How to Fix Shared Albums Not Working on iPhone, iPad, or Mac

Get access to your online shared photos again

Co-authored by Rain Kengly Reviewed by Luigi Oppido

Last Updated: October 7, 2024 Fact Checked

Are you not seeing photos in your Shared Albums? Whether you're the creator or recipient, you can easily troubleshoot it. Before beginning, check for any existing invites and accept it first. This wikiHow will show you what to do when a Shared Album is not showing up on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac computer.

Fixing Shared Albums Not Syncing

If you can't find Shared Albums, resend the invitation or ask the album-maker to send you a new invite.
Try removing the recipient from the Shared Album and adding them again.
You can find Shared Album invites in Photos > For You.

1

Check your notifications.

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Make sure you accept the notification to join the album. You'll see this notification in your Notifications Center or in the Photos app.^{[1]
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Research source} To find it, do the following:
- Open Photos.
- Tap For You.
- Tap Accept in the invitation.

2

Resend the invite.

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If the recipient didn't get a notification to join your shared album, you can send another invitation. Similarly, if you didn't receive an invitation to join, ask the album creator to send you another invite. This can be done from an iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Windows.^{[2]
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Research source}
- iPhone or iPad:
  - Open the Photos app.
  - Tap Albums.
  - Tap Shared Albums or Shared.
  - Tap People.
  - Tap the recipient in the list of subscribers.
  - Tap Resend Invitation.
- Mac:
  - Open the Photos app.
  - Click Shared Album.
  - Click the album.
  - Click People (person icon).
  - Click the arrow next to the recipient's name.
  - Click Resend Invitation.
- Windows:
  - Open iCloud Photos.
  - Double-click the shared album.
  - Click Options.
  - Click the recipient.
  - Click Resend Invitation.
  - Click Done.

3

Re-add the recipient.

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Remove the recipient and add them again. This may fix any invitation errors. You can also try sending the invitation to a different email address.
- iPhone or iPad:
  - Open the Photos app.
  - Tap Albums.
  - Tap Shared Albums or Shared.
  - Tap People.
  - Tap Invite People.
  - Enter their email address.
  - Tap Add.
- Mac:
  - Open the Photos app.
  - Click Shared Album.
  - Select the shared album.
  - Click People (person icon).
  - Click + in the Invite People field.
  - Select a contact.

4

Toggle Shared Albums on and off.

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Turn off Shared Albums and turn it on again. This will remove the albums and add it back again. Make sure you're connected to Wi-Fi.
- iPhone or iPad:
  - Force-close the Photos app.
  - Open Settings > your Apple account > iCloud > Photos.
  - Toggle off Shared Albums.
  - Go to your Home screen and wait a few minutes.
  - Open Settings > your Apple account > iCloud > Photos.
  - Toggle on Shared Albums.
  - Open the Photos app and check your albums.
- Mac:
  - Open the Photos app.
  - Click Photos > Settings.
  - Click iCloud.
  - Uncheck Shared Albums.
  - Wait a few minutes.
  - Check Shared Albums.
- Windows:
  - Close all Shared Albums windows.
  - Open iCloud for Windows.
  - Click Options next to Photos.
  - Uncheck Shared Albums.
  - Click OK > Apply.
  - Wait a few minutes.
  - Click Options again.
  - Check Shared Albums > OK > Apply.

5

Check your spam folder.

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If the album creator isn't added to your contacts, it may be flagged automatically. You can check both your spam and junk folders for the Shared Album invitation.

6

Restart your device.

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If Shared Albums aren't showing up on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac, a simple restart may help it sync.

7

Check Apple's servers.

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Make sure Photos is still online. The Photos feature may be temporarily impacted due to the new iOS update. You can find this on the Apple website.
- If you see Unavailable next to Photos, you'll need to wait for Apple to resolve their server errors.