{"id":200376,"date":"2026-09-17T12:37:05","date_gmt":"2026-09-17T16:37:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/midatlanticconsulting.com\/blog\/?p=200376"},"modified":"2026-09-17T12:37:05","modified_gmt":"2026-09-17T16:37:05","slug":"how-to-add-photos-videos-to-icloud-shared-album-from-android","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/midatlanticconsulting.com\/blog\/2026\/09\/how-to-add-photos-videos-to-icloud-shared-album-from-android\/","title":{"rendered":"How to add photos  videos to iCloud shared album from Android"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>In this step-by-step tutorial, we show Android users how to upload their photos and videos to shared iCloud albums created by iPhone, iPad, and Mac users.<span id=\"more-1062077\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1062078\" src=\"https:\/\/media.idownloadblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Shared-iCloud-album-on-Android-phone.jpg\" alt=\"Shared iCloud album on Android phone\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1500\" \/> <\/p>\n<p>With the latest <a href=\"https:\/\/www.idownloadblog.com\/2026\/06\/09\/install-ios-27\/\">iOS 27, iPadOS 27<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.idownloadblog.com\/2026\/06\/16\/install-macos-27-on-partition\/\">macOS 27 Golden Gate<\/a> update, you \u2013 an iPhone, iPad, or Mac user \u2013 can let your family members and friends who have an Android phone add their own photos and videos to your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.idownloadblog.com\/2026\/06\/23\/shared-icloud-album-consume-icloud-space\/\">shared iCloud album<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>But one important thing to note is that Android users still cannot create new iCloud shared albums; they can only join one created by their Apple user friend. This is similar to how <a href=\"https:\/\/www.idownloadblog.com\/2021\/07\/14\/how-to-facetime-android-windows\/\">Android and Windows PC users can only join an existing FaceTime call<\/a>, not start one on their own.<\/p>\n<p>In case you&#8217;re wondering, before iOS 27, if you tried to invite a non-Apple user to your shared iCloud album, the invitation failed to send. However, you could still <a href=\"https:\/\/www.idownloadblog.com\/2022\/12\/13\/how-to-turn-photo-album-into-public-website-iphone\/\">turn your album into a free iCloud website<\/a> that your non-Apple friends could view. But they couldn&#8217;t add photos to it.<\/p>\n<h2>What&#8217;s needed<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>The person who creates the iCloud album should update their iPhone, iPad, or Mac to iOS 27, iPadOS 27, or macOS 27 Golden Gate.<\/li>\n<li>The Android person must have a working email address to receive the code from Apple.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Important:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The Apple user can see the Android user\u2019s full email address, and vice versa.<\/li>\n<li>Unless the album is temporary, any photos and videos Android users add to the shared album will count toward your (Apple user&#8217;s) iCloud storage.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Add photos to iCloud shared album from Android phone<\/h2>\n<p>It involves two steps: an Apple user creates a shared album, then an Android user adds photos to it. The steps for Windows PC are similar, but you can also view shared albums in the Photos app for PC.<\/p>\n<p><strong>1)<\/strong> Open the <strong>Photos app<\/strong> on iPhone, iPad, or Mac and create a new shared iCloud album.<\/p>\n<p> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1062081\" src=\"https:\/\/media.idownloadblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Creating-shared-icloud-album-and-setting-its-access-level-on-iPhone.jpg\" alt=\"Creating shared iCloud album and setting its access level on iPhone\" width=\"1664\" height=\"1678\" \/> <\/p>\n<p>When creating this album:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>You can make it permanent (requires enabling iCloud Photos) or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.idownloadblog.com\/2026\/06\/25\/temporary-shared-icloud-album\/\">temporary, which will auto-delete after 30 days<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>For Sharing Options, you can choose to allow only people you approve. Or allow anyone with the link. If you select the former, the Android user will need your approval before they can join, view photos, or add photos. Selecting the latter will allow them to view the photos without your approval. They can also add photos without your approval, but they will need to enter their email and verify with an OTP; you&#8217;ll be able to see their email address and remove them as a participant if you want.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>2)<\/strong> Once the shared album is created, tap the <strong>share icon<\/strong> and send the invitation to your Android friend via Messages, WhatsApp, Mail, or other apps.<\/p>\n<p> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1062080\" src=\"https:\/\/media.idownloadblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Sharing-link-for-iCloud-shared-album-with-Android-user.jpg\" alt=\"Sharing link for iCloud shared album with Android user\" width=\"1664\" height=\"1673\" \/> <\/p>\n<p><strong>3)<\/strong> The Android user must tap the iCloud link.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>If anyone with the link can access the shared iCloud album, tapping it gives them access to it, but uploading photos still requires them to verify their email address with an OTP.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1062087\" src=\"https:\/\/media.idownloadblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Verifying-email-to-view-shared-iCloud-album-on-Android-phone.jpg\" alt=\"Verifying email to view shared iCloud album on Android phone\" width=\"1664\" height=\"1851\" \/> <\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>If this album is accessible only to approved users, they must enter their email address, verify with the OTP, and request access.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1062086\" src=\"https:\/\/media.idownloadblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Android-user-asking-for-access-for-iCloud-shared-album.jpg\" alt=\"Android user asking for access for iCloud shared album\" width=\"1664\" height=\"1851\" \/> <\/p>\n<p><strong>4)<\/strong> You (i.e., the Apple user) will get a Photos app notification on your device. Attend to it to <strong>approve<\/strong> or decline the Android user&#8217;s request to join your shared iCloud album. This step doesn&#8217;t apply if the album access is set to anyone with the link.<\/p>\n<p> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1062082\" src=\"https:\/\/media.idownloadblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Approving-Android-user-request-to-join-iCloud-shared-album.jpg\" alt=\"Approving Android user request to join iCloud shared album\" width=\"1664\" height=\"1673\" \/> <\/p>\n<p><strong>5)<\/strong> Once the Apple user approves, the iCloud albums page should auto-refresh on the Android phone. If not, refresh the page manually.<\/p>\n<p> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1062085\" src=\"https:\/\/media.idownloadblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Android-user-viewing-shared-iCloud-album.jpg\" alt=\"Android user viewing shared iCloud album\" width=\"1664\" height=\"1851\" \/> <\/p>\n<p>Then the Android user can:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>View existing photos of this shared album.<\/li>\n<li>Tap a photo to download it, react to it with an emoji, see photo information, or leave a comment.<\/li>\n<li>Use the <strong>Download<\/strong> button to save all photos of this album to their phone.<\/li>\n<li>Tap <strong>Activity<\/strong> to see activity history.<\/li>\n<li>Add their own photos using the <strong>picture-with-a-plus icon<\/strong> at the top.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1062084\" src=\"https:\/\/media.idownloadblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Android-user-uploading-photos-to-shared-iCloud-album.jpg\" alt=\"Android user uploading photos to shared iCloud album\" width=\"2244\" height=\"1665\" \/> <\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Tap the <strong>two-person icon<\/strong> to see the participants of this shared album, copy the album link for saving or sharing with others, or leave the shared album.<\/li>\n<li>Tap the <strong>three-dots menu icon<\/strong> to do the above things, including starting a slideshow.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1062079\" src=\"https:\/\/media.idownloadblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Viewing-and-managing-shared-iCloud-album-on-Android-phone.jpg\" alt=\"Viewing and managing shared iCloud album on Android phone\" width=\"1664\" height=\"1851\" \/> <\/p>\n<p><strong>6)<\/strong> Once the photo upload is complete from the Android phone, all participants of this album, irrespective of which device they are on, will be able to see it.<\/p>\n<h2>If the Android user can&#8217;t add photos and videos<\/h2>\n<p> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-1062088\" src=\"https:\/\/media.idownloadblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/No-add-photos-icon-for-shared-iCloud-album-on-Android-phone.jpg\" alt=\"No add photos icon for shared iCloud album on Android phone\" width=\"350\" height=\"445\" \/> <\/p>\n<p>If the add photos icon is missing on the Android phone user&#8217;s end, that means the original album owner (i.e., the Apple user) has only given them the rights to view the album and comment on existing photos and videos.<\/p>\n<p>The shared album owner can change this by tapping the Android user&#8217;s email address in the Shared Album settings and changing their permission from \u201c<strong>Can View and Comment<\/strong>\u201d to \u201c<strong>Can Add Photos<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1062083\" src=\"https:\/\/media.idownloadblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Managing-iCloud-shared-album-permission-for-Android-user-on-iPhone.jpg\" alt=\"Managing iCloud shared album permission for Android user on iPhone\" width=\"1664\" height=\"1673\" \/> <\/p>\n<h2>Can Android users delete photos from a shared iCloud album?<\/h2>\n<p>Android users can delete the photos and videos they added to the album. They can&#8217;t delete stuff added by others. However, the original album owner (i.e., the Apple user) can delete the photos added by their Android friend.<\/p>\n<p> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1062089\" src=\"https:\/\/media.idownloadblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Android-user-deleting-photo-from-shared-iCloud-album.jpg\" alt=\"Android user deleting photo from shared iCloud album\" width=\"1664\" height=\"1851\" \/> <\/p>\n<p><strong>Also, check out:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.idownloadblog.com\/2026\/06\/30\/shared-by-filter-icloud-album\/\">How to filter photos by members in shared iCloud album<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.idownloadblog.com\/2026\/06\/23\/shared-icloud-album-consume-icloud-space\/\">iOS 27: Shared iCloud photo albums will now take up your iCloud space<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Source link: https:\/\/www.idownloadblog.com\/2026\/09\/17\/icloud-shared-album-android\/<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In this step-by-step tutorial, we show Android users how to upload their photos and videos to shared iCloud albums created by iPhone, iPad, and Mac users. With the latest iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27 Golden Gate update, you \u2013 an iPhone, iPad, or Mac user \u2013 can let your family members and friends&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":29,"featured_media":200377,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1,12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-200376","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-allnews","category-appleindustrynews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/midatlanticconsulting.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/200376","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/midatlanticconsulting.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/midatlanticconsulting.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/midatlanticconsulting.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/29"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/midatlanticconsulting.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=200376"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/midatlanticconsulting.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/200376\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":200378,"href":"https:\/\/midatlanticconsulting.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/200376\/revisions\/200378"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/midatlanticconsulting.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/200377"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/midatlanticconsulting.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=200376"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/midatlanticconsulting.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=200376"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/midatlanticconsulting.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=200376"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}