Shared album between iPhone and Android

Which album should you choose?

• •Choose iCloud when you make the album on an iPhone, and most of the family has one too. The photos then stay in the Photos app on the iPhone.
• •Choose Google Photos when many in the family have Android, or when you already use Google Photos. The app is also on the iPhone.

How to make an iCloud shared album

This is how you do it on an iPhone with iOS 27 (source 1).

1. 1.Go to Settings, tap your name, then iCloud and Photos, and check that iCloud Photos and Shared Albums are on.
2. 2.Open the Photos app, and tap Collections.
3. 3.Scroll down to Shared Albums, and tap Shared Albums.
4. 4.Tap the Add button.
5. 5.Give the album a name, and choose the photos you want to add.
6. 6.Tap Sharing Options, and choose whether to invite and approve participants, or share the album with a link.
7. 7.Tap Done.

How people with Android see the iCloud album

1. 1.Open the album on the iPhone, and tap the Manage Shared Album button.
2. 2.Under Participants, tap Copy Album Link.
3. 3.Send the link by text message or in the family chat.
4. 4.The person with Android taps the link and sees the album in the browser.

In an album from iOS 27, the family can join and add their own photos on the web, even without an Apple Account or an Apple device (source 1). You choose whether anyone with the link can join, or whether they have to request access first.

How to make a shared album in Google Photos

The steps are the same in the Google Photos app on Android and iPhone (source 3).

1. 1.Open Google Photos, and sign in with your Google Account.
2. 2.Tap Photos at the bottom.
3. 3.Touch and hold the photos you want to include.
4. 4.Tap Create at the bottom, then Album.
5. 5.Enter a title, and tap Done.
6. 6.Tap Share at the bottom, and choose who to share the album with.

You can share directly with anyone who has a Google Account. Others can get a link, but then anyone with the link can see the photos and add new ones (source 3).

The limits you should know

• •iCloud has room for 100 participants in a shared album from iOS 27, and the album owner counts as one (source 2).
• •New iCloud albums use storage. An album from iOS 27 or later keeps the photos at full resolution, and they count towards the iCloud storage of the album owner. A temporary shared album does not count, but it holds 5,000 photos and videos (source 2).
• •Older iCloud albums have lower quality. An album from iOS 26 or older holds 5,000 photos and videos and 100 subscribers. The long side of a photo becomes 2048 pixels, but a panorama can be up to 5400 pixels wide, and video becomes up to 720p (source 2).
• •Google Photos has 15 GB for free. Each Google Account comes with up to 15 GB of storage, and you can buy more (source 4).
• •A Google Photos link is open. Anyone with the link can see the photos and add new ones (source 3).

What do I do when the album does not work?

• •Do you not see Shared Albums? Go to Settings, tap your name, then iCloud and Photos, and turn on Shared Albums (source 1).
• •Can you not find the album? In the Photos app, it is under Collections and Shared Albums (source 1).
• •Does the album not open? Someone with older software has to update the device or open the album on iCloud.com (source 1).
• •Can the others not add photos? Check that Can Add Photos is selected for the person in iOS 27, or that Participants Can Add Photos is on in iOS 26 (source 1).
• •Can the others not get in with the link? If you chose that only invited people get access, they have to request access, and you have to approve them (source 1).

How to do it with skokk

We make skokk, an app where the whole family posts photos and short videos to the same group, from iPhone, Android and iPad.

An iCloud or Google Photos shared album is free and works without a new app, so try that first. skokk suits you when you want one place for photos from the whole family, and when someone wants to see them on an iPad with big buttons.

Photos are free. Video, “Like” and comments cost NOK 200 a month per group. The app is not in the App Store or Google Play yet.

Sources

We checked the sources in October 2026.

1. Apple: How to use Shared Albums in Photos on your iPhone, iPad, or Apple Vision Pro. support.apple.com/en-us/108314
2. Apple: Shared Albums limits. support.apple.com/en-us/148868
3. Google Photos Help: Share photos & videos. support.google.com/photos/answer/6131416
4. Google Photos Help: Choose the backup quality of photos & videos. support.google.com/photos/answer/6220791