Making a shared album on an iPhone 15 is quick and easy. Turn on iCloud and Shared Albums in Settings, open the Photos app, create a new shared album, name it, invite people, and add photos or videos. You can change who can post or stop sharing anytime. In about five minutes you will have a shared space where friends and family can view and contribute photos.
Step 1, Turn on iCloud Photos and Shared Albums in Settings.
Go to Settings, tap your name, then iCloud. Under Saved to iCloud, tap Photos, scroll down, and turn on Shared Albums. On iOS 27 or later, iCloud Photos must also be on.
Sign in with the same Apple Account on every device you want to use with Shared Albums, as Apple’s Shared Albums guide explains. On iOS 26 and earlier, you don’t need iCloud Photos turned on to use Shared Albums.
Step 2, Open the Photos app on your iPhone 15.
Launch Photos from your Home Screen, tap Collections, and scroll down to Shared Albums. On iOS 17 and earlier, tap the Albums tab instead.
This section lists the shared albums you own and the ones you’ve joined. If this is your first time, the Shared Albums section may be empty and will appear once you create one.
Step 3, Create a new shared album.
Tap Shared Albums, tap the Add (+) button, and enter a name for your album. On iOS 17 and earlier, tap + in Albums and choose New Shared Album.
Pick a name that tells people what the album is for, like Vacation 2025 or Family BBQ. Clear naming helps guests find the album quickly among others.
Step 4, Invite people to the shared album.
After naming the album, tap Next or Create and add contacts by typing their name, email, or phone number, then send the invitation.
Invited people must accept the invite to view or add photos, depending on the permissions you set. You can invite non-Apple users with a public link, which lets them view the album in a web browser.
Step 5, Add photos and videos to the album.
Open your new shared album, tap the plus button, select items from your library, and tap Done to add them.
You can add single photos, multiple images, or short videos. Added items show up for everyone who has joined the album, usually within seconds depending on your internet.
Step 6, Set permissions and options.
Tap People inside the shared album to change who can post, to enable a public website, or to remove subscribers.
Allowing subscribers to post lets friends add their own photos. Turning on the public website creates a link that anyone can open, even if they do not have an Apple device.
Step 7, Manage or stop sharing.
To stop sharing, remove all subscribers or delete the shared album from Albums, and confirm the removal.
Stopping sharing removes the album from other people’s devices. Your local copies of photos remain in your library unless you delete them there too.
After you complete these steps, the people you invited will get notifications to join the shared album. Once they accept, they can view, like, and comment on items, and, if you allowed it, add their own photos and videos.
If your iPhone 15 runs iOS 27, shared albums work differently from older versions:
- Full-resolution sharing: Photos and videos are shared in their original quality, instead of the reduced resolution older shared albums used.
- Share with a link: When you create an album, tap Sharing Options to invite and approve participants or share the album with a link.
- Web contributors: People can join and add photos on the web without an Apple Account or Apple device.
- Temporary albums: Turn on Make Album Temporary for a short-term event album. Temporary albums don’t count toward iCloud storage and hold up to 5,000 items with up to 100 participants.
- Reactions and sorting: New filters, sorting, and emoji reactions make large albums easier to browse.
Albums created on older versions keep working the same way, including the 5,000-item limit per album.
- Turn on Wi-Fi for faster uploads and downloads when adding many photos.
- Name albums clearly so guests understand the album’s purpose.
- Limit the number of photos you add at once to avoid long upload times.
- Use the People settings to control who can add content and to enable a public link if needed.
- Ask contributors to caption photos so the album becomes a story, not just a pile of images.
- Remove unwanted photos or contributors quickly from the People menu.
- Check your Notifications settings if you want fewer alerts from shared albums.
Troubleshooting
I Don’t See the Shared Albums Section
Shared Albums is turned off. Go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud > Photos and turn on Shared Albums. On iOS 27, turn on iCloud Photos too.
Invites Aren’t Arriving
Check that you used the email or phone number linked to the person’s Apple Account. Ask them to look in Messages, Mail, and the Activity section of Shared Albums in Photos. You can also resend or share a link instead.
Photos Won’t Upload
Connect to Wi-Fi, make sure Low Power Mode and Low Data Mode are off, and keep Photos open for a minute. For albums created on iOS 27, make sure the owner has enough iCloud storage, since uploads count against it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do people accept an invite to my shared album?
When you invite someone, they receive a notification and an email or message. They tap Accept to join and then the shared album appears in their Photos under Shared Albums.
If they do not see the invite, ask them to check Messages or email for the invite link. They may also need to enable Shared Albums in their Settings.
Can Android users see my shared album?
Yes. On iOS 26 and earlier, turn on the Public Website option in the album’s People settings to create a link anyone can view in a browser. On iOS 27 and later, you can share the album with a link, and friends can join and add their own photos on the web even without an Apple Account or Apple device.
With older shared albums, Android users can only view photos on the public webpage. To let them contribute, create the album on iOS 27 or later.
Do shared albums count against my iCloud storage?
It depends on the iOS version used to create the album, as the Shared Albums limits page sets out. Albums created on iOS 26 or earlier don’t count toward your iCloud storage. Albums created on iOS 27 or later store full-resolution originals, and both your photos and participants’ photos count toward the owner’s iCloud storage. Temporary shared albums don’t count.
If you rely on iCloud storage, check Settings, tap your name, then iCloud to see what is using space. Contact Apple Support if you need a precise breakdown.
Can people add their own photos and videos to the album?
Yes, if you enable the Allow Subscribers to Post option in the People settings. Subscribers can add content that appears for everyone.
You can remove items added by others if you are the album owner. This keeps the album tidy and on topic.
How do I remove someone from a shared album?
Open the shared album, tap People, find the person in the list, and choose Remove Subscriber or tap their name and remove them.
Removed people lose access to the album right away. They will no longer be able to view or add new items.
What happens if I delete a shared album?
Deleting a shared album removes it for all subscribers and stops syncing the album content. Your personal copies of photos that were in the album remain in your main library unless you delete them there too. To clear those copies as well, follow deleting pictures on an iPhone.
Make sure to save any photos you want to keep in your library before deleting the shared album.
Matt Jacobs has been working as an IT consultant for small businesses since receiving his Master’s degree in 2003. While he still does some consulting work, his primary focus now is on creating technology support content for SupportYourTech.com.
His work can be found on many websites and focuses on topics such as Microsoft Office, Apple devices, Android devices, Photoshop, and more.