Sharing photo albums with your iPhone is a great way to keep friends and family up to date with what's going on in your life. Even better, they can also share their video and photo albums with you from their iPhone.
The method to share album on iPhone is not complicated even if you are doing it for the first time. But there are some limitations you need to be aware of.
This article tells you how to share an album on different iPhones as well as what you can and can't do in iPhoto.
How to Share an Album on an iPhone X, 11, and 12
Sharing an album on an iPhone is simple, but there are a few steps to take before you start sharing.
- Update your device software.
- Make sure iCloud is set up.
- If you use multiple devices, you must use the same Apple ID.
Share an album
- Launch Settings, tap your username and select iCloud.
- Choose Photos and tap "Shared Albums".
- Go to "Albums" and select the plus icon to create a new album.
- Select "New Shared Album", name it and click "Next".
- Invite people to join the shared album and select "Create".
These steps apply when you create a new shared album. Follow these steps if you've already created an album and just want to invite others.
- Go to "Albums" and choose the one you want to use.
- Select "People", then "Invite people".
- Type in the names of those you want to invite and select "Add".
The advantage of sharing albums on an iPhone is that the people you invite do not need an iCloud account. To invite non-iCloud users, do this.
- Open the shared album you want to use, then select "People."
- Select “Public Website” and enable it.
By doing this, you allow anyone invited to view the images you are using from a browser.
How to Share an Album on an iPhone 6, 7, and 8
Older iPhone models allow album sharing, and you follow the same steps to do so. But it won't hurt to go through them again.
- Update your iPhone.
- Configure your iCloud.
- Use the same Apple ID on all your devices.
Share an album
If you're creating a new shared album, follow these steps.
- Tap the "Settings" app, select your username, then choose "iCloud."
- Select "Photos", then "Shared Albums".
- Tap "Albums", then the plus icon, and create a new album.
- Choose "New Shared Album", give it a name and select "Next." "
- Add people to the album and press "Create".
Adding people to an existing shared album is even easier, and here's what to do.
- Select "Albums," then tap the album you want to use.
- Choose “People,” then tap “Invite People.”
- Enter their names and select "Add".
People you invite don't need to use iCloud to access the album if you turn on the Public Website option.
- Choose a shared album and tap "People." "
- Tap "Public Website" and turn it on.
Adding videos and photos
It's easy to add videos and photos to an existing shared album, and the actions are the same no matter what iPhone model you're using. You can also add images from the Photos app or from the album itself. Either way, the method is the same.
- Go to Photos or Album, choose "Select" and choose the content you want to share.
- Tap the "Share" icon (a square with an arrow at the top).
- Choose "Add to Shared Album".
The last action is a little different depending on your access point. If you're doing it from the album, tap the plus icon and add images or videos. If you access it from "Photos", select the desired album and press the "Publish" button.
When the action is complete, everyone in the album will receive a notification. And if you want them to add images or videos, turn on the “Followers can post” option. You do this from the "People" tab in a shared album.
Deleting videos and photos
Similar to adding content, deleting photos and videos is simple; just follow the next steps.
- Go to a shared album and choose a video or photo you want to delete.
- Tap the Trash icon and select "Delete Photo".
Album owners can delete anything, including image or video comments. Other users can only delete content they added.
Keep in mind that content deleted from a shared album is deleted from all devices using the same iCloud account. And they will also be deleted from subscribers' devices.
But if you save videos and pictures in Photos, they will remain in the library despite deleting the album.
How do I delete an album?
The actions to delete a shared album are the same on all iPhones, assuming they are updated to the latest iOS. Here's how.
- Go to a shared album and tap "People".
- Select "Delete shared album", confirm the action, and that's it.
If you have multiple shared albums, there is another method. When you access the shared albums list, select "Edit" and tap the minus icon to delete an album.
Whichever method you use, the album is deleted from all devices. And it will not be accessible through a browser if you have disabled the public website.
More importantly, deleting albums will delete all of their content. So you need to save the images and videos that you want to keep in another location.
How to delete a person
Again, the steps to remove someone from the list of followers apply to all iPhones if they are using updated software.
- Select a shared album and open it.
- Go to "People" and choose a person you want to remove.
- Select “Remove Subscriber” – the option is at the bottom of the menu.
Note that only album creators can delete people or an entire album. Those who can access the album do not have administrative privileges to manage albums and followers.
IMPORTANT Notes
It is possible to create a shared album on previous versions of iOS. You follow the same steps as previously described, only the option is called iCloud Photo Sharing.
However, it is best to update your software to the latest version to avoid bugs, sharing issues, or slow loading of the album itself.
Shared albums on iPhone support the following video and image formats:
- JPEG
- PNG
- TIFF
- HEIF
- CRU
- GIF
- MPEG-4
- Quick Time
- HEVC
- H.264
- MP4
Also, you can download the iPhone's own formats, such as time-lapse, memory videos and slow motion. Whatever you upload and share, note that the images will also be compressed.
Regular images, regardless of format, are compressed to 2048 pixels on the longest edge. This does not apply to panoramic photos which might be 5400px.
As for videos, the duration is limited to 15 minutes and the resolution is limited to 720p.
Finally, a shared album contains a copy of the image or video data. Once uploaded, images and videos may not have the same data. However, you won't notice it unless you try to make a full size print or use the images in professional editing software.
Storage limits
A single shared album can contain 5 videos or images. If you get a notification that you've reached the album limit, there's no way to expand storage even when you have paid iCloud storage.
Apple keeps these albums in iCloud, but they don't affect your storage limits, which is actually a good thing.
The only way to get more room in an album is to delete some images and videos. But it also removes all likes and comments on a particular photo or video.
Care to share?
Sharing albums on iPhone is very convenient, not just for personal use. These albums can work great for specific businesses and for promotional purposes because everyone on the team has instant access to the content they need.
But you need to pay attention to compression, especially when sharing videos and images that need to be edited. Lower image quality and resolution can look strange when posting content on social media, for example.
Have you had any issues with sharing albums or adding people?
Tell us about your experience in the comments below.
