iCloud: Using and troubleshooting Shared Photo Streams

Follow the steps below to create a shared photo stream. Note that you cannot share all the photos in My Photo Stream at one time. However, you can select images from it to create a shared photo stream.

On your device using iOS 6:

1. From the Home screen, tap Photos.
2. Tap the Photo Stream tab. (Note: You can also share images from your Camera Roll or an album in your Camera Roll. Tap the Albums tab, then tap Camera Roll or an Album. Continue with steps 4-7 below.)
3. Tap My Photo Stream, then tap Edit.  
4. Tap each photo you'd like to add to the shared photo stream. A check mark will appear on selected photos. Tap Share.
5. Tap Photo Stream. (If this is not your first shared photo stream, you'll need to select New Photo Stream from the Add to a Photo Stream list.) 
6. Enter the email addresses of the people with whom you'd like to share this new photo stream. Type in a name for your photo stream. To share this photo stream on iCloud.com, move the Public Website slider to the ON position. If you will be sharing your stream with someone who does not have an iCloud account, you will need to make the stream public. People without an iCloud account can view the stream in a web browser. Tap Next.
7. Optionally, you can add a comment for your new stream to introduce it. Tap Post.

To share a Stream with someone who wishes to view it from a web browser, or to post a shared photo stream to Facebook or Twitter:

1. Find the name of the shared photo stream from your list of photo streams and tap the blue arrow on your iPhone or iPod Touch. Tap Edit on your iPad, then tap the name of the shared photo stream.
2. Tap Share Link.
3. To share with Facebook or Twitter, Tap either Facebook or Twitter, and tap Post. 
4. To send the link in a message or email, tap Message or Email.
5. You can also opt to tap the Copy a link URL so that you can post it elsewhere. 

On your Mac using OS X Mountain Lion:

Learn about creating a shared photo stream in iPhoto 9.4 or later or creating a shared photo stream in Aperture 3.4 or later.

On your PC using Windows 8 and iCloud Control Panel 2.1 or later:

1. From the Start screen, select Photo Stream.
2. Click New Photo Stream.
3. Add the contacts, or type the email addresses of the people with whom you want to share your stream. Type a name for your photo stream. To share this photo stream on a public website, click the checkbox. If you will be sharing your stream with someone who does not have an iCloud account, you will need to make the stream public. People without an iCloud account can view the stream in a web browser. 
4. Click Next.
5. Add photos to your Stream. Click Choose Photos. Locate the images you'd like to add to your Stream. Click Open.
6. You can add a caption or comment to each image by clicking on "Add a comment."
7. Click Done. 

On your PC using Windows 7 or Vista and iCloud Control Panel 2.0 or later:

1. Open a Windows Explorer window.
2. Click Photo Stream under the Favorites menu in the side panel. 
3. Click New Photo Stream.
4. Add the contacts, or type the email addresses of the people with whom you want to share your stream. Type a name for your photo stream. To share this photo stream on a public website, click the checkbox. If you will be sharing your stream with someone who does not have an iCloud account, you will need to make the stream public. People without an iCloud account can view the stream in a web browser. 
5. Click Next.
6. Add photos to your Stream. Click Choose Photos. Locate the images you'd like to add to your Stream. Click Open.
7. You can add a caption or comment to each image by clicking on Add a comment.
8. Click Done. 

If you had been previously viewing another stream, you may need to click on Photo Stream under Favorites in the Windows Explorer window to see the list of all of your photo streams, including the one you just created. 

Alternatively, in Windows you can right-click on any photo in File Explorer or Windows Explorer and select "Add to a Photo Stream." Choose to create a New Photo Stream or add the photo to an existing shared photo stream in the list. 

On your device using iOS 6:

1. From your Home screen, tap Photos.
2. Tap the Photo Stream tab, then on an iPhone or iPod touch tap the blue arrow next to the name of the shared photo stream. On an iPad, tap the Edit button, then select the shared photo stream.
3. To add people: Under Subscribers, tap Add People. Enter the email address of the person(s) you wish to invite to your shared photo stream. Tap Add. 
4. To remove people: Under Subscribers, tap the name of the person you'd like to remove, then tap Remove Subscriber. 

On your Mac using OS X Mountain Lion:

Learn how to invite or uninvite someone to a shared photo stream or to delete a subscriber using iPhoto 9.4 or later or in Aperture 3.4 or later.

On your PC using Windows 8 and iCloud Control Panel 2.1 or later:

1. From the Start screen, select Photo Stream.
2. Double-click the shared photo stream to open it. 
3. Click Options. 
4. To add people: Click in an empty space in the list of Subscribers. Add the contact, or type in the email address of, the person you'd like to invite to your shared photo stream. Click Add. Click Done.
5. To remove people: In the Subscribers list, click the name of the person you wish to remove. Click Remove. Click Done.

On your PC using Windows 7 or Vista and iCloud Control Panel 2.0 or later:

1. Open a Windows Explorer window.
2. Click Photo Stream under the Favorites menu in the side panel. 
3. Double-click the shared photo stream to open it. 
4. Click Options. 
5. To add people: Click in an empty space in the list of Subscribers. Add the contact, or type in the email address of, the person you'd like to invite to your shared photo stream. Click Add. Click Done.
6. To remove people: in the Subscribers list, click the name of the person you wish to remove. Click Remove. Click Done.

You can like photos or leave comments from a device using iOS 6, Mac (using iPhoto 9.4 or Aperture 3.4 or later), or a Windows PC and iCloud Control Panel 2.0 or later installed. On Apple TV (using Software Update 5.1 and later), you can like photos, but you cannot comment on them. 

On your device using iOS 6:

1. From your Home screen tap Photos. Tap the Photo Stream tab. Select the name of the Shared Stream.
2. Tap the photo you wish to like or comment on. Tap the comment bubble on the lower-right corner. Tap Like, or tap Add a comment. If adding a comment, click Post.

On your Mac using OS X Mountain Lion:

Learn how to like or comment on a photo in a shared photo Stream in iPhoto 9.4 or later. Learn how to like or comment on a photo in Aperture 3.4 or later.

On Apple TV with Apple TV Software Update 5.1 and later:

1. From the Apple TV main menu, select Photo Stream. Sign in to your iCloud account.  
2. Select the shared photo stream you wish to view. Press the Select button (the center button) to open the photo stream.
3. Select the photo you wish to like. Press the Select button to open the photo. 
4. Press the Select button again on your remote control. Press the button again to like. Press it again to unlike.

On your PC using Windows 8 and iCloud Control Panel 2.1 or later:

1. From the Start screen, select Photo Stream.
2. Double-click the shared photo stream to open it. 
3. Select the photo you wish to like or comment on. Click Comments.
4. A right side panel will open. Click Like, or click Add a Comment. If you added a comment, click Post.

On your PC using Windows 7 or Vista and iCloud Control Panel 2.0 or later:

1. Open a Windows Explorer window.
2. Click Photo Stream under the Favorites menu in the side panel. 
3. Double-click on the shared photo stream to open it. 
4. Select the photo you wish to like or comment on. Click Comments. 
5. A right side panel will open. Click Like, or click Add a Comment. If you added a comment, click Post.

Your display name in your comments matches the Full Name on file for the Apple ID you used to accept the invitation to join the shared photo stream. To change the display name, you will need to:

1. Delete the comment. Once the comment is posted, the display name does not change. 
2. Unsubscribe to the shared photo stream album. See "How do I unsubscribe from a Photo Stream?" below. 
3. Using any web browser, go to My Apple ID (appleid.apple.com), sign in and change the Full Name on the account.
   
   Note: If there is a credit card associated with this account that you are using for purchases, the Full Name must match the name on that credit card. 


4. Ask the owner of the shared photo stream to send you a new invitation to the photo stream. 
5. Accept the invitation, find the photo, and repost your comment. 

Yes. You can delete comments that you personally posted on a shared photo stream or that someone else posted on your shared photo stream. You cannot delete someone else's comments from a shared photo stream that you did not create. 

To delete a comment on your iOS device:

1. Tap the comments icon in the lower-right corner. 
2. Press and hold the comment you wish to delete.
3. Tap Delete.

To delete a comment in iPhoto 9.4 or later:

1. In the Source list, select Photo Stream.
2. Double-click the shared photo stream containing the photo with the comment you want to delete.
3. Select the photo.
4. In the toolbar, click the Info button.
5. Move the pointer over the comment you want to delete, and then click Delete.

To delete a comment in Aperture 3.4 or later:

1. In the Web section of the Library inspector, select Photo Stream.
2. Double-click the shared photo stream containing the photo with the comment you want to delete.
3. Select the photo.
4. In the Info inspector, choose Comments from the Metadata View pop-up menu.
5. Move the pointer over the comment you want to delete, and then click Delete.

To delete a comment from your PC using Windows 8 and iCloud Control Panel 2.1 or later, or Windows 7 or Vista and iCloud Control Panel 2.0 or later:

1. Select (single-click) the photo with the comment you wish to delete. Click Comments.
2. Find the comment you wish to delete, and hover your pointer over it.
3. Click the X button to delete the comment. 

On your device using iOS 6:

1. From your Home screen, tap Photos. Tap the Photo Stream tab.
2. To delete an entire shared photo stream, on your iPhone or iPod Touch, tap the blue arrow next to the name of the shared photo stream that you wish to delete. On your iPad tap Edit, then the name of the shared photo stream. Scroll to the bottom and tap Delete Photo Stream. Tap Delete.
3. To delete one or more photos from a shared photo stream: tap the name of the shared photo stream. Tap Edit. Tap the photo(s) you wish to delete. Photos you selected to delete will have a checkmark. Tap Delete. Tap Delete Photo. 

On your Mac using OS X Mountain Lion:

Learn how to delete a photo from a shared photo stream using iPhoto 9.4 or later or to delete a photo from a shared photo stream with Aperture 3.4 or later. To delete or to stop sharing an entire stream from iPhoto 9.4 or later see this article. For Aperture 3.4 or later, please see this article. 

On your PC using Windows 8 and iCloud Control Panel 2.1 or later:

1. From the Start screen, select Photo Stream.
2. To delete an entire shared photo stream, right-click the stream. Select Delete, and then Delete.
3. To delete one or more photos from a shared photo stream, double-click the shared photo stream to open it. Right-click the photos you wish to delete. Click Delete, and then Delete.

On your PC using Windows 7 or Vista and iCloud Control Panel 2.0 or later:

1. Open a Windows Explorer window.
2. Click Photo Stream under the Favorites menu in the side panel. 
3. To delete an entire shared photo stream, right-click the stream. Select Delete, then Delete.
4. To delete one or more photos from a shared photo stream, double-click the shared photo stream to open it. Right-click  the photos you wish to delete. Click Delete, and then Delete.

Subscription to a shared photo stream is by invitation only. The person who originated the Stream needs to share the stream with you. You should receive an email with a link to Join this Photo Stream. Click the link to subscribe to the shared photo stream.

If you have Banners or Alerts for Photo Stream enabled in your iOS Settings, you will also receive an alert when you have a pending invitation to subscribe to someone's shared photo stream. You can subscribe by tapping the alert and then tapping Accept.

On your device using iOS 6:

1. From your Home screen, tap Photos.
2. On your iPhone or iPod Touch, tap the Photo Stream tab, then tap the blue arrow next to the name of the shared photo stream that you wish to unsubscribe from. On your iPad tap the Photo Stream tab. Tap Edit, then tap the name of the shared photo stream.
3. Tap Unsubscribe.

On your Mac using OS X Mountain Lion:

Learn how to unsubscribe from a shared photo stream using iPhoto 9.4 or later or using Aperture 3.4 or later.

On your Apple TV using Software Update 5.1 and later:

1. From the Apple TV main menu, select Photo Stream. Sign in to your iCloud account.  
2. Select the shared photo stream you wish to view. 
3. Select Unsubscribe from the top menu bar.
4. Select Unsubscribe to confirm.

On your PC using Windows 8 and iCloud Control Panel 2.1 or later:

1. From the Start screen, select Photo Stream.
2. Right-click the shared photo stream from which you'd like to unsubscribe. 
3. Click Unsubscribe.

On your PC using Windows 7 or Vista and iCloud Control Panel 2.0 or later:

1. Open a Windows Explorer window. Click Photo Stream from the Favorites menu in the side panel. 
2. Right-click the shared photo stream from which you'd like to unsubscribe. 
3. Click Unsubscribe.

You will need to send a message to the creator of the shared photo stream and ask him or her to re-invite you.

On your device using iOS 6:

1. Tap Photos from your Home screen. 
2. Tap the Photo Stream tab. 
3. Tap the blue arrow next to the name of the shared photo stream. 
4. Find and tap the person's name in the list of Subscribers. 
5. Tap Resend Sharing Invitation.
6. If you have previously removed this person from the list of subscribers, you will need to tap Add People, enter the email address and tap Add.

On your Mac using OS X Mountain Lion:

To re-invite someone to a shared photo stream using iPhoto 9.4 or later, delete the subscriber from the list, then re-add them. This should send out a new invitation. To re-invite a subscriber to a shared photo stream with Aperture 3.4 or later, you can delete and re-add the subscriber, or you can hover your mouse pointer over the subscriber's name, click the down arrow, then click Resend Invitation.

On your PC using Windows 7 or Vista and iCloud Control Panel 2.0 or later:

1. Open a Windows Explorer window.
2. Click Photo Stream under the Favorites menu in the side panel. 
3. Double-click on the shared photo stream to open it. 
4. Click Options. 
5. Click the name of the person who wants to subscribe. Click Resend invitation. Click Done.

Shared photo stream content is not automatically backed up. Photos must be saved locally before backing up your device. Any comments or likes attached to a shared photo stream photo will not be saved with the photos. Follow the instructions specific to your device, below.

If someone shared a photo stream with you and then the stream owner deleted it or removed you from the distribution list, a message will appear saying "This photo stream is no longer shared." Contact the owner of the shared stream to confirm whether it's been deleted or to request a new invitation.

Try these troubleshooting steps: 

1. Ask the person you're inviting to check any junk or spam email folders for the invitation.
2. Try resending the invitation. If a recipient still doesn't get the invitation, send it to a second or alternate email address for that person. The recipient's mailbox may be full, or either the person or the email service provider may have a filter that is preventing the email from being delivered. 
3. If the person has received an invitation at least once in the past, that person may have opted to unsubscribe from future Photo Stream emails. See the section on opting out of emails, below, for more details. 
4. If none of these steps resolve the issue, contact Apple Support for further assistance. 

Comments cannot be added to a shared photo stream from a web browser or from Apple TV. To add or view comments to a shared photo stream, you need to view the stream in Photos on your device using iOS 6 or from iPhoto 9.4 or later, Aperture 3.4 or later, or on a Windows PC and iCloud Control Panel 2.0 installed.

1. Make sure there are not any current issues listed in the System Status affecting Photo Stream. The iCloud System Status is listed on the iCloud Support webpage.
2. The comment synchronization feature requires an active connection to the Internet. Verify that you have an active connection to the Internet on all devices by opening a new browser page in Safari. Try to access www.apple.com and icloud.com. 
3. If a deleted comment is still appearing, confirm that the number of comments for a photo are the same on both your iOS device and on your Mac or PC. On your iOS device, note that the number of comments listed in the comment bubble in the lower right corner of the image includes Likes.  

If you are able to verify that you have an active Internet connection, and—if you are deleting comments—if a photo has a different number of comments on multiple devices, try these steps.

On your device using iOS 6, try quitting and re-opening the Photos app:

1. Quit Photos.
   • From your Home screen, click your Home button twice. Your open applications should appear in a row at the bottom of your screen.
   • Scroll to find the Photos icon. Press the icon until the icons jiggle.
   • Tap the red circle in the upper-left corner of the Photos icon. The icon should disappear from the list.
   • Tap the Home button again to return to normal operations.
2. Tap Settings, then tap iCloud.
3. Tap Photo Stream. Tap Shared Photo Streams to turn it OFF.
4. Tap Delete Photos. The photos will be automatically re-added later when you turn this setting back on.
5. Tap the Home button to exit Settings, and wait about a minute.
6. Tap Settings, then tap iCloud.
7. Tap Photo Stream. Tap Shared Photo Streams to turn it ON.
8. Tap the Home button.
9. Open Photos. Tap the Photo Stream tab. Tap the name of the shared photo stream.
10. Test to see if the issue has been resolved.

On your PC using Windows 8 and iCloud Control Panel 2.1 or later, try resetting the Photo Stream setting in iCloud:

1. Close any open Windows Explorer windows you are using to access Photo Stream.
2. Move the pointer to the upper-right corner of the screen to show the Charms bar, click the Search charm, and then click the iCloud Control Panel on the left.
3. Click the checkbox to deselect Photo Stream. Click Apply.
4. You will be notified that your My Photo Stream photos have been saved. Click Ok.
5. Reselect the Photo Stream setting by clicking the checkbox. Click Apply. 
6. Open a new Windows Explorer window and select Photo Stream under Favorites in the side bar. Double-click the Shared Photo Stream.
7. Click Comments.
8. Test to see if the issue has been resolved. 

On your PC using Windows 7 or Vista and iCloud Control Panel 2.0 or later, try resetting the Photo Stream setting in iCloud:

1. Close any open Windows Explorer windows you are using to access Photo Stream.
2. Click the Windows Start button. Choose Control Panel > Network and Internet > iCloud.
3. Click the checkbox to deselect Photo Stream. Click Apply.
4. You will be notified that your My Photo Stream photos have been saved. Click Ok.
5. Reselect the Photo Stream setting by clicking the checkbox. Click Apply. 
6. Open a new Windows Explorer window and select Photo Stream under Favorites in the side bar. Double-click the Shared Photo Stream.
7. Click Comments.
8. Test to see if the issue has been resolved. 

If you have opted out of receiving emails about Photo Stream, contact Apple Support to re-enable invitations and emails. 

If you see the message "Photo Stream is not enabled. Sign into iCloud to view Photo Stream," and you have already signed in, you need to apply your settings.

To apply your settings in Windows 8 and iCloud Control Panel 2.1 or later:

1. Close the Windows Explorer window that has the message.
2. Move the pointer to the upper-right corner of the screen to show the Charms bar, click the Search charm, and then click the iCloud Control Panel on the left.
3. Select Photo Stream, if it's not already selected.
4. Next to Photo Stream, click Options. Select My Photo Stream and Shared Photo Streams if you wish to share certain photos. Click OK. 
5. Click Apply. 
6. Return to Photo Stream.

To apply your settings in Windows 7 or Vista and iCloud Control Panel 2.0 or later:

1. Close the Windows Explorer window that has the message.
2. Click the Windows Start button. Choose Control Panel > Network and Internet > iCloud.
3. Select Photo Stream, if it's not already selected.
4. Next to Photo Stream, click Options. Select My Photo Stream and Shared Photo Streams if you wish to share certain photos. Click OK. 
5. Click Apply. 
6. Return to Photo Stream.