App facts
iCloud Shared Albums
Free and private on the device, but 2048 pixels and 720p
Built into every iPhone, free, no ads, analysis done on the phone. Shared photos are reduced to 2048 pixels, video to 720p, and Shared Albums sit outside Apple's end-to-end encryption.
Just the safety question? Are iCloud Shared Albums safe? →
Where iCloud Shared Albums 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.
Shared Albums is the family-sharing feature already inside the Photos app on every iPhone, iPad and Mac. It is free, it shows no ads, it doesn’t touch your iCloud storage, and Apple’s face and scene analysis happens on the device. What it gives relatives, though, is a reduced copy — and the album itself is one of the few parts of iCloud Apple excludes from end-to-end encryption.
Every criterion
- Price
- Free; doesn't use iCloud storageFree with any Apple Account. Shared albums don't count against iCloud storage.[1]
- Do relatives have to pay?
- No[1]
- Storage limit
- 5,000 items per album, 200 albumsUp to 5,000 photos and videos per album and 200 albums per owner; none of it counts against your iCloud storage.[1][2]
- Photos kept at full quality?
- No — 2048 px, video 720pNo. "When shared, photos are reduced to 2048 pixels on the long edge"; videos are "delivered at up to 720p resolution". Your originals stay in your own library.[1]
- Video limits
- 15 min, delivered at up to 720pUp to 15 minutes per video, delivered at up to 720p.[1]
- Ads?
- No. The Photos app carries no advertising, and Apple says it "does not access your photos or videos, and does not use them for research and development".[3]
- AI or face recognition run on your photos?
- Partly On the device onlyOn your device. Face recognition and scene analysis run on the phone ("on-device machine learning"), not on Apple's servers.[3]
- Can the company open your photos?
- Yes — excluded from Advanced Data ProtectionYes. Shared Albums "do not support Advanced Data Protection" — they are excluded from Apple's end-to-end encryption, so Apple holds the keys.[4]
- Can family look without installing an app?
- Partly — Apple device, or Public WebsiteSubscribers use an Apple device (or iCloud for Windows). With "Public Website" turned on, "anyone can see [the album] in an up-to-date web browser" — view only.[1]
- Do viewers need an account?
- Partly Apple Account; none for Public WebsiteSubscribers need an Apple Account; the Public Website needs nothing.[1]
- Can family add their own photos?
- Yes — per-album settingYes — "Participants Can Add Photos" is a per-album setting.[1]
- Can you leave with everything?
- Partly — the shared copy is reducedYour originals never leave your own library. What subscribers can save from the shared album is the reduced copy.[1]
- Platforms
- Apple devices, iCloud for Windows, public web pageiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Vision Pro and iCloud for Windows; anyone via a Public Website link.[1]
- App Store label: data used to track you
- No Built into iOS; Apple doesn't access photosPhotos is part of iOS rather than a separate download. Apple's Photos privacy notice: "Apple does not access your photos or videos".[3]
- How it makes money
- Included with Apple devices; iCloud+ storage subscriptions cover your own library, which shared albums don't use.[1]
What stands out
The reduction is the deal. 2048 pixels on the long edge, video at up to 720p. Fine for a phone screen, not for a print or for the one copy you want your children to have in thirty years. The originals stay in your own library, so this matters most for the relatives, who only ever get the reduced version.
Outside Advanced Data Protection. Apple’s own ADP page lists Shared Albums among the features that don’t support it. If you turned on ADP for your iCloud, your library is end-to-end encrypted and your shared albums are not.
Everyone needs Apple — or a public web page. Subscribers need an Apple Account. The Public Website option opens the album to anyone with the link, in a browser, view only.
Relatives can add. “Participants Can Add Photos” is a per-album setting, and subscribers can comment and like.
No ads, no server-side analysis. Apple’s Photos privacy notice says analysis is on-device and that “Apple does not access your photos or videos”.
Who it suits
All-Apple families who want zero cost and zero setup and don’t need full-resolution copies in the shared album. Families with Android relatives, or who want the shared copy to be the archival copy, should look at the quality and viewing rows.
Where next
Are iCloud Shared Albums safe? → Your own mix: set the sliders → Google Photos vs iCloud Shared Albums →
Sources
- iCloud Shared Albums — Apple Support: How to use Shared Albums in Photos (published 8 May 2026), checked 2026-09-12
Shared Albums let you share photos and videos with the people you choose — and they can add their own photos, videos, and comments … Turn on Public Website. Your photos publish to a website that anyone can see in an up-to-date web browser … When shared, photos are reduced to 2048 pixels on the long edge … Videos can be up to fifteen minutes in length and are delivered at up to 720p resolution … A shared album can hold up to 5000 photos and videos … Shared Albums are kept in iCloud, but they don't count against your iCloud storage limit.
- iCloud Shared Albums — Apple Support: Shared Album limits, checked 2026-09-12
Maximum shared albums an owner can share: 200 · Maximum subscribers per shared album: 100 · Maximum combined number of photos and videos … in any one shared album: 5000 · Maximum number of comments per photo or video: 200.
- iCloud Shared Albums — Apple: Photos & Privacy, checked 2026-09-12
Photos uses on-device machine learning to deliver a personalized experience … Photos additionally uses on-device analysis to recognize the faces of people in photos … Apple does not access your photos or videos, and does not use them for research and development.
- iCloud Shared Albums — Apple Support: Advanced Data Protection for iCloud, checked 2026-09-12
iWork collaboration, the Shared Albums feature in Photos, and sharing content with "anyone with the link," do not support Advanced Data Protection.
Questions people ask
Do iCloud Shared Albums count against iCloud storage?
No. Apple says ‘Shared Albums are kept in iCloud, but they don’t count against your iCloud storage limit’. Each album holds up to 5,000 photos and videos, and an owner can share up to 200 albums.
Can someone without an iPhone see an iCloud Shared Album?
Only if the owner turns on ‘Public Website’, which publishes the album to ‘a website that anyone can see in an up-to-date web browser’ — view only. Otherwise subscribers need an Apple Account and an Apple device or iCloud for Windows.
Are iCloud Shared Albums end-to-end encrypted?
No. Apple’s Advanced Data Protection page says ‘the Shared Albums feature in Photos’ does ‘not support Advanced Data Protection’, so shared albums keep standard encryption, with keys Apple holds, even when you turn ADP on for the rest of iCloud.
Does Apple reduce photo quality in Shared Albums?
Yes. ‘When shared, photos are reduced to 2048 pixels on the long edge’, and videos ‘are delivered at up to 720p resolution’, up to fifteen minutes long. Your originals stay at full quality in your own library.