---
title: "What Is iCloud Shared Photo Library on iPhone? Meaning and Settings"
description: "iCloud Shared Photo Library is a second photo library you share with up to five people. Everyone can add, edit and delete what's in it, unlike your own library."
url: https://www.vaultforyou.app/glossary/shared-library
lang: en
published: 2026-10-31
updated: 2026-10-31
author: "VaultForYou Editorial Team"
publisher: VaultForYou
---

# What is iCloud Shared Photo Library?

Published 2026-10-31 - Updated 2026-10-31 - By VaultForYou Editorial Team - Checked against iOS 27 - Oct 31, 2026

## Quick answer

iCloud Shared Photo Library is a separate photo library you share with up to five other people. Everyone in it can add, edit and delete its photos, and the Camera can be set to save straight into it.

- **Settings:** Settings -> Apps -> Photos -> Shared Library.
- **Camera:** Shared Library -> Sharing from Camera.

Photos you hide in your personal library aren't shared, but anything that lands in the Shared Library is visible to everyone in it. Check **Sharing from Camera** if you don't want new photos saved there automatically.

## Frequently asked questions

### Can people in my Shared Library see my hidden photos?

No, not photos hidden in your personal library. But anything in the Shared Library itself is visible to every participant, who can also edit or delete it. Check Sharing from Camera so private photos are not saved there automatically.

## Guides that use this term

- [iCloud Shared Photo Library privacy: what others can see, including hidden photos](https://www.vaultforyou.app/blog/icloud-shared-library-privacy)
- [Does Family Sharing share photos? What your family can and can't see](https://www.vaultforyou.app/blog/family-sharing-photos)
- [iPhone Shared Albums: how they work and who can see your photos](https://www.vaultforyou.app/blog/iphone-shared-album-privacy)

## Related terms

- [Hidden album](https://www.vaultforyou.app/glossary/hidden-album)
- [iCloud Photos](https://www.vaultforyou.app/glossary/icloud-photos)

## Browse

- [All glossary terms](https://www.vaultforyou.app/glossary)

---

Our guides are written and fact-checked by the VaultForYou team against Apple's own documentation. We make VaultForYou, a private vault app for iPhone. Download on the App Store: https://apps.apple.com/app/vaultforyou/id0000000000