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To view your iCloud photo library on Apple TV 4K, turn on iCloud Photos for the default profile in Settings > Profiles and Accounts > [default profile] > Photos. For albums shared by friends or family, enable Shared Albums in that same Photos settings area. If you mean iCloud Shared Photo Library, set it up or join it first on an iPhone, iPad, or Mac.
Choose the photo feature you want
Apple has three photo features that can sound similar but work differently. Choose the one that matches what you want to see on your TV:
- iCloud Photos syncs your personal photo library across devices using the same Apple Account. Turn it on to see your own iCloud library in Apple TV’s Photos app. Apple’s Apple TV guide explains the feature.
- Shared Albums are separate albums shared with selected people. Enable them on Apple TV to browse albums you created or that others shared with you.
- iCloud Shared Photo Library is a collaborative library where participants can add, edit, or delete content. Create or join one on an iPhone, iPad, or Mac before viewing it on Apple TV 4K.
Apple also supports Home Sharing for a Mac photo library or selected folders. Those appear in the Computers app on Apple TV 4K, not in Photos.
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- Confirm that Apple TV is signed in to the Apple Account associated with the photo library.
- On Apple TV, open Settings > Profiles and Accounts > [default profile] > Photos.
- Turn on iCloud Photos.
- If prompted the first time you open Photos, choose to show all iCloud photos or only Shared Albums. Apple says this choice can be changed later in Settings; changing it may require confirmation on another Apple device.
- Open the Photos app to browse the available library.
Only the default profile on Apple TV 4K can sync iCloud photos and view content in the Photos app. Apple notes that feature availability can vary by Apple TV model and country or region.
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Enable and browse Shared Albums
- Open Settings > Profiles and Accounts > [default profile] > Photos.
- Turn on Shared Albums.
- Open the Photos app, go to Shared Albums, and select an album.
Shared Albums includes albums you created and albums shared with you by family or friends. From an album, you can browse images full-screen, start a slideshow, set the album as a screen saver, and view comments and likes.
View an iCloud Shared Photo Library
Apple says an iCloud Shared Photo Library can be viewed on Apple TV 4K with tvOS 16.1 or later. Set up or join the library on an iPhone, iPad, or Mac first, with iCloud Photos enabled on that device, then use the same Apple Account on Apple TV. The Shared Library is distinct from Shared Albums: participants can add, edit, and delete its content, and its organizer provides the iCloud storage for that content. A library can have up to six participants, including its organizer, and each person can belong to one Shared Library at a time.
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Shared Albums versus Shared Photo Library
| Feature | Shared Albums | iCloud Shared Photo Library |
|---|---|---|
| What it is for | Sharing selected albums with people | A collaborative library for participants |
| Who can change content | Not stated in the cited Apple guide | Participants can add, edit, and delete content |
| Storage | Contents do not count against the iCloud storage limit | Organizer’s iCloud storage covers the shared content |
| Media limits and quality | Up to 5,000 photos and videos per album; photos are reduced to 2048 pixels on the long edge (panoramas can be up to 5400 pixels wide); videos can be up to 15 minutes and are delivered at up to 720p | These limits are not stated in the cited Apple guide |
Apple’s specifications mean Shared Albums are convenient for sharing and viewing, but they are not an archival-quality copy of your originals. Keep originals in your personal iCloud Photos library or another suitable archive.
What you can and cannot do on Apple TV
Apple states, “You can’t edit photos and videos on Apple TV 4K.” Make edits in Photos on an iPhone, iPad, or Mac; Apple says those changes sync to Apple TV and other devices. Home Sharing is the alternative when you want a Mac library or selected folders to appear under Computers rather than Photos.
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