Google Photos Shared Albums let you collect photos and videos in one place and share them with specific people or through a link. When Collaborate is on, everyone with access can add items; Google Photos does not offer separate add-item permissions for each person. Because anyone with a shared link can access the album, check its sharing settings before posting private photos.
This guide explains how to create an album, share it, manage contributions and access, and save or remove items on Android, iPhone, iPad, and the web. Menu labels can vary by platform and app version.
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What Google Photos Shared Albums are (and what they’re not)
A Shared Album is a collection that people with access can view. When Collaborate is enabled, they can also add photos and videos, and may be able to comment and like. An album is different from a Google Photos conversation, which is for sharing selected items and messages rather than maintaining a shared collection. Google Photos Help: shared-album controls
You can share an album with specific Google Accounts or create a link. A link is not an access-controlled invitation: anyone who obtains it can view the album, and if collaboration is on, can add items. Forwarded links can reach people you did not intend to invite.
Prerequisites before you start
- Sign in to Google Photos with your Google Account.
- Choose your sharing method carefully. Use specific people for more controlled access; use a link only when you are comfortable with anyone who gets it being able to view the album.
- Check the album settings. Collaboration is an album-wide setting, not a per-person permission.
On iPhone or iPad, allow Google Photos to access the photos you want to select. The exact setting depends on your iOS version.
Create a Shared Album
Current Google Photos instructions create an album from selected photos or videos, then let you share it. Labels can differ between platforms.
On Android
- Open Google Photos and sign in.
- Tap Photos and select the items. For one item, open it and tap Add > Album > New Album. For multiple items, touch and hold to select them, then tap Create > Album.
- Enter an album title and tap Done.
- Open the album and tap Share.
- Select people with Google Accounts, or use the option to create a link if you want link sharing.
On iPhone or iPad
- Open Google Photos and sign in.
- Tap Photos and select the items. For one item, open it and tap Add > Album > New album. For multiple items, touch and hold to select them, then tap Create > Album.
- Enter an album title and tap Done.
- Tap Share and select people, or choose Get link to share by link.
On the web (photos.google.com)
- Go to photos.google.com and sign in.
- Click Photos in the left sidebar. Hover over an item and click Select; select any additional items.
- At the top, click Add to > Shared album > New shared album.
- Enter an album title and click Share.
- Select people and click Send, or create and distribute a link.
Google Photos Help: share photos and videos on a computer
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You can share directly with Google Accounts or by link. Choose the method based on who should be able to access the album.
Share with specific people
- Open the album and tap or click Share.
- Select people from contacts or search for an email address or phone number associated with a Google Account.
- Send the invitation.
Direct sharing is more controlled than a link, but Google Photos does not let you give one participant permission to add items while blocking another participant from doing so. If collaboration is on, it applies to everyone with access.
Share by link or QR code
Use Create link on Android, Get link on iPhone or iPad, or the album’s Share controls on the web. The link can be sent to people who do not use the app or do not have a Google Account. Anyone who gets the link can view the album; if Collaborate is on, they can also add photos. A QR code gives access in the same way as the album link.
To share a QR code on Android or iPhone/iPad, select the album, tap Share > Show QR code, then have the recipient scan it. Treat the code like a link: anyone who receives it can access the album.
Control who can contribute
To allow or stop additions, change the album’s Collaborate setting. You cannot set different add-item permissions for individual participants. Turning collaboration off stops new additions but does not remove photos people already added.
- Web: Open the album under Collections > Albums, then click More > Options. Under Sharing, turn Collaborate on or off.
- iPhone or iPad: Open Collections > Albums, open the album, then tap More > Sharing settings. Turn Collaborate on or off.
- Other mobile interfaces: Look under the album’s More menu for Sharing or sharing settings.
Google Photos Help: manage Shared Album settings
Remove someone
Only the album owner can remove a participant. On the web, open the album, click More > Options, find the person, then use More > Remove person. In the app, open the album and look under More > Sharing or Sharing settings > Manage access, then choose the removal option by the person’s name.
Removing someone also removes photos and comments they added. If link sharing is still on, however, they—or anyone else with the old link—may still access the album. Turn off link sharing as well to revoke that link.
Add photos and videos to a Shared Album
To add items in the mobile apps, open Collections > Albums, open the album, tap Add to album, select photos or videos, then tap Add. The owner’s settings must allow collaboration for participants to add items.
You can also set up automatic additions based on selected people or pets where the feature is available. Face matching can occasionally include unrelated photos, so review the album if it contains sensitive content. Anyone with access can see new matching photos as they are added.
Organize and curate shared content
Shared Albums can include comments and likes as well as photos and videos. The owner can turn off comments and likes in the album’s options or sharing settings. Turning that setting off prevents new comments and likes; existing ones remain until deleted.
Remove items from the album
Open the photo or video in the album, tap or click More, and choose Remove. Removing an item from the album does not delete it from the owner’s main Google Photos library.
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Editing titles and descriptions
Open the album and use its menu or options to edit the title where available. Menu labels differ by platform.
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Saving a shared photo or video creates a copy in your Google Photos library. Later edits to the original do not update that copy, and saved items generally count toward your Google Account storage quota. To place a copy in your phone’s ordinary gallery, download it to the device.
On the web, More > Show in Albums places an album in your Albums view; it does not save all the album’s photos to your library. Save items separately if you want copies.
Google Photos Help: save shared photos
Find albums shared with you
On Android or iPhone/iPad, open Collections > Albums and tap Shared with me. You can sort by album title, last modified, or most recent photo where those options appear. You can also search for shared albums or find them in the All albums view. On the web, shared albums and sharing activity appear under Updates.
Privacy, permissions, and visibility
Direct invitations and link sharing have different privacy implications. A link is a bearer credential: anyone who obtains it can access the album. If collaboration is on, link holders can add items too. Turning off link sharing prevents use of that link, but it cannot erase files people already downloaded or copied.
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Open the album and look under More > Sharing settings > Manage access on iPhone or iPad, or More > Sharing on other mobile interfaces. Turn Link sharing off. To invalidate an old link and create a new one, turn link sharing off and then back on. Share the new link only with intended recipients.
Make an album private again
To stop sharing the album, remove its members and turn off link sharing. Making the album private removes other people’s comments and photos and prevents their access, but does not affect files they already downloaded or copied.
Share photo locations—or hide them
The album creator can control whether photo location details are shared. On the web, open the album under Collections > Albums, click Share, then use Album options beside Sharing photo locations to turn the setting on or off. Camera-supplied or manually edited locations may be shared; hiding metadata cannot prevent someone inferring a location from landmarks or other visual clues.
Google Photos Help: photo locations
Shared Albums across devices
Menu names and locations vary between web, Android, and iPhone/iPad. On mobile, look under Collections > Albums for your albums and Shared with me. On the web, use Collections and Updates. Confirm that you are signed into the intended Google Account if an album is missing.
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Troubleshooting when Shared Albums don’t work
Start by checking the signed-in account, album access method, collaboration setting, and device permissions.
Invite sent, but the person can’t access
- Confirm that the invitation went to the person’s correct Google Account.
- Ask them to open the invitation while signed in to that account.
- If you shared a link, check that link sharing is still on and send the current link.
- Refresh the app or web page and try opening the album again.
Shared Album not showing on a device
- Check that you are signed in to the account that has access.
- On mobile, open Collections > Albums > Shared with me.
- On the web, check Updates and refresh the page.
- Confirm the album owner has not removed your access or turned off the link you used.
Can’t add photos to the Shared Album
- Collaboration is off: ask the owner to enable Collaborate for the album.
- iPhone or iPad access: check Google Photos’ permission to access the selected photos in iOS Settings.
- Network or sync delay: check your connection and try again after the items appear in Google Photos.
Photos added but not appearing for others
- Confirm that the item finished adding to the album.
- Ask other participants to refresh the album or reopen the app.
- Check the album on photos.google.com to confirm the item appears there.
Unexpected missing items
An item may have been removed from the album, or a participant may have left or been removed. Leaving an album removes the photos, videos, comments, and likes that person contributed. Removing a participant also removes their contributions. Check the album’s sharing settings and item list.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Assuming a link is private: anyone with it can access the album, and may contribute if collaboration is on.
- Expecting per-person contribution controls: collaboration is enabled or disabled for everyone with access.
- Assuming removal revokes a link: turn off link sharing to stop access through the old link.
- Confusing album visibility with saving photos: showing an album in Albums does not copy all its items to your library.
- Assuming removal deletes the original: removing an item from the album leaves it in the owner’s main library.
Alternatives if Shared Albums aren’t the right fit
If an album link’s access model is too broad, share with specific Google Accounts and keep link sharing off. For general file sharing, a Google Drive folder may be a better fit; messaging apps can work for small batches but are less suited to a lasting photo collection.
FAQ
Can I share a Google Photos album with someone who doesn’t have a Google Account?
Yes. Create a link and send it to them. Anyone who has the link can view the album, so do not treat it as a private, account-verified invitation.
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Can I let one person add photos but stop another from adding them?
No. Google Photos does not offer per-person permissions for adding items to a Shared Album. Turn Collaborate on or off for everyone with access.
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Can someone with the album link add photos?
Yes, if Collaborate is enabled. Anyone with the link can access the album, so turn off collaboration or link sharing if that is not what you want.
Does removing someone stop them from seeing the album?
Not if link sharing remains enabled and they still have the link. Turn off link sharing to revoke that route to the album.
Will removing a photo from a Shared Album delete it from my library?
No. Removing it from the album does not delete it from the owner’s main Google Photos library.
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No. Showing the album in your Albums view is different from saving its photos and videos. Save individual items to create copies in your library.
Can I add videos as well as photos?
Yes. Shared Albums support both photos and videos.
Bottom Line
To create a Shared Album, select photos or videos, make an album, and share it with specific people or by link. Enable Collaborate only if everyone with access should be able to add items.
For privacy, remember that anyone with a link can access the album, and removing a participant does not invalidate a link that is still active. Turn off link sharing when you need to stop access through the link.
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