how to create an iCloud Shared Photo Library

If you're wondering what makes an iCloud Shared Photo Library different from a regular shared Photos album, you're not alone.

iCloud Shared Photo Libraries, one of the new features in iOS 16, are similar to shared albums on Photos, which have been around for a while. This feature, on the other hand, has some pretty powerful tricks up its sleeve to broaden the scope of sharing photos with friends and family while also making the process more streamlined and enjoyable.

Instead of simply adding photos to a shared album, you and five other people can now take photos directly into a shared library, where each member can view, edit, and delete the images. Of course, you can still take and store photos in your personal library. There are a variety of other methods for adding images to the shared library, such as by date range, facial recognition, and even proximity to other members of the shared library.

But how do you go about creating a Shared Photo Library? With the release of iOS 16.1, the iCloud Shared Photo Library feature is now available to everyone. Continue reading to learn how to set up your own iCloud Shared Photo Library.

How to Create a Shared Photo Library in iCloud:

1. Go to Settings, then Photos.

2. Select Shared Library to enable the feature.

3. The iCloud Shared Photo Library splash screen will appear. Start Setup should be selected.

4. Select the people you want to invite — you can invite up to five more people — and then click Continue.

5. Choose which photos to transfer to the shared library. You have the option of selecting all of the photos in your library, selecting photos based on the dates taken or the people featured, or manually selecting photos. In this case, we'll go with the middle option.

6. You'll be asked to select the people you want to add to the Shared Photo Library. The names of those in the group will be selected by default, but you can add others as well.

7. You can specify a starting date for photos in your iCloud Shared Library.

8. You will be prompted to preview your Library. It's a good idea to do so because you can remove photos that will remain in your personal library but will not be shared with others. The command to remove photos is located at the bottom of the screen; there is a trash can next to it if you simply want to delete the photo.

9. It is now time to invite others to your shared library. You can do so by sending a link or a text message to them via Messages.

10. You'll be asked if you want the Camera app to automatically upload photos to the iCloud Shared Photo Library. You can also manually share photos.

11. Finally, you're all set up.

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