How to use iCloud Shared Photo Library
iCloud Shared Photo Library lets you share photos and videos seamlessly with up to five other people, so everyone can collaborate on the collection and enjoy more complete memories. Find out how to set up and use a Shared Library.
How iCloud Shared Photo Library works
When you contribute photos and videos to iCloud Shared Photo Library, they move out of your Personal Library and into the Shared Library. You can join one Shared Library, and you can choose what to share or automatically share content straight from the camera.
All participants have equal permissions to add, edit and delete content in the Shared Library, while the person who set up the Shared Library — the library creator — provides iCloud storage for all of the content. Everyone else gets access to the Shared Library content without it counting towards their iCloud storage.
Create a Shared Library
To set up a Shared Library, you’ll need a device with iOS 16.1, iPadOS 16.1 or macOS Ventura or later with iCloud Photos turned on. If you’re under 13, you can only join or create a Shared Library with members of your Family Sharing group.*
On your iPhone or iPad
Go to Settings > Apps > Photos, then tap Shared Library. In iOS 17 or earlier, go to Settings > Photos, then tap Shared Library.
Choose up to five people to invite, or you can invite participants later.
Choose past photos and videos you want to move to your Shared Library, or choose to move photos later.
Follow the onscreen steps to preview your Shared Library, confirm the content that you want to share and invite additional participants.
On your Mac
In the Photos app, choose Photos > Settings, then click iCloud.
Make sure iCloud Photos is turned on. If not, select iCloud Photos.
Click Shared Library, then click Get Started.
Follow the onscreen instructions to invite participants and add photos and videos.
Join a Shared Library
To join a Shared Library, you’ll need a device with iOS 16.1, iPadOS 16.1 or macOS Ventura or later with iCloud Photos turned on. If you’re under 13, you can only join or create a Shared Library with members of your Family Sharing group.*
On your iPhone or iPad
Open the invitation from the library creator or go to Settings > Apps > Photos. In iOS 17 or earlier, go Settings > Photos.
Tap Accept & Continue.
Follow the onscreen steps to choose photos and videos you want to move to your Shared Library, or choose to move photos later.
Follow the onscreen steps to preview your Shared Library content and confirm the content you want to share.
On your Mac
Open the invitation from the library creator or go to Photos > Settings, then click View Invitation.
Click Get Started, then follow the onscreen steps to choose photos and videos you want to move to your Shared Library, or choose to move photos later.
Follow the onscreen steps to preview your Shared Library content and confirm the content you want to share.
Use Shared Library
Find out how to share photos straight from your camera to your Shared Library and how to switch views between your Personal Library, the Shared Library or display both at the same time in the Photos app. You can also find out how to find photos shared by other participants, manage sharing suggestions, and more on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac.
Share photos straight from the camera on your iPhone or iPad
Go to Settings > Apps > Photos, then tap Shared Library. In iOS 17 or earlier, go to Settings > Photos, then tap Shared Library.
Tap Sharing from Camera and make sure it’s turned on.
To have the Camera app add photos to your Shared Library automatically when you're near participants, choose Share Automatically.
To choose when to have the Camera app add photos to your Shared Library, choose Share Manually.
To automatically share photos taken at home to the Shared Library, choose Share When At Home.
In the Camera app, to send photos and videos straight to your Shared Library, make sure that the Shared Library button
is turned on. To send photos and videos to your Personal Library, tap to turn it off.
Switch between your Personal Library and Shared Library on your iPhone or iPad
Open the Photos app.
Tap the profile button in the top corner and scroll down to Library View Options. In iOS 17 or earlier, at the top of the Albums or Library tabs, tap the button next to Select in the top right.
Choose Personal Library, Shared Library or Both Libraries.
In Both Libraries or Shared Library view, photos that are in the Shared Library are badged with an icon. To turn this off, tap Shared Library Indicator.
Switch between your Personal Library and Shared Library on your Mac
Open the Photos app.
At the top, choose Personal Library, Shared Library or Both Libraries.
In Both Libraries or Shared Library view, photos that are in the Shared Library are badged with an icon. To turn this off, choose View > Metadata > In Shared Library.
Leave a Shared Library
If you've created an iCloud Shared Photo Library, you can remove a participant or delete the Shared Library at any time. After you've deleted the Shared Library, all participants will receive a notification. If a participant has been in the Shared Library for more than seven days, they'll automatically receive everything from the Shared Library in their Personal Library. If they've been in the Shared Library for less than seven days, they'll only receive the photos and videos they contributed.
If you're a participant, you can leave a Shared Library at any time. You can choose to receive a copy of everything from the Shared Library in your Personal Library, or just what you've contributed.
Find out how to leave a Shared Library
Get help with Shared Library
If you're using a device with an earlier version of iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS or iCloud for Windows, you won't be able to see content moved to the Shared Library. You can see your Shared Library on iCloud.com, or see it on a device that meets the minimum system requirements for Shared Library.
If the library creator runs out of iCloud storage, content can no longer be added to the Shared Library and changes such as edits, favourites and metadata adjustments will no longer be synced. To get more storage and access to other premium features, find out how to upgrade to iCloud+.
When a participant deletes a photo or video from the Shared Library, it will be moved to Recently Deleted. Only the contributor of that photo or video can delete it from Recently Deleted. Find out how to delete photos and videos on your iPhone or iPad or on your Mac.
