Have you ever needed to share photos with others after a gathering? It’s usually a pain in the butt to go through your pictures, select the ones you want, and send them over. I’ve found that Apple’s iCloud Shared Photo Library makes the process automatic.
For this shared photo library to work, use your iPhone, iPad, or Mac to create a photo library in iCloud just for sharing purposes. You can invite up to five others, then choose which photos should be in the shared library and which will remain in your personal library.
Once set up, you’ll automatically receive suggestions to share any photos that include members of your shared library. These shared items will pop up in each person’s Photos app, so they’re readily available. Other members can view, edit, favorite, and delete the photos and videos in the shared library, and even add their own.
Enable iCloud Photos
To set up an iCloud Shared Photo Library, you—and anyone you wish to invite—must be running iOS/iPadOS 16.1 or macOS Ventura or higher. If you’re not already using iCloud Photos, you’ll need to enable that option.
On an iPhone or iPad go to Settings, click on your name, then head to iCloud > Photos. Turn on Sync this iPhone or Sync this iPad and give your device a moment to sync your photos. The people you invite also must be using iCloud Photos. If you’re on a Mac, open System Settings, select your Apple ID, then go to iCloud > Photos and then turn on Sync this Mac.
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Create a Shared Photo Library
To create a Shared Library on your iPhone or iPad, go to Settings > Apps > Photos > Shared Library and then tap the Get Started button. Select Add Participants, then type the name, email address, or phone number for anyone you wish to add. You can also tap the + icon to access your contacts and choose people from that list.
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You’re then asked to choose which photos will be moved into your Shared Library. If you select All My Photos and Videos, you’re all set. Pick Choose by People or Date, and you’re asked to grab images with the people you want to invite and choose a date from which your photos will start being shared. Select Choose Manually if you want to choose individual photos.
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To create a shared photo library on your Mac, open the Photos App and click the + sign next to Shared Albums. Type a name for the shared album and then enter the names or email addresses for the people you want to invite, then click Create. Drag and drop the photos you wish to share into the new library.
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Preview Your Shared Library
After you’ve chosen your photos, you can preview the library before sharing it. Tap the Preview Shared Library button to see what will appear in the library. If you wish to move any photos back to your personal library so that they’re not shared, tap the Select button at the top, choose the photos, and then tap Move to Personal Library at the bottom of the screen.
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From the preview screen, you can view both your Personal Library and Shared Library. Tap the People icon at the upper right of the screen and select Personal Library. You’re then able to select any additional photos that you want to move from one library to another.
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From the menu at the preview screen, you can change the display and layout of your library, change the photos between a square grid and their actual aspect ratio, show only certain photos and videos based on filters, or view locations of any geotagged photos
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Invite Participants
You previously added people to the shared library, but now you have to grant them access. You can choose Invite via Messages to send an invite through the Message app or Share Link to generate a shareable link to send out.
Next, tap Share Automatically if you want photos to be shared automatically when participants are nearby or choose Share Manually Only to tell iCloud when to share photos. Your recipients should then select View from the message you sent to access the library. Anyone can then copy, share, favorite, edit, or delete a photo.
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Manage Your Shared Library
As the owner of the Shared Library, you’re able to easily manage it. Head to Settings > Apps > Photos > Shared Library to add or remove participants, receive suggestions for photos to add, opt to automatically share from the camera, and delete the shared library.
(Credit: PCMag / Apple)
About Our Expert
Lance Whitney
Contributor
Experience
I’ve been working for PCMag since early 2016 writing tutorials, how-to pieces, and other articles on consumer technology. Beyond PCMag, I’ve written news stories and tutorials for a variety of other websites and publications, including , ZDNet, TechRepublic, Macworld, PC World, Time, US News & World Report, and AARP Magazine. I spent seven years writing breaking news for as one of the site’s East Coast reporters. I’ve also written two books for Wiley & Sons—Windows 8: Five Minutes at a Time and Teach Yourself Visually LinkedIn.
I’ve used Windows, Office, and other Microsoft products for years so I’m well versed in that world. I also know the Mac quite well. I’m always working with iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, and Android on my various mobile devices. And these days, I write a lot about AI, so that’s become another key area for me.
My wife always jokes about all the tech products we have around the house, but I manage to put them to good use for my articles. I like Lenovo computers, so I own a couple of Lenovo desktops and several laptops. I have three MacBooks and a Mac mini. For my mobile life and work, I use an iPhone 16 Pro, iPad Pro, and iPad mini as well as an Apple Watch. But since I write about Android, I own several Android phones and tablets. Like any tech person, I have a cabinet full of cables, wires, and assorted mysterious gadgets. And when it’s time to take a break from writing, I have an old Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii, both of which I use for exercise and fitness games.
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