Can’t figure out why your shared albums are not showing in the Photos app on your iPhone?
Shared Album is a convenient feature in Photos that allows you to share photos and videos with friends and family. It works with or without iCloud Photos or My Photo Stream.
However, many users complain that shared albums are not showing up on their iPhones.
Most of the time, sync issues cause this problem. However, it can also happen due to improper configurations and network issues.
Today, we will show you how to address this problem on your phone.
Let’s begin!
1. Check Apple Servers.
Before doing anything, ensure the problem is not caused by server downtimes or ongoing maintenance.
Visit Apple’s system status page and see if there are reported server outages or scheduled maintenance.
Sadly, server-related problems cannot be resolved on your end. Due to this, it’s best to wait for Apple’s team to get everything sorted.
Check in occasionally so you know once the servers are up and running.
On the other hand, you can proceed to the next step if there’s nothing wrong with Apple’s servers.
2. Restart Your iPhone.
A temporary bug or error may have occurred on your device, causing Shared Albums to disappear from the Photos app.
Restart your iPhone to reload its resources and eliminate issues that occurred during use. This should also clear corrupted and unused data from the system memory.
If you are using an iPhone X, 11, 12, 13, 14, or later, here’s what you need to do:
- Hold the Volume Down and Side buttons until the ‘Slide to Power Off’ prompt appears.
- Now, drag the slider to the right and wait for 30 seconds.
- Press the Side button afterward to turn on your device.
For older models, follow the steps below:
- Locate the Power button on your device.
- Hold the button until the ‘Slide to Power Off’ prompt appears.
- Drag the slider to the right and wait 30 seconds before turning on your device.
Go back to Photos to check if you can now view shared albums.
3. Toggle Shared Album Off/On.
You can try toggling Shared Album off and then on, on your device if you can’t see them from the Photos app.
This forces the feature to refresh, ensuring user data is not corrupted.
Here’s what you need to do:
- Open Settings on your iPhone.
- Now, tap on your Apple ID on the main page.
- Go to iCloud > Photos.
- Look for Shared Albums and tap the toggle switch to turn off the feature.
- After 2-3 minutes, re-enable Shared Albums.
Relaunch Photos on your iPhone to check if the problem is solved.
4. Disable Low Power Mode.
While Low Power Mode helps save battery, it can also turn off common features on your iPhone.
If you can’t view shared albums on your iPhone, it’s possible that Low Power Mode disabled iCloud sync.
Disable Low Power Mode to confirm if it causes the issue.
- Launch Settings on your iPhone.
- Now, scroll down and tap on Battery.
- Tap the toggle switch beside Low Power Mode to turn it off.
Go back to Photos to check if the problem is solved.
5. Relogin Your Apple ID.
If you can’t see new shared albums in the Photos app, you can try refreshing your account data by logging out of your Apple ID for several minutes.
This should also work if some images are not showing up on your shared albums.
Follow the steps below to guide you through the process:
- Open Settings on your iPhone.
- Tap on your Profile/Apple ID.
- Scroll down and tap on Sign Out.
- Follow the prompts to continue.
After 2-3 minutes, log in to your Apple ID and check if the problem is solved.
6. Update Your Software.
There might be a problem with your iPhone’s software related to iCloud sync, Photos app, or Apple ID.
To rule this out, ensure you have the latest version of iOS installed to receive all the latest security updates and fixes.
Here’s how you can update your iPhone:
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
- Navigate to General > Software Update.
- If there’s a new iOS version available, tap Download and Install.
- Once the new software is ready, follow the prompts to install the update.
Note
- Your device can restart several times while installing the update.
- Ensure your iPhone has at least 50% battery before installing updates. It’s best to keep your device plugged into the wall charger to avoid interruptions.
- Allow at least 15 minutes for the update to install, especially if it’s a major update (iOS 14 to iOS 15).
Go back to Photos to check if you can now view shared albums.
7. Reset Network Settings.
If you still encounter issues with Shared Albums, we suggest resetting your network settings.
This should roll back any changes to your Wi-Fi and cellular settings that could be causing sync issues to iCloud and Photos.
See the steps below to reset your network settings:
- On your iPhone, go to the main menu and open Settings.
- Now, tap on General.
- Look for Transfer or Reset iPhone and tap on it.
- Tap the Reset option and select Reset Network Settings.
- Follow the prompts to continue.
Note
- Your iPhone will immediately restart upon resetting your network configurations.
- It may appear to be stuck in the Apple logo. Wait for the process to complete, which usually takes 5 to 10 minutes.
Check the Photos app afterward to see if your shared albums are showing up.
8. Contact Apple Support.
If none of the solutions above worked, it’s time to let the professionals handle the situation.
Visit Apple’s support page and look up the issue you’re experiencing with the Photos app. The site should suggest some solutions along with related articles about Shared Albums.
You can also contact Apple’s team through phone or chat if the suggested solutions do not work.
That ends our guide for fixing shared albums if they are not showing on your iPhone. If you have questions, comment below, and we’ll do our best to respond.
