I am confused with Albums/Shared Albums/My Albums in Apple photos. If I delete a shared album will it automatically delete the images from my Photos Library. I do not want to delete the images from my Library but I do want to delete the shared Albums and also reduce the number of My Albums. ie some “tidying up” of my own Photos structure. Many Thanks Neil (UK)
I have 3 large photo libraries stored on remote HD’s. I used Aperture for many years and moved over to use Photo app several years ago. Also use iCloud (2TB) and Dropbox(2TB)and family sharing.
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Neil ST (UK)
If you delete a shared album, and the shared album is made up of photos from your library, it will not delete them from your library. In fact, if you delete a normal album, it won't delete the photos from your library either. Albums are list "playlists" -- they are just other ways to view the photos in your library.
However, if the shared album contains photos from someone else, like they shared an album TO you and you accepted it, then if you remove the shared album you will lose access to those photos since they are from the other person's account.
Also, by deleting shared albums that you created with your photos, anyone that has access to them now will lose that access, of course.
Try it and see. Delete a photo from a shared album. Then find the photo safe and sound in your Library list. Delete a photo from an album. Then find it in your Library. It is easy to test such things.
Note that you can also create folders in Photos to store albums. So if you have albums that are still useful to you, but it feels cluttered, then just create some folders to put the albums inside to make it seem less cluttered. Since deleting them doesn't actually make a difference in terms of storage, there's no harm keeping albums around.
Gary, Thank you for your excellent and concise advice to my"How Do I "Tidy Up" My Photos Library and Storage?" question. I have "followed" you for many years and enrolled on a number of your courses which have all been first class. Thank you.
Gary, Thank you for your excellent and concise advice to my"How Do I "Tidy Up" My Photos Library and Storage?" question. I have "followed" you for many years and enrolled on a number of your courses which have all been first class. Thank you.