Share photos & videos

You can share photos, videos, albums, and movies with any of your contacts, even if they don't use the Google Photos app.

 

You can share photos, videos, albums, and movies with any of your contacts, even if they don't use the Google Photos app.

Before you get started

Download and install the Google Photos app.

Share in a conversation

You can share directly to anyone with a Google Account if they're in your contacts or by searching their email address or phone number. For everyone else, you can create a link to share.

If your contact’s phone number isn’t associated with their Google Account, you can help them find and connect with you. If your contact doesn’t have a Google Account, you can send them a link or share using another app instead.

To share with other people in a conversation:

1. On your mobile device, open the Google Photos app .
2. Sign in to your Google Account.
3. Select a photo, album, or video.
4. Tap Share .
5. Under "Send in Google Photos," select people to share with. 
   • To share with one person, tap their name.
   • To find someone specific, tap Search . Enter their name, phone number, or email address.
   • To share with more than one person, select multiple people.
     • (Optional) Add a message to go with your shared media.
   • Google makes suggestions based on your interactions. Learn more about suggestions.
6. To share, tap Send. This will create an ongoing conversation thread where you and the people you have shared with can add additional photos, videos, comments, and likes over time.  

Tips: 

• There is a 20,000 photo limit on conversations. 
• To hide a suggested sharing contact, press and hold their profile photo and tap Hide suggestion. To find them again to share something with them later, tap Search , enter their name, and tap Show hidden suggestions.

You can also automatically share your entire library with someone.

Create a shared album

1. On your mobile device, open the Google Photos app .
2. Sign in to your Google Account.
3. At the bottom, tap Photos.
4. Select photos or videos for the album. 
5. At the top, tap Add . 
6. Tap Shared album. 
7. Enter an album title. 
8. When the album is complete, tap Share. 
9. Select who to share your album with.

Important:

• You can share directly to anyone with a Google Account if they're in your contacts or by search using their email address or phone number. For everyone else, you can create a link to share.
• When you share a link to your album, anyone with the link can view the photos and add to the album. Learn how sharing controls give your photos more privacy.
• If you share an album that automatically adds photos of face groups, anyone with access to the album can view photos as they're added.

Send a link or share to other apps

1. On your mobile device, open the Google Photos app .
2. Select a photo, album, or video.
3. Tap Share .
4. Under “Share to apps,” select another app to share to. Swipe left to find more apps. 
5. To create and share a link, tap Create link.

Anyone that has the shared link will be able to view the album. Learn how to change your sharing options.

What happens when you share

• When you send to a contact in Google Photos:
  • Contacts you shared with get an in-app notification and a push notification from the app. The shared item(s) appear in their Sharing page.
  • When you share a new album or conversation with them, they’ll also receive an email notification.
  • Their account profile photo or initial is added to the album or conversation and will appear faded until they view the album or conversation.
  • When they view the album or conversation, their account profile photo or initial will appear in the activity view next to the latest photos, comments, or likes they have viewed.
  • If they join a shared album or like, comment, or add photos in a shared album or conversation, their profile image changes to their account profile photo or initial
• When you add photos or videos to albums or conversations, your account profile photo or initial will appear next to the latest photos you added.
• If you share a video captured fully or partially in slow motion, others may be able to view any part of the video at a slower speed in their own player.

What happens when someone shares with you

If your contact can’t share their media, you can help them find and connect with you.

• When someone shares an album or conversation with you, you will receive an email. 
• If you already use Google Photos, you will also receive an in-app notification and a push notification and the share will appear in your Sharing page.
• When you view the album or conversation, your account profile photo or initial in the album will light up and  appear next to the latest photos, comments, or likes you have viewed. 
• If you join a shared album or like, comment, or add photos in a shared album or conversation, your account profile photo or initial will appear next to the action you took. 
• If you think someone is spamming you, you can block or report them. Learn more about who can share with you.

Learn how to leave albums and conversations.

Save photos & videos shared with you

When you save a photo or video that has been shared with you, you receive a copy of it in your library. Any edits to the original shared photo after it has been saved will not apply to your saved copy. Saved photos and videos count toward your quota except for certain partner sharing instances. Learn more about partner sharing.

To find photos or videos in your device gallery app, you must download them. Learn how to download photos or videos.

To save photos and videos  shared with you in a conversation:

1. In the conversation, scroll to the photo or video that you want to save. 
2. Below the photo or video, tap Save . 

In a shared album, you can:

• Save a photo or video to your library: Tap the photo or video that you want to save. At the top, tap Save.
• Save all photos and videos in an album to your library: Below the user icons, tap Save .
• Save the album to your Library tab: At the top, tap More   Show in Library.

Tip: When you save a shared album to your albums tab, you receive a copy of the album in your albums tab. This doesn’t save album content to your library.

Manage your conversations & albums

1. On your mobile device, open the Google Photos app .
2. At the top, tap Sharing .
   • Important: For some users, Sharing can be found at the bottom.
3. You can access your shared albums and sharing activity, like comments and recently added photos. New sharing activity will be in bold.

Review an album

1. Open the album you shared.

2. Click More   Options.

Leave an album or conversation

When you leave a shared album or conversation, all of the photos, videos, comments, and likes you have added will be removed.  

To leave an album: 

1. Click the album. 
2. At the top right, click More   Leave album.

To leave a conversation:

1. Click the conversation. 
2. At the top, click  next to the names of the people in the conversation.
3. Next to your name, click Leave.

Remove someone from an album

You must be the owner of the album to remove someone.

1. Open the desired album.
2. Click More   Options.
3. Scroll to find the contact you’d like to have removed.
4. Click More   Remove person.

Remove items from shared albums & conversations

You can remove photos, videos, comments, and likes you have added to conversations and shared albums.  

To remove photos and videos: 

1. In a shared album or conversation thread, click on the photo or video. 
2. At the top right, click More   Remove.

To remove comments and likes: 

1. In a shared album or conversation thread, click on the comment or like. 
2. Click Delete.

Related resources

• Create, edit, and share albums
• Stop sharing an album
• Delete photos and videos
• Back up your photos and videos
• Stop people from adding to your albums, or turn commenting off
• How shared album controls give your photos more privacy