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Apple Brings Full-Resolution iCloud Shared Albums to Android and Windows

Apple today announced an update to iCloud Shared Albums to allow friends and family on Android and Windows to join and contribute photos more conveniently, with support for full-resolution images.

iOS 26 Glass Photos Feature
The improvement for Android and Windows users removes a notable friction point for mixed-device groups, enabling users outside the Apple ecosystem to participate in shared albums via iCloud.com more easily, as well as add photos at full-resolution with no compression for the first time.

Apple has also introduced new ways to filter and react to photos in shared albums, along with updated tools for inviting others to contribute.

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Top Rated Comments

zakarhino Avatar
20 hours ago at 04:11 pm
Do you understand how long I've been waiting for this... This is why I've been texting photos in addition to sharing them on the shared album. Great addition.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
15 hours ago at 09:25 pm
Nice change. Should have been available a long time ago.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
19 hours ago at 04:42 pm
Nice. I've been very frustrated by the lack of a full resolution option. And I'm glad that they added sharing with Android as well.
I hope Apple also made some improvements to how fast synced photos show up on other devices, and perhaps even better storage management, only downloading hi-res versions if the user has enough space, and deleting local high-res copies if they are running low on space (it's supposed to do that now, but I've found that feature to be very unreliable.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
3 hours ago at 08:32 am

I thought photos and videos were never full resolution in shared albums, even on Apple devices?
i think the writer did not know this, and combined two news items into one.

it was actually two separate announcements:
1) full resolution photos on shared albums
2) support for windows and android
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Phineasgage1848 Avatar
17 hours ago at 07:28 pm
Does anyone know if photos currently in shared albums convert to full res or is it only new uploads after iOS 27?
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
19 hours ago at 05:18 pm

Damn I thought android and windows were creeps dirty users to never do anything with them… and now Apple seems to collaborate with google, android and everything…

Is iOS going to become android 2.0?
The whole fanboy act is kind of tiring.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)