How to Share Photos with Family Using iCloud Shared Albums

Sharing family photos one person at a time can become a chore. If you want everyone to see the same collection of holiday pictures, birthdays, or everyday moments, an iCloud Shared Album can make it much easier.

A Shared Album gives invited people one place to view photos and videos. Depending on the permissions you choose, family members can also add their own pictures and leave comments. You can set it up from your iPhone in a few minutes.

What you’ll need

• An iPhone signed in to your Apple Account.
• An internet connection.
• The email address or phone number associated with the Apple Account of anyone you want to invite. On current software, you can also share an album link using the available sharing options.

Step 1: Turn on Shared Albums

Before creating an album, make sure the Shared Albums feature is switched on. It is a separate setting in iCloud Photos.

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap your name at the top of the screen.
3. Tap iCloud.
4. Under Saved to iCloud, tap Photos.
5. Scroll down and turn on Shared Albums.
6. If asked, allow the setting to update.

Tip: Make sure you are signed in with the Apple Account you normally use for your photos. If you use more than one Apple device, use the same account on each device where you want to access the album.

Step 2: Create a shared album

Now you can make an album for the family. Give it a name that makes its purpose clear, such as “Family Holidays” or “Grandchildren.”

1. Open the Photos app.
2. Tap Collections.
3. Scroll down to Shared Albums, then tap Shared Albums.
4. Tap the Add button.
5. Enter a name for the album.
6. Choose the photos and videos you want to include, if you are prompted to select them during setup.
7. Tap Sharing Options to choose who can access the album.
8. Choose People You Choose if you want to invite specific people, or Anyone with the Link if you want to share an access link more widely.
9. Tap Done to create the album.

The exact creation screen can vary slightly depending on your iOS version. If you do not see Shared Albums straight away, scroll further down in Collections.

Careful: Anyone with a link may be able to access the album, depending on its sharing settings. For family photos, inviting specific people is usually the more private choice.

Step 3: Invite family members

If you chose to invite specific people, add the family members you want to share with. Check the contact details before sending an invitation.

1. Open the shared album you created.
2. Tap Manage Shared Album.
3. Under Participants, tap Invite Participants.
4. Choose a contact or a sharing method.
5. Enter the person’s details if needed, then send the invitation.
6. Repeat for anyone else you want to invite.

Invited people may receive a notification or a link, depending on how you sent the invitation. They need to accept or open the invitation before the album appears for them.

Step 4: Add photos and videos to the album

You can add more pictures whenever you like. You do not need to create a new album each time you have something to share.

1. Open Photos and find the pictures or videos you want to share.
2. Tap Select, then tap each item.
3. Tap the Share button.
4. Tap Add to Shared Album.
5. Choose the family album.
6. Tap Done.

You can also open the shared album and use its Add button to choose more photos and videos. Other participants will generally receive a notification when new items are added.

Good to know: A Shared Album is a shared copy of selected photos and videos, not a replacement for your own photo library. Keep your important originals in your personal library or another backup location too.

Step 5: Let family members contribute

A shared album is more useful when everyone can add their own pictures. Participants can usually contribute by opening the album and adding photos from their own library, provided their permissions allow it.

1. Open the shared album.
2. Tap Manage Shared Album.
3. Look under Participants.
4. Tap a participant’s name to check their permissions.
5. Choose Can Add Photos if you want that person to contribute pictures and videos.
6. Tap Done to save the change.

You can also choose Can View and Comment for someone who should see the album without adding photos. The Can Manage Album and Photos permission gives a participant broader control, so only use it for someone you trust to manage the album.

Step 6: Find, save, and comment on shared pictures

Once family members have joined, the album becomes a convenient place to catch up with new photos. You can view the collection, leave comments, and save individual items to your own library.

1. Open Photos and tap Collections.
2. Scroll to Shared Albums and open the family album.
3. Tap a photo or video to view it.
4. Use the comment area or reaction options, if available, to respond.
5. To keep a copy in your own library, open the item, tap the Share button, then tap Save Image or Save Video.

Saving an item makes a copy in your personal Photos library. That copy can remain in your library even if the shared album is later removed.

Step 7: Manage the album when family arrangements change

You can invite more people or remove someone later. It is worth reviewing the participant list occasionally, especially if you shared an album for a particular event.

1. Open the shared album in Photos.
2. Tap Manage Shared Album.
3. Review the people listed under Participants.
4. To add someone, tap Invite Participants.
5. To remove someone, tap their name and choose Remove Participant.
6. Tap Done if the screen asks you to confirm your changes.

If you no longer need the album, you can delete it from its management options. Be aware that deleting a shared album removes its shared contents for participants. Save any photos you want to keep before deleting it.

Troubleshooting: If a family member cannot see the album

If someone says the album has not appeared, try these checks:

• Ask them to accept the invitation. They may need to tap the notification or open the invitation link.
• Check the contact details. Make sure you invited the email address or phone number they use with their Apple Account.
• Check Shared Albums is enabled. On their iPhone, they can go to Settings, tap their name, choose iCloud, then Photos, and turn on Shared Albums.
• Check the participant permissions. If they can view but cannot add pictures, open Manage Shared Album and check that Can Add Photos is selected.
• Check the internet connection. Shared Albums need an internet connection to update.

If the names of the menus look different, use the search field in Settings to search for “Shared Albums.” Older iOS versions may place the Shared Albums section differently in the Photos app and may use slightly different wording for participant controls.

Enjoy sharing photos together

Once your family album is set up, everyone you invite has one place to revisit shared memories and add new ones. Start with a small collection, check the sharing permissions, and add more photos whenever you are ready.