Starting with iOS 27, Shared Albums in the Photos app will store photos and videos at full resolution for the first time, but Apple is also ending the storage exemption that has made the feature free to use for years.
Every photo and video in a new Shared Album will count toward the owner’s iCloud storage limit, including content uploaded by other people invited to contribute.
Until now, Shared Albums compressed images to a maximum of 2,048 pixels on the long edge and allowed up to 5,000 photos and videos without using iCloud storage.
iOS 27 removes both limits, preserving the original resolution while making shared content part of the owner’s storage quota.
Your shared album can use your storage
The change matters most for collaborative albums. If ten people contribute photos to an album you own, all of those uploads count against your iCloud storage.
Apple is also making Shared Albums easier for people outside its ecosystem to use. People can join through iCloud.com without an Apple Account or Apple device, allowing Android and Windows users to contribute directly.
That could make it easier for shared albums to accumulate large amounts of content.
Apple is offering a separate option for short-term sharing. Temporary Shared Albums don’t count against iCloud storage, but they expire after 30 days. Photos and videos that haven’t been saved to a personal library by then are deleted.
Existing albums keep the old rules
The change doesn’t automatically apply to existing Shared Albums. Existing albums remain compressed and continue using the current storage rules unless the owner chooses to upgrade them.
Apple has added an “Upgrade Shared Album” option in Photos that converts an existing album to full resolution. Once upgraded, however, the album falls under the new iCloud storage rules.
That makes the change particularly relevant for anyone already close to their storage limit. A shared album that previously had no impact on an iCloud plan can begin consuming storage after it is upgraded.
iOS 27 is currently in public beta and is expected to launch in September alongside new iPhone models. Apple continues to include 5GB of free iCloud storage, and its support documentation has not yet been updated with the new Shared Album rules.
