How to view and create shared photo albums on your iPhone, iPad, Mac or PC

Apple's iCloud service offers several features for users who want to share items with colleagues, friends, and family. iCloud Photo Sharing is one of them.

You can use the Photos app on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac (or PC) to add images to a shared album that your friends and family can access, comment on, and even add their own contributions to the set.

After you set up iCloud Photo Sharing, here's how you can create, view, and edit shared photo albums on your iPhone, iPad, Mac, or PC.

How to view shared photo albums on iPhone, iPad, Mac and PC

Note that by default, when you open the Shared section in Photos on the best iPhone and iPad, you will be taken to your activity feed for shared albums, which shows things that have been added or comments that have been made.

On iPhone and iPad

1. Open the Photos on your iPhone or iPad.
2. Tap the tab Albums.
3. Scroll down until you see the Shared Albums category and tap in See All to view shared albums.

On your Mac

1. Start the Photos app on your Mac.
2. Tap the section Shared Albums in the sidebar.

From here, you have two options for viewing shared images:

• Activity : This mode allows you to view all recent activities in your shared albums
• Shared albums : Shows all your currently shared albums and all albums shared with you.

In your computer

1. Open the folder iCloud Photos.

From here, you have two options for viewing shared images:

• Activity : This album allows you to view all recent activity in your shared albums.
• Open a folder : The other folders in your iCloud Photos library include your shared albums and any common albums you've created.

How to create a shared photo album on your iPhone, iPad or Mac

If you want to share photos with your friends and family, you can create a shared photo album through iCloud and invite them to view it.

Observation: In order for your recipients to correctly view these images, you will need to add the contact information they use for their iCloud account – this may be different from their regular contact information, so check if you are unsure.

On iPhone and iPad

1. Start the Photos app on your iPhone or iPad.
2. On the albums tab, scroll down to Shared Albums and tap see it all .
3. Tap To edit at the top right corner.
4. Tap add button in the upper left corner. It looks like a plus (+) symbol.
5. Give your album a name and tap Advance .
6. Add the contacts you want to share the album with, then tap To create.
7. Tap the shared photo album newly created.
8. Tap add button in the album tray. It looks like a plus (+) symbol.
9. Select the photos you want to add and tap Concluded at the top right corner.
10. Add a comment if desired, then tap Post.

You can repeat steps 7 to 10 whenever you want to add a new photo or video.

On your Mac

1. Start the Photos app on your Mac.
2. click in Shared Albums in the sidebar.
3. Click on the symbol To add next to the word “Shared Albums” in the sidebar.
4. Give the album a name and enter the contact of your friends and family. Make sure to use your iCloud contacts.
5. click in To create.
6. Double-click or Control-click the newly created Shared Photo Album.
7. click in Add photos and videos in the upper left corner of the window.
8. Select the photos you want to add to your shared photo album and click To add at the top right corner.

You can repeat steps 6 to 8 whenever you want to add a new photo or video.

In your computer

1. Open the folder iCloud Photos.
2. Open (or create) the folder where you want to add your new images.
3. Click on the button New shared album .
4. Add them all the addresses email addresses of your friends and family.
5. Give a name to the album.
6. Click Click Next.
7. Select all Photos you want to add from your computer.
8. Click in Done.

All photos added to this folder will now be available as a shared album; Anyone you invited will be able to access them after pressing OK.

How to add images and videos to a shared photo album on your iPhone, iPad, Mac or PC

Once you've created an album, you can add more images or videos to it at any time with the tap of a few buttons. Here's how.

On iPhone or iPad

1. Open the application Photos on your iPhone or iPad.
2. Select the tab Albums and scroll down until you see Shared Albums.
3. If you don't see the album you want right away, tap see it all to see all shared albums.
4. Tap album to which you want to add photos.
5. Press the square button addition at the top of the album.
6. Select the images you want to add and press Concluded .
7. Add a comment if desired, then tap Post.

On your Mac

1. Open the app Photos on Mac.
2. Choose the Shared Album to which you want to add more images and videos.
3. Click on the button Add photos and videos at the top of the album.
4. Choose the images you want to add and press To add.

In your computer

1. Open the folder iCloud Photos.
2. Open it the folder where you want to add your new images or video.
3. Click on the button Add photos or videos.
4. Choose the new ones images or videos you want to add to the folder.
5. When ready, press Concluded.

How to delete images from a shared photo album on your iPhone, iPad, Mac or PC

After all, don't you want to share a certain photo or video? You can delete images from your shared photo album at any time, even if you didn't add them!

Observation: Anyone you've added to a shared photo album can download their own copy of an image or video once it's added to the album. If you delete the photo or video after it is available in the album, it may have already been downloaded to another device.

On iPhone and iPad

1. Start the Photos app on your iPhone or iPad.
2. On the Albums tab, select the Shared Album which you want to delete the photos.
3. Tap Select at the top right corner.
4. Select the photos you want to delete and tap the Recycle Bin icon in the lower right corner.
5. Confirm by tapping Delete photos.

This will remove the photos or videos from the album for all your iCloud-connected devices and any friends you gave access to the album.

On your Mac

1. Start the Photos app on your Mac.
2. click on the Shared Photo Album from which you want to delete photos.
3. Right-click or Control-click the Photograph you want to delete.
4. Select Delete from shared album in the list of options.
5. click in Delete to confirm that you want to remove the photo from the shared album.

In your computer

1. Open the folder iCloud Photos.
2. Open it the shared folder in question.
3. Delete or move the images you want to remove from the shared photo album.

How to subscribe to a shared photo album on your iPhone, iPad, Mac or PC

When someone invites you to a shared photo album, you need to sign up before you can view photos and videos (and, if the owner allows it, add your own images and videos). Here is how to do it.

On iPhone or iPad

1. Open the application Photos on your iPhone or iPad.
2. Select the tab For you .
3. Under Invitations, tap To accept or Refuse to join or reject a shared album.

On your Mac

1. Open the app Photos on Mac.
2. Select album Activity in the Shared section of the sidebar.
3. Under Invitations, tap To accept or Refuse to join or reject a shared album.

In your computer

1. Open the folder iCloud Photos.
2. Select folder Activity .
3. Under Invitations, tap To accept or Refuse to join or reject a shared album.

How to unsubscribe from a shared photo album on your iPhone, iPad, Mac or PC

Decided you no longer want to be part of a shared photo album someone else sent you? It's a simple process to unsubscribe from this album.

On iPhone or iPad

1. Open the application Photos on your iPhone or iPad.
2. Scroll down to Shared Albums and choose the album in question.
3. Select the tab People.
4. Tap the button Unsubscribe .
5. Press the button Unsubscribe once again to confirm.

On your Mac

1. Launch the application Photos .
2. On the Shared Albums tab, choose the album in question.
3. Select the icon People in the toolbar.
4. Tap the button Unsubscribe .
5. Press the button Unsubscribe once again to confirm.

In your computer

1. Open the folder iCloud Photos.
2. Choose the folder that you want to delete.
3. Click in Information .
4. In the box that appears, click Unsubscribe in the lower left corner.

How to delete a shared photo album on your iPhone, iPad, Mac or PC

If you decide you no longer want to share an album with a group, you can delete it; this removes it from iCloud on all your signed-in devices and everyone you shared it with. (If you want to remove a shared album from your device that someone else created, you'll need to unsubscribe it instead of deleting it.)

Observation: Anyone you've added to a shared photo album can download their own copy of an image or video once it's added to the album. If you delete the photo or video after it is available in the album, it may have already been downloaded to another device.

On iPhone and iPad

1. Start the Photos app on your iPhone or iPad.
2. Scroll down to Shared Albums and tap see it all .
3. Tap To edit in the upper left corner.
4. Tap Delete icon red next to the shared album you want to delete.
5. Tap Delete to confirm the deletion.

On your Mac

1. Start the Photos app on your Mac.
2. Right-click or Control-click the shared photo album you want to delete.
3. Select Delete shared album in the list of options and tap Delete once again to confirm.

In your computer

1. Open the folder iCloud Photos.
2. Find the shared folder in question.
3. Delete-O.

Sharing made simple

Now that you know how to create and share albums in iCloud Photo Sharing, you can easily involve family and friends in your photography adventures. Once you've done that, it's an easy and intuitive way to safely share photos with those you care about.