How family sharing can expose your photos
Shared albums, shared libraries and family accounts can show your photos to others. Here is how to check what is shared on iPhone and Android.
A family storage plan on its own does not usually share photos; each person keeps a separate library. The surprises come from sharing features switched on inside it, and from devices signed in to your account. Here is where to look on each platform. Apple and Google move these screens between versions, so if a path does not match, search Settings or the Photos app for the feature's name.
On iPhone
- Shared Library. If Photos shows a library switcher, you may be using one. Check who the participants are, and in Settings, Apps, Photos, whether new camera photos are added automatically, for example when family members are nearby.
- Shared Albums. In Photos, open each shared album and look at its people list. Old albums often include people you no longer see. Remove them, or delete the album.
- Family Sharing. Settings, [your name], Family Sharing shows who is in your group and what is shared, such as location and purchases.
- Signed-in devices. Scroll to the bottom of Settings, [your name]. A family iPad signed in to your Apple Account shows your whole library.
On Android
- Partner sharing. In Google Photos, tap your profile picture, open Photos settings, then Sharing. Partner sharing can send your whole library, or photos of chosen people, to one person automatically.
- Shared albums and links. Open the Sharing area and review each album and conversation. Anyone with a shared link can usually view it without signing in, so delete links you no longer need.
- Samsung Gallery. Samsung's shared albums are separate from Google Photos. Check them in Gallery too.
- Signed-in devices. Review them in your Google account's security settings.
If you are the organizer
Whoever set up a family group usually controls who is in it and can see some details about members, such as purchases or, if turned on, location. They do not automatically see each member's photo library. If you organize the group, tell people what is and is not shared, so nobody is guessing. When a relationship ends, removing someone from the group, a Shared Library and shared albums are three separate steps.
The quieter places
- A shared tablet or computer signed in to your account.
- Memories, slideshows and photo widgets that play on a screen others can see.
- A child's device set up with your account rather than their own.
Most of this is a settings tidy, not a confrontation. If you need to stop sharing with someone who may react badly, see the note below before changing anything.
If you are worried about someone in your home, changes such as removing them from a shared library can be noticed. A local support service can help you plan. In the US, the National Domestic Violence Hotline is 1-800-799-7233, or text START to 88788.