Leave iCloud Shared Photo Library

If you created an iCloud Shared Photo Library, learn how to remove a participant or delete your Shared Library. If you're a participant, learn how to leave a Shared Library.

Leave a Shared Library

If you're a participant, you can leave a Shared Library at any time. Just make sure that you stay signed in to iCloud with iCloud Photos turned on until the process is complete.

On your iPhone or iPad

  1. Go to Settings > Apps > Photos, then tap Shared Library. In iOS 17 or earlier, go to Settings > Photos, then tap Shared Library.

  2. Choose Leave Shared Library.

    Leave Shared Library is located at the bottom of your screen.

  3. Choose to copy everything from the Shared Library into your Personal Library, or just the content that you contributed.

Mac

  1. In the Photos app, choose Photos > Settings.

  2. Select the Shared Library tab.

    Leave Shared Library is at the bottom of the menu.

  3. Click Leave Shared Library.

Remove a participant

If you’re the library creator, you can remove participants from the Shared Library at any time.

On your iPhone or iPad

  1. Go to Settings > Apps > Photos, then tap Shared Library. In iOS 17 or earlier, go to Settings > Photos, then tap Shared Library.

  2. Select a participant, then choose Remove from Shared Library.

    Remove from Shared Library is located below Resend Invitation.

  3. The participant receives a notification that they've been removed from the Shared Library.

    • If the participant has been in the Shared Library for more than seven days, all of the shared assets are automatically copied to their Personal Library.

    • If they've been in the Shared Library for less than seven days, only the photos and videos that they contributed are copied to their Personal Library.

On your Mac

  1. In the Photos app, choose Photos > Settings.

  2. Select the Shared Library tab.

  3. Click the More buttonNo alt supplied for Image next to a participant's name, then choose Remove.

    Remove is located beneath Show Contact Card.

  4. The participant receives a notification that they've been removed from the Shared Library.

    • If the participant has been in the Shared Library for more than seven days, all of the shared assets are automatically copied to their Personal Library.

    • If they've been in the Shared Library for less than seven days, only the photos and videos that they contributed are copied to their Personal Library.

Delete your Shared Library

If you’re the library creator, you can delete your Shared Library at any time.

On your iPhone or iPad

  1. Go to Settings > Apps > Photos, then tap Shared Library. In iOS 17 or earlier, go to Settings > Photos, then tap Shared Library.

  2. Choose Delete Shared Library.

    Delete Shared Library is located at the bottom of the screen.

  3. Choose Keep Everything or Keep Only What I Contributed, then tap Delete Shared Library to confirm.

  4. All participants receive a notification.

    • If the participant has been in the Shared Library for more than seven days, all of the shared assets are automatically copied to their Personal Library.

    • If they've been in the Shared Library for less than seven days, only the photos and videos that they contributed are copied to their Personal Library.

On your Mac

  1. In the Photos app, choose Photos > Settings.

  2. Select the Shared Library tab.

    Delete Shared Library is located at the bottom of the menu.

  3. Click Delete Shared Library.

  4. Choose Keep Everything or Keep Only What I Contributed, then click Delete Shared Library to confirm.

  5. All participants receive a notification.

    • If the participant has been in the Shared Library for more than seven days, all of the shared assets are automatically copied to their Personal Library.

    • If they've been in the Shared Library for less than seven days, only the photos and videos that they contributed are copied to their Personal Library.

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