Apple Intelligence is now available on iPhone, iPad, and Mac!

Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

Shared Albums Photos Missing

On my Mac, the photos have disappeared from the shared albums. The photos are all still in the library and in the shared albums on the other devises, but not in the shared albums on the Mac. How do I get them back on the Mac?

MacBook Pro 14″, macOS 13.5

Posted on Aug 5, 2023 11:00 AM

Reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Aug 6, 2023 12:26 PM

Hey kkpiehl,


We're grateful that you posted here so we can help you figure this out.


For this issue, we want to recommend that you try the following steps to see if they might get things working again for your Shared Albums:


On any iOS devices you might be using:


  1. Navigate to Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > Photos and toggle Shared Albums off.
  2. Leave Shared Albums toggled off for 10 minutes.
  3. Restart the device: Restart your iPhone - Apple Support
  4. Go back to Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > Photos and toggle Shared Albums on again.


On your Mac:


  1. Open the Photos app and click Preferences > iCloud and turn Shared Albums off.
  2. Leave Shared Albums toggled off for 10 minutes
  3. Restart your Mac: Shut down or restart your Mac - Apple Support
  4. In Photos, pull up Preferences > iCloud again and toggle Shared Albums back to on.


After those steps have been completed, wait a few more minutes for the content to load in before testing to see if this issue is resolved. Please note that it may take up to 24 hours for those photos to finish syncing.


If the issue continues to occur after 24 hours, go ahead and reach out to Apple directly. If support is available in your region, this will let you work directly with an AppleCare Advisor who specializes in resolving this exact type of issue. You can begin by reaching out here: Get Support


We hope this information is helpful!


Have a great day.

Similar questions

3 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Aug 6, 2023 12:26 PM in response to kkpiehl

Hey kkpiehl,


We're grateful that you posted here so we can help you figure this out.


For this issue, we want to recommend that you try the following steps to see if they might get things working again for your Shared Albums:


On any iOS devices you might be using:


  1. Navigate to Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > Photos and toggle Shared Albums off.
  2. Leave Shared Albums toggled off for 10 minutes.
  3. Restart the device: Restart your iPhone - Apple Support
  4. Go back to Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > Photos and toggle Shared Albums on again.


On your Mac:


  1. Open the Photos app and click Preferences > iCloud and turn Shared Albums off.
  2. Leave Shared Albums toggled off for 10 minutes
  3. Restart your Mac: Shut down or restart your Mac - Apple Support
  4. In Photos, pull up Preferences > iCloud again and toggle Shared Albums back to on.


After those steps have been completed, wait a few more minutes for the content to load in before testing to see if this issue is resolved. Please note that it may take up to 24 hours for those photos to finish syncing.


If the issue continues to occur after 24 hours, go ahead and reach out to Apple directly. If support is available in your region, this will let you work directly with an AppleCare Advisor who specializes in resolving this exact type of issue. You can begin by reaching out here: Get Support


We hope this information is helpful!


Have a great day.

Jul 6, 2024 3:32 AM in response to kkpiehl

What has happened directly before the photos have vanished from the Shared albums?

Are you the owner of the Shared albums or a subscriber?


If you just installed a system upgrade and the Shared albums have become disabled, the cashed, downloaded photos from the shared albums will have been purged and Photos will have to download them again from iCloud, Only the photos that are still iniCloud will reappear. f the person who added the photos to the shared album has removed them from the shared album, you will still be seeing the photos in the shared albums on your other devices, but not on the device where Shared albums have been turned off.

That is why it is essential to save all photos from a shared album, before you toggle Shared Albums off.

As Nathan wrote - it may take up to a day or longer for the photos to reappear, after you enable the Shared albums again, but there is no guarantee, that all will come back. It will depend on what is still in iCloud.



Shared Albums Photos Missing

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple Account.