PHOTOS · 3 NOVEMBER 2026

How to keep photos private in a Shared Library

iCloud Shared Photo Library is great for family photos, and easy to over-share with. Every member can see, edit, and delete everything in the shared library, and hiding a photo there does not change who it belongs to.

Move a photo to your personal library

1. In Photos, select the photo or photos.
2. Tap the More button (•••).
3. Choose Move to Personal Library.

The photo is no longer in the shared library and other members cannot see it.

Stop the camera sharing automatically

The Camera can add new photos to the shared library as you take them. To control that:

1. Open Settings → Apps → Photos → Shared Library (or Settings → Photos → Shared Library).
2. Tap Sharing from Camera and turn it off, or set it to share only manually.

When it is on, a people icon in the Camera shows whether the next photo goes to the shared library. Tap it to switch for a single shot.

Know what members can do

Every member of a Shared Library has the same permissions: they can add, edit, favourite, caption, and delete shared photos.

Keep private photos out of it entirely

Photos you would never want to share by accident are safer outside the Photos library altogether. Take them inside Vaultage with + → Take photo, or import and then delete the original. Vaultage never syncs or shares anything.

FAQ

Does leaving a Shared Library remove my photos from it?

When you leave, you can choose to keep a copy of everything, or only what you contributed. The photos you added stay in the shared library for other members.