{ "slug": "share-google-photos-album", "question": "How do I share a Google Photos album, and what can the person who opens the link do?", "method": "primary-docs", "checkedAt": "2026-10-26", "about": "What each way of sharing a Google Photos album requires and what the owner can control, read on Google's and Apple's own help pages on one date, with the sentence that supports each value. The Viallo column cites the code that implements it. Nothing here was read off a live Google Photos album, because that needs an album somebody else made.", "tools": [ {"name": "curl", "version": "8.7.1", "role": "fetching every page once by hand, then again by check.py"}, {"name": "python3", "version": "3.9.6", "role": "check.py, standard library only"}, {"name": "git", "version": "2.54.0", "role": "reading the Viallo files on this branch"} ], "inputs": [ {"url": "https://support.google.com/photos/answer/6131416?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DDesktop", "party": "Google", "page": "Share photos & videos (Computer)"}, {"url": "https://support.google.com/photos/answer/6131416?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DAndroid", "party": "Google", "page": "Share photos & videos (Android)"}, {"url": "https://support.google.com/photos/answer/6128849?hl=en", "party": "Google", "page": "Create & edit photo albums"}, {"url": "https://support.google.com/photos/answer/9789702?hl=en", "party": "Google", "page": "How shared album controls give your photos more privacy"}, {"url": "https://support.google.com/photos/answer/6280921?hl=en", "party": "Google", "page": "Stop sharing an album & manage settings"}, {"url": "https://support.google.com/photos/answer/6153599?hl=en", "party": "Google", "page": "Understand, find & edit your photos' locations"}, {"url": "https://support.google.com/photos/answer/7378858?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DAndroid", "party": "Google", "page": "Set up partner sharing (Android)"}, {"url": "https://support.google.com/photos/answer/6220791?hl=en", "party": "Google", "page": "Choose the backup quality of your photos & videos"}, {"url": "https://support.apple.com/en-us/108314", "party": "Apple", "page": "How to use Shared Albums in Photos"}, {"url": "https://support.apple.com/en-us/148868", "party": "Apple", "page": "Shared Albums limits"}, {"url": "repo:apps/web/src/app/(public)/about/page.tsx", "party": "Viallo", "page": "public copy on this branch"}, {"url": "repo:packages/shared/src/schemas/share-link.schema.ts", "party": "Viallo", "page": "share link schema, expiry and download fields"}, {"url": "repo:packages/shared/src/subscription/tiers.ts", "party": "Viallo", "page": "per-account album and photo limits"}, {"url": "repo:apps/api/src/photos/image-processing.service.ts", "party": "Viallo", "page": "the image pipeline, which does not re-encode the original"}, {"url": "repo:apps/web/src/app/(public)/albums/[albumId]/_components/photoManageAccess.ts", "party": "Viallo", "page": "what a contributor link may do"} ], "properties": ["open", "add", "cap", "location", "password", "expiry", "originals"], "propertyLabels": { "open": "Who can open it", "add": "Viewer can add their own photos", "cap": "Photos in one album", "location": "Location details", "password": "Password on the link", "expiry": "Expiry", "originals": "Photos kept as uploaded" }, "results": [ { "option": "Google Photos album link", "open": { "value": "Anyone with the link, no Google Account", "url": "https://support.google.com/photos/answer/6131416?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DDesktop", "quotes": [ {"url": "https://support.google.com/photos/answer/6131416?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DDesktop", "quote": "When you share a link to your photos, anyone with the link can view them."} ] }, "add": { "value": "Yes; turning Collaborate off stops it for everyone with access", "url": "https://support.google.com/photos/answer/9789702?hl=en", "quotes": [ {"url": "https://support.google.com/photos/answer/6131416?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DDesktop", "quote": "When you share an album, anyone with access to the album can view the photos and add to the album."}, {"url": "https://support.google.com/photos/answer/9789702?hl=en", "quote": "To prevent others with access from adding photos, under \"Options,\" turn off Collaborate."} ] }, "cap": { "value": "20,000 photos or videos", "url": "https://support.google.com/photos/answer/6128849?hl=en", "quotes": [ {"url": "https://support.google.com/photos/answer/6128849?hl=en", "quote": "You can add up to 20,000 photos or videos to an album."} ] }, "location": { "value": "A per-album switch, Share photo locations", "url": "https://support.google.com/photos/answer/6153599?hl=en", "quotes": [ {"url": "https://support.google.com/photos/answer/6153599?hl=en", "quote": "Next to \"Sharing photo locations,\" click Album options. Turn Share photo locations on or off."} ] }, "password": { "value": "None; the controls Google documents are on, off and reset", "url": "https://support.google.com/photos/answer/9789702?hl=en", "quotes": [ {"url": "https://support.google.com/photos/answer/9789702?hl=en", "quote": "Link sharing lets you share your photos through an unguessable URL that can be reset at any time."} ] }, "expiry": { "value": "No expiry documented; turning link sharing off and on kills the old URL", "url": "https://support.google.com/photos/answer/9789702?hl=en", "quotes": [ {"url": "https://support.google.com/photos/answer/9789702?hl=en", "quote": "To reset the link, turn link sharing off and then back on."}, {"url": "https://support.google.com/photos/answer/6280921?hl=en", "quote": "Turn Link sharing on or off."} ] }, "originals": { "value": "Yes in Original quality; Storage saver resizes a photo above 16 MP", "url": "https://support.google.com/photos/answer/6220791?hl=en", "quotes": [ {"url": "https://support.google.com/photos/answer/6220791?hl=en", "quote": "Photos and videos are stored in the same resolution that you took them with no change to their quality."}, {"url": "https://support.google.com/photos/answer/6220791?hl=en", "quote": "Photos are compressed to save space. If a photo is larger than 16 MP, it'll be resized to 16 MP."} ] } }, { "option": "Google Photos email invite", "open": { "value": "Only the Google Accounts you name", "url": "https://support.google.com/photos/answer/6131416?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DAndroid", "quotes": [ {"url": "https://support.google.com/photos/answer/6131416?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DAndroid", "quote": "You can share directly to anyone with a Google Account if they're in your contacts or by search with their email address or phone number."} ] }, "add": { "value": "Yes; the same Collaborate switch governs it", "url": "https://support.google.com/photos/answer/9789702?hl=en", "quotes": [ {"url": "https://support.google.com/photos/answer/9789702?hl=en", "quote": "To prevent others with access from adding photos, under \"Options,\" turn off Collaborate."} ] }, "cap": { "value": "20,000 photos or videos", "url": "https://support.google.com/photos/answer/6128849?hl=en", "quotes": [ {"url": "https://support.google.com/photos/answer/6128849?hl=en", "quote": "You can add up to 20,000 photos or videos to an album."} ] }, "location": { "value": "A per-album switch, Share photo locations", "url": "https://support.google.com/photos/answer/6153599?hl=en", "quotes": [ {"url": "https://support.google.com/photos/answer/6153599?hl=en", "quote": "Next to \"Sharing photo locations,\" click Album options. Turn Share photo locations on or off."} ] }, "password": { "value": "Not applicable: no link is created", "url": "", "quotes": [] }, "expiry": { "value": "Not applicable: no link is created", "url": "", "quotes": [] }, "originals": { "value": "Yes in Original quality; Storage saver resizes a photo above 16 MP", "url": "https://support.google.com/photos/answer/6220791?hl=en", "quotes": [ {"url": "https://support.google.com/photos/answer/6220791?hl=en", "quote": "Photos and videos are stored in the same resolution that you took them with no change to their quality."} ] } }, { "option": "Google Photos Partner Sharing", "open": { "value": "One person, who needs a Google Account", "url": "https://support.google.com/photos/answer/7378858?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DAndroid", "quotes": [ {"url": "https://support.google.com/photos/answer/7378858?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DAndroid", "quote": "You can use partner sharing with one person at a time."}, {"url": "https://support.google.com/photos/answer/7378858?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DAndroid", "quote": "You can only invite someone with a Google Account."} ] }, "add": { "value": "Not an album: new photos land in the partner's own library", "url": "https://support.google.com/photos/answer/7378858?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DAndroid", "quotes": [ {"url": "https://support.google.com/photos/answer/7378858?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DAndroid", "quote": "Photos will be shared automatically as they're backed up to your account."} ] }, "cap": { "value": "Not applicable: partner sharing runs continuously, not per album", "url": "https://support.google.com/photos/answer/7378858?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DAndroid", "quotes": [ {"url": "https://support.google.com/photos/answer/7378858?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DAndroid", "quote": "Photos will be shared automatically as they're backed up to your account."} ] }, "location": { "value": "Always included, with no per-album switch", "url": "https://support.google.com/photos/answer/6153599?hl=en", "quotes": [ {"url": "https://support.google.com/photos/answer/6153599?hl=en", "quote": "If you set up partner sharing, all photos you share will include location details."} ] }, "password": { "value": "Not applicable: no link is created", "url": "", "quotes": [] }, "expiry": { "value": "It runs until you stop sharing with that partner", "url": "https://support.google.com/photos/answer/7378858?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DAndroid", "quotes": [ {"url": "https://support.google.com/photos/answer/7378858?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DAndroid", "quote": "To partner share with someone else, or receive an invitation from a different person, stop sharing with your current partner."} ] }, "originals": { "value": "Not checked", "url": "", "quotes": [] } }, { "option": "iCloud Shared Albums", "open": { "value": "No, with Public Website on; an album made in iOS 27 or later can be joined on the web without an Apple Account", "url": "https://support.apple.com/en-us/108314", "quotes": [ {"url": "https://support.apple.com/en-us/108314", "quote": "Turn on Public Website. Your photos publish to a website that anyone can see in an up-to-date web browser."}, {"url": "https://support.apple.com/en-us/108314", "quote": "Friends and family will be able to join and contribute their own photos on the web, even without an Apple Account or Apple device."} ] }, "add": { "value": "Yes, participants add their own photos and comments", "url": "https://support.apple.com/en-us/108314", "quotes": [ {"url": "https://support.apple.com/en-us/108314", "quote": "With Shared Albums, you can create albums to share photos and videos with others"} ] }, "cap": { "value": "No cap beyond your iCloud storage, for an album made in iOS 27 or later; 5,000 before that", "url": "https://support.apple.com/en-us/148868", "quotes": [ {"url": "https://support.apple.com/en-us/148868", "quote": "There are no limits to the number of albums, or photos and videos in a shared album, beyond the owner's available iCloud storage."}, {"url": "https://support.apple.com/en-us/148868", "quote": "Maximum combined number of photos and videos from all contributors in any one shared album: 5000"} ] }, "location": { "value": "Not checked", "url": "", "quotes": [] }, "password": { "value": "None documented; the owner can require approval before someone with the link joins", "url": "https://support.apple.com/en-us/108314", "quotes": [ {"url": "https://support.apple.com/en-us/108314", "quote": "The album owner can choose in the album's Sharing Options to only allow people they invite or approve to access or allow anyone with the link to join without approval"} ] }, "expiry": { "value": "No link expiry documented; a temporary album is deleted after 30 days", "url": "https://support.apple.com/en-us/108314", "quotes": [ {"url": "https://support.apple.com/en-us/108314", "quote": "you can tap Make Album Temporary to make the shared album temporary instead, and it will be deleted in 30 days."} ] }, "originals": { "value": "Full resolution from iOS 27; before that a copy is uploaded and may differ", "url": "https://support.apple.com/en-us/108314", "quotes": [ {"url": "https://support.apple.com/en-us/108314", "quote": "Starting in iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, Shared Albums adds support for full-resolution sharing"}, {"url": "https://support.apple.com/en-us/108314", "quote": "In iOS 26, iPadOS 26, or visionOS 26 or earlier, Shared Albums upload a copy of your data. Downloaded content may not contain the same information as the original."} ] } }, { "option": "Viallo", "open": { "value": "No account and no app, in any browser", "url": "repo:apps/web/src/app/(public)/about/page.tsx", "quotes": [ {"url": "repo:apps/web/src/app/(public)/about/page.tsx", "quote": "There is no account requirement on the viewing"} ] }, "add": { "value": "Yes, through a contributor link", "url": "repo:apps/web/src/app/(public)/albums/[albumId]/_components/photoManageAccess.ts", "quotes": [ {"url": "repo:apps/web/src/app/(public)/albums/[albumId]/_components/photoManageAccess.ts", "quote": "a CONTRIBUTOR only photos uploaded through their own share link"} ] }, "cap": { "value": "No per-album cap; photos are counted per account, 200 on Free, 5,000 on Plus, unlimited on Pro", "url": "repo:packages/shared/src/subscription/tiers.ts", "quotes": [ {"url": "repo:packages/shared/src/subscription/tiers.ts", "quote": "maxPhotos: 200"}, {"url": "repo:packages/shared/src/subscription/tiers.ts", "quote": "maxPhotos: 5000"}, {"url": "repo:packages/shared/src/subscription/tiers.ts", "quote": "maxPhotos: null"} ] }, "location": { "value": "Photos grouped by location, with a map", "url": "repo:apps/web/src/app/(public)/about/page.tsx", "quotes": [ {"url": "repo:apps/web/src/app/(public)/about/page.tsx", "quote": "photos grouped by location"} ] }, "password": { "value": "None; the share link schema has no password field", "url": "repo:packages/shared/src/schemas/share-link.schema.ts", "quotes": [] }, "expiry": { "value": "The owner can put an expiry date on a link", "url": "repo:packages/shared/src/schemas/share-link.schema.ts", "quotes": [ {"url": "repo:packages/shared/src/schemas/share-link.schema.ts", "quote": "expiresAt?: Date;"} ] }, "originals": { "value": "Yes, the original is stored as uploaded", "url": "repo:apps/api/src/photos/image-processing.service.ts", "quotes": [ {"url": "repo:apps/api/src/photos/image-processing.service.ts", "quote": "The original is NOT re-encoded"} ] } } ], "supporting": [ { "claim": "Google: on the web, the create-album control is Add to or create new, Shared album, New shared album", "url": "https://support.google.com/photos/answer/6131416?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DDesktop", "quotes": ["Click Shared album New shared album."] }, { "claim": "Google: the Android app creates an album from Add, Album, New Album", "url": "https://support.google.com/photos/answer/6131416?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DAndroid", "quotes": ["At the bottom, tap Add Album New Album"] }, { "claim": "Google: on the web the link control is Share, then Create link", "url": "https://support.google.com/photos/answer/6131416?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DDesktop", "quotes": ["To share a link, click Create link."] }, { "claim": "Google: anyone with access to an album can add other people to it, so the guest list is not the owner's alone", "url": "https://support.google.com/photos/answer/9789702?hl=en", "quotes": ["Anyone with access to the album can add others to the shared album."] }, { "claim": "Google: a link can be forwarded by whoever holds it", "url": "https://support.google.com/photos/answer/9789702?hl=en", "quotes": ["After a link is created, it can be shared by others."] }, { "claim": "Google: removing a person does not revoke the link they may still hold", "url": "https://support.google.com/photos/answer/9789702?hl=en", "quotes": ["If you remove someone from a shared album, but have link sharing turned on, anyone with the original link can still view the album."] }, { "claim": "Google: only the owner can remove someone", "url": "https://support.google.com/photos/answer/6280921?hl=en", "quotes": ["You must be the owner of the album to remove someone.", "You will need to turn link sharing off so people you remove can't rejoin."] }, { "claim": "Google: turning sharing off does not delete copies anyone already took", "url": "https://support.google.com/photos/answer/6280921?hl=en", "quotes": ["If someone already downloaded or copied photos or videos you shared, turning off sharing will not delete those downloads or copies."] }, { "claim": "Google: an invitee is notified in the app and gets an email for a new album", "url": "https://support.google.com/photos/answer/6131416?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DDesktop", "quotes": ["If it's a new album or conversation, you'll get an email notification."] }, { "claim": "Google: on the web, past shares are listed under Updates, on the left", "url": "https://support.google.com/photos/answer/6131416?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DDesktop", "quotes": ["You'll find your shared albums, conversations, and sharing activity"] }, { "claim": "Google: in the Android app, an album you were sent is under Collections, Albums, Shared with me", "url": "https://support.google.com/photos/answer/6131416?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DAndroid", "quotes": ["At the bottom, tap Collections Albums. At the top, tap Shared with me.", "To find the albums you want, switch between \"All,\" \"Shared with me,\" and \"My albums.\""] }, { "claim": "Google: the Android app lists past shares under Photos settings, Sharing, Manage sharing activity", "url": "https://support.google.com/photos/answer/6131416?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DAndroid", "quotes": ["Check your shared links, shared memories, and conversations."] }, { "claim": "Google: saving a shared photo puts a copy in your own library", "url": "https://support.google.com/photos/answer/6131416?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DDesktop", "quotes": ["When you save a photo or video that has been shared with you, you receive a copy of it in your library."] }, { "claim": "Google: Storage saver also caps video at 1080p", "url": "https://support.google.com/photos/answer/6220791?hl=en", "quotes": ["Videos higher than 1080p will be resized to high-definition 1080p."] }, { "claim": "Google: partner sharing can be filtered by face group, but not in every region", "url": "https://support.google.com/photos/answer/7378858?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DAndroid", "quotes": ["Sharing photos of specific people isn't available in all geographic regions."] }, { "claim": "Google: turning sharing off does not reach a file that a viewer already downloaded", "url": "https://support.google.com/photos/answer/6153599?hl=en", "quotes": ["This doesn't affect photos or videos you share outside of Google Photos, such as when you download and email them to someone."] }, { "claim": "Apple: a shared album holds 100 participants at most", "url": "https://support.apple.com/en-us/148868", "quotes": ["Maximum number of participants in a shared album, including the owner: 100"] }, { "claim": "Viallo: an owner can turn downloads off for a link", "url": "repo:packages/shared/src/schemas/share-link.schema.ts", "quotes": ["downloadAllowed: boolean;"] } ], "headline": "Google's help pages on 2026-10-26 describe three controls on an album link and no others: link sharing on, link sharing off, and reset. There is no password and no end date. Anyone holding the link can view the photos and add to the album until the owner turns link sharing off.", "notes": [ "check.py run on 2026-10-26, and again with --recheck: 58 quotes found, 0 missing, 6 cells with no sentence to re-read (two not-applicable, three not checked, Viallo's password absence).", "Not checked: what a signed-out visitor actually sees on a Google Photos album page, and whether a signed-out visitor can download it. Google documents neither, and this run may not open an album another person made. The post therefore claims nothing about downloading an album link and nothing about a sign-in button.", "Not checked: Google's live interface. The two UI facts here record Google's help wording on 2026-10-26, and the wording differs by platform: the Computer page says Add to or create new, then Shared album, then New shared album, while the Android page says Add, Album, New Album. Help pages can lag the shipped app; the post names the surface it is describing.", "Not checked: an iCloud shared album's per-photo location behaviour, which no Apple page read today describes.", "Not checked: whether Partner Sharing keeps the original resolution; no Google page read says.", "Viallo's password cell records an absence: the share link schema has no password field. There is no line of code to quote for a control that does not exist.", "Apple's page is dated 6 October 2026 and describes iOS 27 features in the future tense. Values are recorded as Apple words them, not as shipped behaviour.", "Prices: none in this post, so nothing priced was re-read.", "Google serves a different page for the same URL depending on the client, so every Google URL here carries an explicit co=GENIE.Platform parameter where the page has variants." ] }