Two Photos libraries on iPad with Photos app?

Is it possible to have two photos libraries on the iPad and approach them with the Photo-app?

iPad Pro (M4, 2024)

Posted on Jan 18, 2026 8:14 AM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Jan 18, 2026 9:02 AM

Your iPad (and associated Apple Account) has just one Photo Library - however, you can have multiple Photo Albums within your Photo Library.


The (often overlooked) iPad User Guide is a rich source of information. Here are two direct links to relevant sections of the Guide to get you started:

Browse your photo library on iPad - Apple Support

Create and work with photo albums on iPad - Apple Support


4 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Jan 18, 2026 9:02 AM in response to JOANV

Your iPad (and associated Apple Account) has just one Photo Library - however, you can have multiple Photo Albums within your Photo Library.


The (often overlooked) iPad User Guide is a rich source of information. Here are two direct links to relevant sections of the Guide to get you started:

Browse your photo library on iPad - Apple Support

Create and work with photo albums on iPad - Apple Support


Jan 19, 2026 6:43 AM in response to JOANV

You are very welcome.


Unlike your Mac that supports multiple user accounts, iPad and iPhone are essentially single-user devices. The Apple ecosystem is consistent in that each user (i.e. Apple Account) has a specific set of resources, such as a Photo Library, that is maintained on a device that in most instances are synchronised with iCloud.

Jan 19, 2026 9:41 AM in response to LotusPilot

The Mac's ability to have multiple photo libraries is not tied to the creation of multiple user accounts. You can have multiple Mac Photos libraries that belong to a single user. Only the one designated as the system Photos library can, optionally, be synchronized with iCloud Photos. The others are strictly local.


Likewise for Music and TV libraries, although I'm not sure how the Finder decides which ones to use for manual synchronization if there are several of those. ("Currently selected"?)


Create additional photo libraries in Photos on Mac - Apple Support

Use multiple libraries in Music on Mac - Apple Support

Use multiple libraries in the Apple TV app on Mac - Apple Support


I would guess that one reason that the iPhone and iPad support only a single instance of each type of library is to simplify the user interface. Another might be that iCloud Photos is positioned as a sort of "backup" for an iPhone or iPad's photos, and iCloud itself currently does not have a concept of multiple Photos libraries.

Jan 19, 2026 6:10 AM in response to LotusPilot

Thank you, LotusPilot, for your reply. I wanted to be sure that I did not overlook a possibility for more Photo Libraries on my iPad. The one that I am using is already so huge that I think it should be better to divide it in more separate Libraries, like the ones I am using on mij Macbook. But I will continue to use one only, with many albums.

Two Photos libraries on iPad with Photos app?

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