iOS 27: full resolution, up to 100 people
How to share an album on iPhone
Open Photos, tap Collections, scroll down and tap Shared Albums, then tap the Add button (+), name the album, pick photos and tap Done. To invite people, tap Manage Shared Album, then Invite Participants, and send the link by Messages, Mail or any app. On iOS 27, people without an Apple device can join in a web browser; on iOS 26 or earlier, photos shrink to 2048 pixels on the long edge.
Last updated
Shared album limits on iOS 27 and iOS 26
| Limit | Made on iOS 27 | Made on iOS 26 or earlier |
|---|---|---|
| Shared albums per account | No limit beyond your iCloud storage | 200 owned, 200 subscribed |
| Photos and videos per album | No limit beyond the owner's storage; 5,000 in a temporary album | 5,000 |
| People per album | 100, owner included | 100 subscribers |
| Photo size in the album | Original format, full resolution | 2048 px long edge; panoramas up to 5400 px wide |
| Videos | Original format, full resolution | Up to 15 minutes, at up to 720p |
| Counts against iCloud storage? | Yes, the owner's, including what others add; temporary albums don't | No |
| Uploads per person | No limit listed | 1,000 an hour, 10,000 a day, across all albums |
| Invitations per day | No limit listed | 200 |
| Needs an Apple Account to join? | No, people can join and add photos on the web | Yes, to subscribe; anyone can view a Public Website link |
| Viewable on Android or Windows? | Yes, from the album link in a web browser | Yes, through a Public Website link in a browser |
Create and share an album on iOS 27
Turn on Shared Albums
Go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud > Photos. Make sure iCloud Photos is on, then tap Shared Albums and turn it on.
Start the album
Open Photos, tap Collections, scroll down and tap Shared Albums. Tap the Add button (+), name the album and choose photos and videos.
Choose who can join
Tap Sharing Options. With People You Choose, anyone else with the link must request access first; with Anyone with the Link, people join without approval.
Keep it or make it temporary
Turn on Make Album Temporary if the album only needs 30 days. It uses no iCloud storage, works without iCloud Photos and holds up to 5,000 photos and videos; anything nobody saved is deleted when it expires. Tap Done.
Invite people
Tap Manage Shared Album, then Invite Participants, and pick a contact or an app such as Messages or Mail. Or tap Copy Album Link and paste it anywhere.
Approve requests
Tap the request notification, or go to Photos > Collections > Profile button > Invitations and Access Requests, and tap Approve.
Create a shared album on iOS 26 or earlier
- Turn on Shared Albums in Settings > [your name] > iCloud > Photos.
- In Photos, tap Collections, then Shared Albums, then the Add button (+).
- Name the album and choose photos.
- Add people from your contacts, or type an email address or iMessage phone number. Tap Done, then Create.
Share an album you already have
On iOS 27, open the album, tap the More button, then Create Shared Album and Done. Photos copies every photo and video in it into a new shared album; then invite people as in step 5.
On iOS 26, create the shared album first. Then open your album, tap Select, then Select All, Share and Add to Shared Album, choose the shared album and tap Post.
An album you shared on iOS 26 or earlier stays as it was until you open it on iOS 27, tap More and choose Upgrade Shared Album. New photos then keep full resolution, and the album opens only on iOS 27 or later or on iCloud.com; the shared album quality guide has the details.
Share with people who don't have an iPhone
For an album made on iOS 27, send the album link. People open it in a web browser on an Apple or non-Apple device and tap Join; they may have to request access or enter an email address. No Apple Account or Apple device is needed to join and add photos.
For an album from iOS 26 or earlier, tap More, then Shared Album Details, turn on Public Website and tap Share Link. Anyone with that link can view and download the album in an up-to-date web browser, as copies reduced to 2048 pixels.
A shared album suits a group that keeps adding photos. To hand over a finished set, such as photos from a shoot or an event, a gallery link can be simpler: shoots.page sends one link that needs no account or app, and people download the original JPEG, PNG, HEIC, TIFF and WebP files byte for byte, one by one or as one ZIP. It's free up to 2 GB and doesn't touch your iCloud storage, but it has no video, and recipients can't add photos.
Manage the album
- Add photos: select photos in your Library or an album, tap Share, then Add to Shared Album, pick the album and tap Done (Post on iOS 26). Participants get a notification.
- Set permissions: on iOS 27, everyone can add photos by default. To change that, tap Manage Shared Album, tap a person and pick Can Manage Album and Photos, Can Add Photos, or Can View and Comment. On iOS 26, turn off Participants Can Add Photos.
- Comments: iOS 27 albums take emoji reactions and comments. Older albums take likes and comments: up to 200 per photo or video, likes included, and 1,024 characters per comment.
- Remove someone: on iOS 27, tap Manage Shared Album, the person, then Remove Participant. On iOS 26, tap More, the album name, the person, then Remove Subscriber.
- Save photos: tap a photo, tap Share, then Save Image or Save Video; on iOS 27, More > Save All Shared Items saves everything. Comments and likes aren't saved with them.
- Delete the album: tap More, Delete Shared Album, then Delete. The album and all its photos are permanently deleted from everyone's devices, but photos people saved to their own library stay. On iOS 27, you can tap Make Album Temporary instead, and it's deleted in 30 days.
Common questions
Can people with Android phones see an iPhone shared album?
Does a shared album use my iCloud storage?
What's the difference between a shared album and a Shared Library?
Why can't someone join my shared album?
Handing over a finished set?
Send a finished set as one gallery link. People download the original JPEG, PNG, HEIC, TIFF or WebP files one by one or as a ZIP, with no account or app. Free up to 2 GB.
Sources
Apple Support: Use Shared Albums on iPhone, Shared Albums limits, Shared Albums file types, Upgrade your shared albums, Temporary shared albums, Save photos from a shared album, Manage your iCloud storage. iPhone User Guide: Create shared albums (iOS 26), Add and remove people (iOS 26), Contribute to a shared album, Photo albums. Personal Safety User Guide: Photos sharing settings. Checked on 26 October 2026.