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Apple's iCloud Shared Photo Library auto-shares your photos with family

Apple's iOS 16 will make it easier to keep your family memories together in a shared library.
Written by Maria Diaz, Staff Writer

As part of changes to Family Sharing, Apple has made it easy to set up a separate photo library that up to five people can use. The iCloud Shared Photo Library will be available with iOS 16 on iPhone and other Apple devices.

The family members in the library will be able to share photos on iCloud as they are taken, a feature that can be easily turned on or off through a toggle in the camera app. Users can keep sharing turned off and have it automatically turn on when they are near another family member, making sharing photos during trips or family get-togethers a breeze.

iCloud Shared Photo Library

A toggle on the camera lets users share photos as taken or manually add photos to share

Apple

When adding photos to the library, users can either share their entire photo library, send photos starting on a specific date, automatically share pictures to the library when family members are nearby, or manually select which pictures to share.

All participants will have equal permissions within the library, allowing them to add, favorite, edit and delete photos. Users will also get intelligent suggestions to send a photo to the library based on who is in the picture.

Also: Every iOS 16 feature that's coming to iPhones

The shared photo library will be accessible within the Photos application, so no separate app is needed. The family members in the shared library will also see these photos featured in For You, to view in memories and featured photos. 

Family Shairing

All your family photos in one library

Apple

The iCloud Shared Photo Library's ultimate purpose is to help families share pictures in one place. Other changes to Family Sharing will feature Quick Start, which makes it easier to manage kids' accounts; parental controls; and Family Checklist, which allows users to update a child's settings, location sharing, and more.

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