Many people don’t realize that since iOS 16.2, you can make your cloud data security more secure at the risk of potentially not being able to retrieve your data if you lose your password and have no recovery contacts.

Advanced Data Protection for iCloud offers the highest level of cloud data security and protects the majority (not all) of iCloud data using end-to-end encryption.

Requirements

• An Apple ID with two-factor authentication.
• A passcode or password set for your device.
• At least one account recovery contact or recovery key. If you don’t already have one, you’ll be guided to set one up when you turn on Advanced Data Protection.
• Updated software on all of the devices where you’re signed in with your Apple ID:
  • iPhone or iPad with iOS 16.2 or later
  • Mac with macOS 13.1 or later
  • Apple Watch with watchOS 9.2 or later
  • Apple TV with tvOS 16.2 or later
  • HomePod with software version 16.0 or later
  • Windows computer with iCloud for Windows 14.1 or later
  • If you haven’t updated your OS, you will need to do that first. If the device is too old, you may have to remove that from your account (see below).
    

Steps

Important: You only need to do from one device (not all), it eventually will get synced across your devices that use the same iCloud account.

iPhone or iPad

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap your name on the very top, then tap iCloud.
3. Check the Account Recovery, make sure you have selected some trusted people as Recovery Contacts or set up your Recovery Key. The easiest is to have recovery contacts, but make sure you pick someone who you can trust. Otherwise, go with the Recovery Key but this pose another dilemma as well, as you need to store the recovery key in a safe place. If you lose it, you will never be able to recover your data.
4. Once the Account Recovery is set, tap Advanced Data Protection and tap Turn on Advanced Data Protection.

Mac

1. Go to Apple menu on the top left , then select System Settings.
2. Click on your name, then click iCloud.
3. Click on Advanced Data Protection.
4. If you haven’t set up the Account Recovery yet, make sure it’s set up accordingly (scroll down in the Advanced Data Protection window.
5. Click Turn On button.
   

Further Reading

Advanced Data Protection for iCloud
iCloud data security overview
How to turn on Advanced Data Protection for iCloud