iCloud Shared Photo Library Problem

I recently decided to share my photo library with my wife and vice versa, so I enabled iCloud Shared Photo Library on both our Macs and invited each other. I quickly realized I do not want all her photos in my Library, so I deleted the Shared Photo Libraries before they completely synced with each other. I assumed that would remove all the photos in my library from her library, but I still have many of her photos in my library.


On my Photos app on my Mac under the View menu item I see the ability to view "Both, Personal and Shared Libraries" but they are greyed out and cannot be selected.


How to I get rid of her photos in my library? Thanks.

Posted on Jun 7, 2023 7:48 AM

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Jun 8, 2023 4:39 PM in response to JeffreyCS

Hi JeffreyCS,


iCloud Shared Photo Library works by moving photos from your respective personal libraries to the shared photo library that was set up. As such the photos that were migrated from before the feature was turned back off will not 'disappear' back to her library, they're a part of that shared library now.


"How iCloud Shared Photo Library works

When you contribute photos and videos to iCloud Shared Photo Library, they move out of your Personal Library and into the Shared Library. You can join one Shared Library, and you can choose what to share, or automatically share content straight from the camera. All participants have equal permissions to add, edit, and delete content in the Shared Library, while the person who set up the Shared Library, the library creator, provides iCloud storage for all of the content. Everyone else gets access to the Shared Library content without it counting towards their iCloud storage. 


When you join a Shared Library, iCloud captures a one-time snapshot of your photo library database and associated metadata and stores it for up to six months. This helps with a smooth transition of your content to Shared Photo Library. Any photos that were in your library at the time of the snapshot that are subsequently deleted are also stored in iCloud for up to six months. "


Best recommendation if you do not want to use that feature is to import those photos from the shared library back into the respective owners libraries.


Cheers!


Jan 4, 2024 1:37 AM in response to JeffreyCS

I have been struggling with this. When I Edit an Image it has to Download it back to my Personal Library. I then have to send it back to the iCloud Shared Photo Library. Then.. Well then I can't figure out what is what. I gave all 'my' images a unique Keyword but when they are in iCloud Shared Photo Library that Keyword and any caption disappears. It's all very confusing.

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iCloud Shared Photo Library Problem

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