App facts
Amazon Photos
Unlimited full-resolution storage for Prime, with image recognition on by default
Prime members get unlimited full-resolution photos and can share the benefit with five family members. Amazon's image recognition tags objects, groups faces and, in its own words, may scan your photos for shopping recommendations.
Just the safety question? Is Amazon Photos safe? →
Where Amazon Photos ranks
Its place on each "best for…" page — the same fifteen criteria, weighted for one situation at a time. Green is the top third of that page's ranking, red the bottom third.
Amazon Photos is a Prime benefit that doubles as a family archive: unlimited full-resolution photo backup for members, a family plan that extends it to five people, and shared groups that open from a link. It keeps originals, which several apps here do not. What it does with them is documented plainly on Amazon’s help pages — image recognition, face grouping, and scanning for shopping suggestions, all on by default and all switchable.
Every criterion
- Price
- 5 GB free; unlimited photos with Prime; plans from $1.99/mo5 GB free for any Amazon account. Prime members get unlimited full-resolution photo storage plus 5 GB of video. Paid plans (100 GB $1.99 a month, 1 TB $6.99, 2 TB $11.99) add space for video.[1][2]
- Do relatives have to pay?
- Partly — 5 family members share a Prime allowanceUp to 5 family members can share a Prime member's allowance (each needs an Amazon account). People viewing a shared group by link pay nothing.[3][4]
- Storage limit
- Unlimited photos (Prime); video 5 GBUnlimited photos for Prime members; video counts against 5 GB "for everyone, including Prime members"; 5 GB total without Prime.[5]
- Photos kept at full quality?
- Yes — full resolution (Prime)Yes — "free and unlimited at full resolution for Amazon Prime members".[5]
- Video limits
- 5 GB allowance; no length limit statedVideo counts against a 5 GB allowance (Prime) unless you buy a storage plan. No per-video length limit is stated on the pages we checked.[5]
- Ads?
- Partly — photos may be scanned for shopping suggestionsNo ad placements described, but Amazon says it "may also scan your photos to show shopping recommendations based on the content of your images", and a Lens button shops for products recognised in your photos.[6]
- AI or face recognition run on your photos?
- Yes — tags, face grouping, shopping; switchableYes. Image recognition tags objects, actions and scenes; "People grouping" stores "records of individual faces"; photos may be scanned for shopping recommendations. Tagging features can be switched off in account settings.[6][1]
- Can the company open your photos?
- Yes — servers analyse the photosYes. Amazon's servers analyse the photos for tags, faces and shopping; no end-to-end encryption claim.[6]
- Can family look without installing an app?
- Yes — group link while link sharing is onYes. A shared group opens by link in a browser while link sharing is on; switch it off and "only you and people you invite can access photos in a group".[4]
- Do viewers need an account?
- Partly Not for a link; members need oneNot for a group link. Family-plan members and invited group members need an Amazon account ("Non-members need to create an Amazon account").[3][4]
- Can family add their own photos?
- Yes — group members can add photos. Family-plan members keep separate libraries: their uploads "are private and can only be accessed by the person who uploaded them".[4][3]
- Can you leave with everything?
- Yes — originalsYes. Full-resolution originals download from the web or apps; if you cancel Prime you keep 5 GB and must remove the rest.[5]
- Platforms
- iOS, Android, web, desktop, Amazon devicesiOS, Android, web, Windows and Mac desktop apps, and Amazon devices (Echo Show, Fire TV, Fire tablets).[1]
- App Store label: data used to track you
- Partly Label has no tracking section; marketing data linked to youApp Store label: no "Data Used to Track You" section; data linked to you for the developer's advertising or marketing includes purchase history, physical address, email, name, phone number and identifiers.[2]
What stands out
Originals, unlimited, included with Prime. “Free and unlimited at full resolution for Amazon Prime members.” Video is the exception: 5 GB counts for everyone, and more costs a plan.
Recognition is the default. Tags for objects, actions and scenes; People grouping that stores records of faces; and shopping recommendations from the content of your images, with a Lens button to buy what the app recognises. Amazon says you can enable or disable the tagging features any time.
Two different kinds of sharing. The family plan shares storage, not photos — “photos and videos uploaded by members of a family group are private and can only be accessed by the person who uploaded them”. Sharing the pictures themselves is done with groups, which can open by link.
Cancel Prime and the allowance shrinks to 5 GB. Anything above that must be removed to bring the account back within the limit.
The label. No “Data Used to Track You” section, but data linked to you for Amazon’s own advertising and marketing includes purchase history, address, email, name and phone number.
Who it suits
Prime households that want full-resolution backup at no extra cost and don’t mind Amazon analysing the library. Families choosing an app because of who can process the photos should read the AI and encryption rows.
Where next
Sources
- Amazon Photos — Amazon Help: What is Amazon Photos?, checked 2026-09-12
5 GB of free storage for all Amazon customers. Unlimited full-resolution photo storage, plus 5 GB of video storage, for Amazon Prime members … Image recognition for people, places, and things … Prints, photo books, and digital greeting cards.
- Amazon Photos — App Store listing: Amazon Photos — App Privacy, checked 2026-09-12
Data Linked to You — Developer's Advertising or Marketing: Purchase History, Physical Address, Email Address, Name, Phone Number, User ID, Device ID, Product Interaction … In-App Purchases: 100 GB Monthly Plan $1.99 · 1 TB Monthly Plan $6.99 · 2 TB Monthly Plan $11.99.
- Amazon Photos — Amazon Help: Sharing your Amazon Photos storage allowance with Amazon Family, checked 2026-09-12
You can share your Amazon Photos storage allowance with up to 5 other family members … Non-members need to create an Amazon account … Photos and videos uploaded by members of a family group are private and can only be accessed by the person who uploaded them.
- Amazon Photos — Amazon Help: Manage access to shared groups in Amazon Photos, checked 2026-09-12
To only allow people you invited to the group to view photos in the group, switch off Link sharing … When link sharing is switched off, only you and people you invite can access photos in a group.
- Amazon Photos — Amazon Help: How much storage do I have available?, checked 2026-09-12
Photos: free and unlimited at full resolution for Amazon Prime members. Non-Prime customers get 5 GB shared across photos and videos. Videos: count toward your storage limit for everyone, including Prime members … If you cancel Prime … You keep 5 GB of free storage.
- Amazon Photos — Amazon Help: Learn more about image recognition in Amazon Photos, checked 2026-09-12
We use image recognition technology to analyze and apply tags to your photos and videos … We may also scan your photos to show shopping recommendations based on the content of your images … Amazon will collect, store, and use records of individual faces to enable these and similar features … You may enable or disable the tagging features any time through your account settings.
Questions people ask
Is Amazon Photos free?
5 GB is free for any Amazon account. Prime members get ‘unlimited full-resolution photo storage, plus 5 GB of video storage’. Storage plans for more video start at $1.99 a month for 100 GB.
Can family members share Amazon Photos storage?
Yes. ‘You can share your Amazon Photos storage allowance with up to 5 other family members’, each with an Amazon account. Their uploads stay private to them; sharing between people happens through groups.
Does Amazon scan your photos?
Yes. Amazon’s help page says it uses ‘image recognition technology to analyze and apply tags to your photos and videos’, that ‘People grouping’ stores ‘records of individual faces’, and that Amazon ‘may also scan your photos to show shopping recommendations based on the content of your images’. The tagging features can be turned off in account settings.
Can someone view an Amazon Photos group without an account?
Yes, while link sharing is on. Switch it off and ‘only you and people you invite can access photos in a group’; invited members need an Amazon account.