NewsDo you use the Shared Albums feature to share pictures with your friends and family members? Are you troubled by the shared albums not showing up on iPhone problem? If this happens to you, dive into this post from NewsPivot which presents the solutions to that issue.
What Is a Shared Album?
As its name suggests, Shared Albums makes it convenient to share photos and videos with your contacts. It was formerly named iCloud Photo Sharing, allowing multiple people to add and comment pictures in an album. However, some common problems such as shared albums not showing up on iPhone will arise. Read the next section to learn the causes of it.
Why Are Shared Albums Not Showing Up on Your iPhone?
Some reasons why you experience the shared albums missing on iPhone issue include:
- There is something wrong with Apple’s System Status.
- Poor and unstable internet connection.
- The iCloud photo link is expired.
- Low Power Mode is enabled.
- Outdated iOS version.
- Temporary system glitches.
How to Fix Shared Albums Not Showing Up on iPhone?
Check Apple System Status
Sometimes, the problems on your iPhone may not be due to the error on your side, but Apple’s end. If you are experiencing the shared albums not showing up on iPhone issue, the first thing you need to do is to go to Apple System Status and verify whether the service status of Photos is down.
The green dot means this service is available and working perfectly, then you should make efforts to solve your problem. If the dot is not green, it indicates this service is down and you just need to wait for Apple to fix it.
Check the Internet Connection
The Shared Albums feature runs based on iCloud, which means that you need to connect to a stable and strong internet for optimal functionality. To fix the Shared Albums not working on iPhone problem, you need to open a web page on Safari to check if your Wi-Fi or Cellular Data is working properly.
If the internet connection is still unstable, try resetting the network settings. To do so, here are the simple instructions:
Step 1: Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone.
Step 2: Tap on Reset > Reset Network Settings > enter your screen passcode to confirm your action.
Turn off & on Shared Albums
Occasionally, your iPhone may get stuck due to unknown reasons and make Shared Albums stop working. One of the direct solutions when you can’t see shared albums on iPhone is to disable and re-enable Shared Albums.
Way 1: Navigate to Settings > select your profile > iCloud > Photos. Then locate Shared Albums to turn it off and turn it on again.
Way 2: Go to Settings > Photos > Shared Albums, then toggle it off and toggle it on again.
Disable Low Power Mode
If you enable Low Power Mode on your iPhone, it will reduce background activity and automatic downloads. This may fix the battery draining problem, but it can also lead to the Apple Photos not showing shared albums issue. To solve it, just go to Settings > Battery > Low Power Mode > toggle it off.
Clear iPhone Storage Space
The iCloud Shared Album has a substantial capacity that can accommodate nearly 5000 photos and videos. However, if it is heavily used and takes up a lot of space, it will lead to the shared albums not showing up on iPhone problem. In this situation, you need to delete some unnecessary pictures to free up more storage space.
Step 1: Launch Photos > check the target photos and videos > hit the trash icon at the bottom right corner > tap on Delete Photo or Delete Video.
Step 2: Then go to Recently Deleted and clear the photos in there.
Related post: Methods to Fix the “Can’t Delete Photos from iPhone” Issue.
Make Sure the iCloud Photo Link Has Not Expired
The iCloud photo link expires after 30 days since it’s generated. If you are using an expired iCloud photo link, you can’t accept the shared albums invitation, leading to an error message saying “Fail to Retrieve”. In this case, you can only ask the sender for a new sharing link.
Update iOS to Its Latest Version
You may run into faults and problems such as Shared Albums not working on iPhone when the Apple device’s operating system is outdated. In such cases, the best thing is to update your iOS to its latest version. Before the update process, make sure you have a stable internet connection on the iPhone. Follow the steps below to perform an update:
Step 1: Locate Settings > General > Software Update.
Step 2: Wait for your iPhone to check whether there is an update. If yes, tap on Update Now to download and install the latest iOS version.
Also read: 7 Effective Ways to iOS 17 Update Not Showing up on iPhone.
Sign out and Re-sign into iCloud
If you can’t see shared albums on iPhone after trying the methods above, the problem might be related with iCloud. It’s wise to check iCloud, so you can sign out and sign in to your iCloud again to resolve this issue. Follow the step-by-step guide:
Step 1: Go to Settings > tap on your Apple ID > Sign Out > enter your Apple ID password to confirm it.
Step 2: After a few seconds, restart your iPhone and sign back into your iCloud.
Bottom Line
You can learn what a shared album is and how to fix the shared albums not showing up on iPhone issue after reading this post. If you are trapped by the same problem, try the solutions mentioned above. Hope you can fix it without any trouble. Have a nice day!