{"id":"icloud.what-is-icloud-shared-photo-library","url":"/faq/icloud/what-is-icloud-shared-photo-library","category":{"id":"icloud","title":"iCloud & iCloud Photos"},"subcategory":{"id":"icloud-sharing","title":"Sharing folders and photo libraries"},"question":"What is iCloud Shared Photo Library?","alt_questions":["Shared Library in Photos Mac","Share photo library with family iCloud","iCloud Shared Library vs personal library","set up shared photo library mac"],"short_answer":"It's a separate library in Photos that a small group can all add to and edit, alongside each person's personal library. Set it up in Photos → Settings → Shared Library. Deletions apply for everyone.","answer_markdown":"It's a separate library inside Photos that up to a small group of people can all add to, edit and delete from, alongside each person's own personal library. It's made for families who want one shared collection without merging everyone's accounts.\n\nYou set it up in **Photos → Settings → Shared Library**, choose who to invite and which existing photos to move in. Everyone sees the same shared photos on all their devices. Removing something from the Shared Library removes it for everyone, so agree on house rules. Its storage is covered by one person — see [whose storage the Shared Library uses](/faq/icloud/does-the-shared-photo-library-use-my-storage).","answer_html":"

It's a separate library inside Photos that up to a small group of people can all add to, edit and delete from, alongside each person's own personal library. It's made for families who want one shared collection without merging everyone's accounts.

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You set it up in Photos → Settings → Shared Library, choose who to invite and which existing photos to move in. Everyone sees the same shared photos on all their devices. Removing something from the Shared Library removes it for everyone, so agree on house rules. Its storage is covered by one person — see whose storage the Shared Library uses.

","answer_text":"It's a separate library inside Photos that up to a small group of people can all add to, edit and delete from, alongside each person's own personal library. It's made for families who want one shared collection without merging everyone's accounts.\n\nYou set it up in Photos → Settings → Shared Library, choose who to invite and which existing photos to move in. Everyone sees the same shared photos on all their devices. Removing something from the Shared Library removes it for everyone, so agree on house rules. Its storage is covered by one person — see whose storage the Shared Library uses.","tags":["shared library","icloud photos","family"],"related":[{"id":"icloud.does-the-shared-photo-library-use-my-storage","question":"Does iCloud Shared Photo Library use my iCloud storage?","url":"/faq/icloud/does-the-shared-photo-library-use-my-storage"},{"id":"icloud.do-shared-albums-count-against-icloud-storage","question":"Do Shared Albums count against my iCloud storage?","url":"/faq/icloud/do-shared-albums-count-against-icloud-storage"},{"id":"icloud.does-icloud-photos-count-against-icloud-storage","question":"Does iCloud Photos use my iCloud storage?","url":"/faq/icloud/does-icloud-photos-count-against-icloud-storage"}],"applies_to":"all","last_reviewed":"2026-10-01","title":"What is iCloud Shared Photo Library? — Storage Studio FAQ","description":"It's a separate library in Photos that a small group can all add to and edit, alongside each person's personal library. Set it up in Photos → Settings → Shared Library. Deletions apply for everyone.","crumbs":[{"name":"Home","path":"/"},{"name":"FAQ","path":"/faq/"},{"name":"iCloud & iCloud Photos","path":"/faq/icloud/"},{"name":"What is iCloud Shared Photo Library?","path":"/faq/icloud/what-is-icloud-shared-photo-library"}],"jsonld":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"FAQPage","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/icloud/what-is-icloud-shared-photo-library","inLanguage":"en","dateModified":"2026-10-01","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"What is iCloud Shared Photo Library?","alternateName":["Shared Library in Photos Mac","Share photo library with family iCloud","iCloud Shared Library vs personal library","set up shared photo library mac"],"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"It's a separate library inside Photos that up to a small group of people can all add to, edit and delete from, alongside each person's own personal library. It's made for families who want one shared collection without merging everyone's accounts.\n\nYou set it up in Photos → Settings → Shared Library, choose who to invite and which existing photos to move in. Everyone sees the same shared photos on all their devices. Removing something from the Shared Library removes it for everyone, so agree on house rules. Its storage is covered by one person — see whose storage the Shared Library uses.","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/icloud/what-is-icloud-shared-photo-library"}}]},"fragment":"
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iCloud & iCloud Photos · Sharing folders and photo libraries

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What is iCloud Shared Photo Library?

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Short answer: It's a separate library in Photos that a small group can all add to and edit, alongside each person's personal library. Set it up in Photos → Settings → Shared Library. Deletions apply for everyone.

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It's a separate library inside Photos that up to a small group of people can all add to, edit and delete from, alongside each person's own personal library. It's made for families who want one shared collection without merging everyone's accounts.

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You set it up in Photos → Settings → Shared Library, choose who to invite and which existing photos to move in. Everyone sees the same shared photos on all their devices. Removing something from the Shared Library removes it for everyone, so agree on house rules. Its storage is covered by one person — see whose storage the Shared Library uses.

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