# Cloud Services

Essential Kit's Cloud Services feature lets Unity teams sync player data across devices without maintaining platform-specific code. This tutorial walks you through setup, key APIs, testing, and troubleshooting so you can add cloud save functionality with confidence.

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Using PlayMaker? See the PlayMaker guide: [PlayMaker](https://assetstore.essentialkit.voxelbusters.com/features/cloud-services/playmaker).
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Looking for a working reference? Open the demo scene at `Assets/Plugins/VoxelBusters/EssentialKit/Examples/Scenes/CloudServicesDemo.unity` and the companion script at `Assets/Plugins/VoxelBusters/EssentialKit/Examples/Scripts/CloudServicesDemo.cs` to see the full API in action.
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## What You'll Learn

* Store and retrieve game data using simple key-value pairs
* Sync player progress across devices with automatic conflict detection
* Handle cross-device data consistency with change events
* Choose between local-only storage and cloud synchronization

## Why Cloud Services Matters

* **Player retention**: Let players seamlessly continue progress on any device
* **Cross-device experience**: Single game state across phone, tablet, and reinstalls
* **Simple data persistence**: Replace PlayerPrefs with cloud-backed storage
* **No backend required**: Built on free platform services (iCloud, Google Play)

## Tutorial Roadmap

1. [Setup](https://assetstore.essentialkit.voxelbusters.com/features/cloud-services/setup) - Enable the feature and configure platform settings.
2. [Usage](https://assetstore.essentialkit.voxelbusters.com/features/cloud-services/usage) - Store data, sync with cloud, and handle conflicts.
3. [Testing](https://assetstore.essentialkit.voxelbusters.com/features/cloud-services/testing) - Verify cloud sync across devices and reinstalls.
4. [FAQ](https://assetstore.essentialkit.voxelbusters.com/features/cloud-services/faq) - Troubleshoot common issues and limitations.

## Key Use Cases

* **Save player progress**: Store game state, achievements, and unlocked content (within 1MB iOS / 3MB Android limits)
* **Cross-device sync**: Let players switch between devices without losing progress
* **Offline-first storage**: Use as enhanced PlayerPrefs that works locally without cloud sync
* **Conflict resolution**: Automatically detect and resolve data conflicts from simultaneous device usage

## Prerequisites

* Unity project with Essential Kit v3 installed and Cloud Services feature enabled
* iOS builds require iCloud capability configuration (handled automatically during build)
* Android builds require Google Play Services integration (handled automatically during build)
* Test devices with active iCloud (iOS) or Google Play account (Android) for cloud sync validation

{% content-ref url="cloud-services/setup" %}
[setup](https://assetstore.essentialkit.voxelbusters.com/features/cloud-services/setup)
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{% content-ref url="cloud-services/usage" %}
[usage](https://assetstore.essentialkit.voxelbusters.com/features/cloud-services/usage)
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{% content-ref url="cloud-services/testing" %}
[testing](https://assetstore.essentialkit.voxelbusters.com/features/cloud-services/testing)
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{% content-ref url="cloud-services/faq" %}
[faq](https://assetstore.essentialkit.voxelbusters.com/features/cloud-services/faq)
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