Apple Delays iCloud Shared Photo Library Feature for iOS 16

Apple appears to have delayed its new iCloud Shared Photo Library feature for iOS 16, which is scheduled to be officially released on Monday, September 12.

iOS 16 iCloud Photos Guide Feature
In iOS 16, currently still in beta, Apple has introduced an ‌iCloud‌ Shared Photo Library that aims to make it easer to share photos with your friends and family.

With the new ‌‌iCloud‌‌ Shared Photo Library in ‌iOS 16‌, a new option in the Photos app lets you create a shared library and then invite anyone with an Apple device to view the photos, contribute photos to the library, and edit the photos contained within it, including favoriting images and adding captions. There are no limitations, and all participants have the same permissions.

However, in a footnote at the bottom of its iPhone 14 press release, Apple says "‌iCloud‌ Shared Photo Library will be available in a future software update." It therefore looks like the new ‌Photos‌ ‌iCloud‌ feature will not make it to the first official version of iOS 16. We'll update this article if we learn more.

Popular Stories

Generic iOS 18 Feature Real Mock

Apple Shares Full List of Over 250 New Features and Changes Coming With iOS 18

Wednesday September 11, 2024 7:16 am PDT by
Following its iPhone 16 event on Monday, Apple shared a PDF on its website with a list of all new features and changes coming with iOS 18. The list includes many features that were already announced, including Apple Intelligence, new customization options for the Home Screen and Control Center, a redesigned Photos app, several enhancements to the Messages app, a Passwords app, and more....
iphone 16 pro models 1

Skipping the iPhone 16 Pro? Here's What's Rumored for iPhone 17 Pro

Wednesday September 11, 2024 8:20 am PDT by
Will you be skipping the iPhone 16 Pro and waiting another year to upgrade? If so, we already have some iPhone 17 Pro rumors for you. Below, we recap key new features rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models so far: 24MP front camera for all iPhone 17 models: All four iPhone 17 models will feature an upgraded 24-megapixel front-facing camera, according to Apple supply chain analysts Ming-Chi...
Beyond iPhone 13 Better Blue Face ID Single Camera Hole

10 Reasons to Wait for Next Year's iPhone 17

Friday September 13, 2024 2:40 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models simultaneously, which is why we sometimes get rumored feature leaks so far ahead of launch. The iPhone 17 series is no different – already we have some idea of what to expect from Apple's 2025 smartphone lineup. If you plan to skip...
iphone 16 pro colors 1

Here's When iPhone 16 Pre-Orders Begin in Every Time Zone

Thursday September 12, 2024 6:12 am PDT by
Pre-orders for the iPhone 16, ‌iPhone 16‌ Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and ‌iPhone 16 Pro‌ Max are set to begin on Friday, September 13 at 5:00 a.m. Pacific Time, with the new devices set to become available in multiple countries around the world simultaneously. We've compiled pre-order times for various countries to help MacRumors readers be among the first to order. This list isn't...
iphone 16 lineup colors

Apple Discontinues iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max and iPhone 13

Monday September 9, 2024 2:09 pm PDT by
With the launch of the new iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max, Apple has discontinued some of its older iPhones. As of today, Apple is no longer selling the iPhone 13, and the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max have been replaced with the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max. The iPhone SE remains as Apple's most affordable device, with the iPhone 14 and iPhone...
airpods pro 2 pink

Apple Releases New AirPods Pro 2 Firmware With Support for iOS 18 Features

Tuesday September 10, 2024 11:40 am PDT by
Apple today released a new firmware update for the AirPods Pro 2, including both the Lightning and USB-C versions. The firmware has a build number of 7A294, up from 6F8, and it is available for all AirPods Pro 2 users. Apple has been beta testing this update, but it is launching ahead of when iOS 18 becomes available next Monday. There are multiple features that Apple is adding to the...

Top Rated Comments

noraa Avatar
26 months ago
My guess is it’ll be released once iPadOS 16.1 and macOS Ventura is released. Otherwise you’ll have a shared library on your iPhone that you can’t access anywhere else.
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
bowens Avatar
26 months ago

I still don't understand what this is for!
I've been waiting on this feature for years. Never understood why it wasn't available before.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
uberman15 Avatar
26 months ago

crazy people... can you imagine if you accidentally sent something you shouldn't send... to your KIDS.

stuff happens...

nope.
Can you imagine that they let you limit the shared library to just you and your partner?!
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Zyphrax Avatar
26 months ago
Honestly iCloud Shared Photo Library could have been a great feature. But for some insane reason they don’t support albums in the shared library.

Why is it so hard for Apple to come up with a solution to share my vacation photos with my family? I don’t one long stream of photos or a random folder list that I individually share. Just albums!

My solution now is Google Photos, but I’d prefer to have it all on Apple
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Zyphrax Avatar
26 months ago

There is Shared Albums you can use for that. Been using said feature for years to share vacation photos with my family.
That feature is a mess. Shared albums is a long list of albums, some shared with family, some with friends and you can’t make any subfolders. It is difficult to organize.

I just want a nice album called Vacations and have a subalbum for all the trips I’ve made. So that I can find the photos of one specific trip.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jambon Avatar
26 months ago

only if the user had used the feature during the betas (at least it seems that way so far)
Ooh ok. Confusing. I deleted the shared library in advance of the install of RC. Upgraded and option to setup is still there. Photos are safe anyway!
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)