin with - but
this can be expanded up to 16 GB in various (and fairly simple) ways.
Dropbox
is fast, intuitive and free, with some unobtrusive automatic backup
features perfect for those who want to take quick snaps and then view
them on their desktop computer in a flash.
It's
a great overall package if you can invest a little bit of time
expanding the initial storage cap.
Box: simple and effective
Box
is
available free in the Google Play Store and is very easy to use,
offering 10 GB of free space with a 250 MB upload limit. Beyond this
point you are asked to pay 10 USD per year for 25 GB of cloud
storage.
Box
is perhaps the most basic application of our list because it has no
super special features: Box is there simply to upload, download and
share files, although it is possible to edit and comment on files in
the cloud. Box also has a widget that notifies you of any changes to
shared documents.
SugarSync: most intuitive
SugarSync
offers
5 GB of free data as a 90 day trial, and after that the cheapest
package is 9.99 USD per month for 100 GB. But it is really simple and
fast!
This
cloud application differs from others because it offers more payment
methods, more storage space in the cloud, and it allows you to invite
friends to use your files for example, and is also connected to
social networks.
Personally,
I think this is the most intuitive online storage app I've ever
tested, especially for inexperienced cloud service users. Instead of
a series of folders, we are shown a clear menu with quick options
such as Photos, Shared Documents, Private Documents, etc. The app's
simplicity and clarity certainly helps to better locate each file.
MediaFire: great value
With
this tool, you can really say that you are using cloud storage.
MediaFire
serves
it up on a platter, because this application offers up to 50 GB of
free available space, which is perfect for saving or sharing music or
videos.
But
all that glitters is not gold: there is obviously critical points
too. First of all, you only get 12 GB to start and have to earn the
rest (or you can pay $2.50 US/month for 100 GB) and although its
interface is clean the menu is a bit confusing.
It
has all the basic functions to download images, download and share
archives etc., including those off your camera, which saves a lot of
time. But another disadvantage is that the size limit for each file
is 200 MB, at least in the free version. Paying more of course will
earn you access to more privileges.
Mega - largest free capacity
Mega
is
an application that provides 50 GB of storage to users upon arrival,
free of charge! This is one of the best offers on Android and is
based out of New Zealand, the Land of the Long White Cloud.
Everything
you upload is encrypted and the encryption keys stay with the user,
so there's no need for privacy concerns here. You can manage your
Mega account, download files and even synchronize your camera
directly to your account to automatically obtain a copy of the images
and videos when you connect it.
For
now, it is pretty basic, but it should be updated soon, and it is
offering you 50 GB of genuine free cloud storage. Choice bro!
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