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For a shared collection that family members can all contribute to, create an iCloud Shared Photo Library in Photos settings. One organizer can invite up to five other people; participants can add, edit, and delete shared items. The organizer’s iCloud storage holds the library. If you only want to share selected photos, or let people view them on a public webpage, use Shared Albums instead.
Before you set up a Shared Photo Library
- Turn on iCloud Photos for your Apple Account.
- Use an iPhone with iOS 16.1 or later, an iPad with iPadOS 16.1 or later, or a Mac with iCloud Photos enabled.
- Choose one organizer. The organizer can invite up to five other people, and each participant can belong to only one Shared Photo Library at a time.
- Check that the organizer has enough iCloud storage. Shared Library content uses the organizer’s storage, not each participant’s individual storage.
Family Sharing is not required for most users to create a Shared Photo Library. A child under 13 must be in the organizer’s Family Sharing group; age eligibility can vary by country or region. See Apple’s Shared Photo Library setup guidance and Photos for Mac guide.
Create the library and invite family
On iPhone or iPad
- Open Settings > Apps > Photos > Shared Library. On iOS 17 or earlier, open Settings > Photos.
- Follow the setup prompts and choose up to five people to invite.
- Choose whether to move past photos and videos into the Shared Library now, or move them later.
- Review the content selection, then confirm the invitations.
On Mac
- Turn on iCloud Photos if it is not already enabled.
- Open Photos and choose Photos > Settings > Shared Library > Get Started.
- Follow the prompts to invite participants and choose whether to move existing photos and videos.
Apple says participants need an Apple Account and iCloud Photos enabled. The organizer can choose which existing items to move during setup; participants can also contribute later. Apple’s step-by-step instructions are available for iPhone and iPad and Mac.
What changes when a photo is shared
Moving a photo or video to the Shared Library moves it out of the contributor’s Personal Library. Participants can add, edit, favorite, caption, and delete shared items, and those changes are visible to everyone in the library. This is a collaborative collection, not a read-only album. Apple describes the shared controls in its iCloud user guide.
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Participants can also choose what to contribute and set up automatic camera sharing. Consider agreeing as a family on what belongs in the shared collection before enabling automatic sharing, since other participants can see and change shared items.
Understand storage and syncing
All Shared Library content counts against the organizer’s iCloud storage. Other participants can access the shared items without those items counting against their own iCloud storage. If the organizer runs out of space, new content cannot be added and changes such as edits and favorites stop syncing. The organizer can manage storage or upgrade iCloud+; see Apple’s iCloud storage guidance.
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What happens if someone leaves or the library is deleted?
A participant who leaves can choose to receive all Shared Library content or only the items they contributed. If the organizer deletes the library, the participant’s membership duration affects what is copied to their Personal Library:
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- After more than seven days as a member, the participant automatically receives all shared items in their Personal Library.
- After less than seven days, the participant receives only the items they contributed.
These outcomes are described in Apple’s Shared Photo Library guidance.
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Shared Photo Library or Shared Albums?
Choose based on whether you want one jointly managed collection or selected items shared as albums. Apple explains Shared Photo Library and Shared Albums separately.
| Decision | Shared Photo Library | Shared Albums |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | A common collection family members maintain together. | Selected photos and videos shared as albums. |
| Who can change content | Participants can add, edit, and delete shared items. | The album owner decides whether subscribers may add content; the owner can also share through a public website. |
| iCloud storage | Counts against the organizer’s iCloud storage. | Does not count toward iCloud storage. |
| Copies and quality | Items are part of the shared library. | Downloaded items may not contain the same information as the originals. |
| Access | Participants join through an invitation and supported Apple Photos setup. | Invited subscribers can access the album; a public website is also an option. |
For the current Shared Albums options and limitations, see Apple’s Shared Albums guide.
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