For years, iPhone users have used shared albums to store hundreds of photos and videos without worrying about running out of iCloud storage space. Previously, users could upload up to 5,000 files without hitting their quota, but the price was that Apple would compress them. This feature, widely used by family and friends to share precious memories of travel or celebrations, is coming to an end with the release of iOS 27.
Apple’s new version of the operating system introduces a fundamental change: Shared albums created from now on will maintain the original resolution of each photo and video, but the content will be deducted directly from your iCloud storage. Free Storage Expired There are some fine print to this measure that will also affect people who invite others to participate.
Higher quality, but at the cost of larger file size.
The main attraction of this new feature is that photos and videos will no longer be compressed, thereby avoiding file size reduction. If you create a new shared album, all uploaded content will be saved in the original quality when it was taken, which photography enthusiasts will be delighted with. But this improvement comes with a price: Each file takes up valuable iCloud space as if it were saved directly to your personal photo library, whether you’re on the free 5GB plan or a paid subscription.
Most users with 5GB of free data will notice this problem immediately. Because a few high-resolution photos and videos can fill up storage space in just a few hours. If you’re used to using shared albums to clear your camera roll without checking the storage space, this new policy will force you to think twice before uploading content and possibly look for other ways to save space. Delete files and data from iCloud to free up space.
The owner of the album pays for the guest photos.
One of the most controversial issues is who is responsible for the space taken up by content uploaded by others. If you have a shared album, anything guests add takes up space in your iCloud account, not theirs. In other words, if you create a wedding album and your guests upload dozens of 4K videos, even if you don’t upload any files yourself, you’ll end up taking up your available storage space.
Additionally, Apple has expanded access to these albums: now anyone without an Apple account, including Android or Windows users, can participate in content uploads. This openness increases the opportunity for many people to add material, which creates real trouble for album creators, who watch their space being taken up uncontrollably.
Temporary Album, The Only Way
To mitigate the impact, iOS 27 introduces an alternative: temporary shared albums. It works similarly, but will not occupy iCloud storage space during the validity period. The downside is that all content will automatically disappear after 30 days if you don’t save it to your personal photo gallery first. This is a practical option for one-off events where you need to quickly exchange photos, but it’s not ideal for creating a permanent collection of memories.
For many users, this solution is not ideal as it requires users to constantly download and save files lest they be deleted. If you want a place to store your vacation photos long-term, you either have to find another way or free up iCloud storage space.
What happens to the albums you’ve already created?
There’s good news for users who have been using this feature for a while: Shared albums created before iOS 27 was installed will not be affected. The photos and videos you’ve accumulated won’t take up your storage space, so you won’t suddenly find yourself running out of space without requesting it. However, new albums created after the update will have new rules applied, so the previous method will no longer work.
Apple’s decision is interpreted as further pushing users to upgrade to iCloud+ paid plans. The Cupertino-based company has been gradually reducing the benefits of free storage at a time when many users are looking to optimize their consumer spending. The infinite reduction in storage space for shared photo albums will be especially noticeable for large families and groups of friends. Some people use this method to centrally manage photos without spending a penny.
All in all, the changes are clear: iOS 27 is more about image quality than storage space. If you want to continue sharing memories without worrying about running out of storage, you’ll have to use temporary albums; but if you want to save those full-resolution photos permanently, be prepared to revisit your iCloud plan and likely end up paying for more storage space.
