10 Ways to Fix iCloud Photo Sharing Not Working on iPhone

Shared Albums, formerly named iCloud Photo Sharing, is an amazing feature that allows users to share photos and videos with their family or friends on their iOS devices with a shared album.

Users can easily create a photo album and share it, allowing their family and friends to like, comment, or even upload their own photos and videos to the album.

However, some users complain that iCloud photo sharing is not working sometimes. They always fail to upload their photos to the shared album or the iCloud link is not loading.

Don't worry, the solutions shared in this article will help to fix the iCloud photo sharing not working issue on iPhone or iPad.

How Do I Enable iCloud Photo Sharing?

Depending on the iOS version you are running, you may see Shared Albums or iCloud Photo Sharing on your iPhone. It is very easy to share photos on iCloud with family and friends, just ensure that everyone you want to share with has the feature enabled on their iOS devices.

Here's how to set up iCloud Photo Sharing: On your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud > Photos and turn on Shared Albums (For iOS 11 or older versions, turn on iCloud Photo Sharing).

To create a Shared Album, follow these steps: Open the Photos app > Go to the Albums tab and tap the + icon > Tap New Shared Album > Name the new album and hit Next, then choose people from contacts and tap Create.

Why Is iCloud Photo Sharing Not Working?

Have you ever run into a problem while sharing photos with iCloud? There are a number of things that can cause iCloud photo sharing stop working:

• Shared Albums or iCloud Photo Sharing is not enabled on your iPhone or iPad.
• Your iPhone won't be able to upload or share photos with iCloud if it is connected to a poor Wi-Fi or cellular network.
• You may have mistakenly created a private photo album instead of a shared one.
• Apple server is down or under maintence so that iCloud photo sharing is not working.

How to Fix iCloud Photo Sharing Not Working?

#1. Ensure iCloud Photos/Shared Albums Are Enabled

If iCloud Photos and Shared Albums are not enabled on your iPhone, you won't be able to share photos with iCloud. Go to Settings and check if these features has been enabled or not.

#2. Ensure iCloud Photo Link Isn't Expired

iCloud Photo link has an expiration date, it will only be available for 30 days after sent to others. If the link expires, people won't be able to view the pictures and they will receive a "Failed to Retrieve" message. In such case, you will need to send a new iCloud Photo link.

#3. Sign Out and Sign Into iCloud Again

iCloud photo sharing may not work properly if the iCloud account goes wrong. If you doubt that the account leads to the abnormal performance of iCloud photo sharing, you can choose to sign out and sign into the iCloud account again. But this solution is not 100% workable.

Here's how to sign out iCloud on your iPhone or iPad:

1. Go to Settings > [your name]. Scroll down to the bottom and tap "Sign Out".
2. Enter your Apple ID password and tap "Turn Off".
3. Choose the data that you want to save a copy of on your iPhone.
4. Tap "Sign Out" again to confirm that you want to sign out of iCloud.

After sign out, wait for several seconds and then tap the Sign In button to sign in back to your iCloud account.

#4. Check Internet Connection

One of the preconditions to make iCloud photo sharing work properly is to ensure a stable WiFi or cellular network on your iPhone. Or you will definitely face the issue of iCloud photo sharing not working.

If your iPhone data signal is weak or has no service, then use some common tips to improve the network or signal connection and check if the iCloud issue still exists or not.

#5. Re-invite Your Friends to the Shared Album

If your friends don't join the shared album, they will not view the photos and videos shared on iCloud even though the iCloud Photo Sharing or Shared Album feature is enabled. You can re-invite the person to join into the album with the steps below:

1. Open the Photos app and tap on the Albums tap.
2. Select the album that you would like to share and go to the People tab.
3. From the list of subscribers, choose the person's name and tap on "Resend Invitation".

If you have removed the person from the list of subscribers, you can tap "Invite People" to re-add them.

#6. Turn Off Low Power Mode

Low Power Mode is a helpful feature for saving your iPhone's bettery life. However, you won't be able to copy the iCloud Photo link if your iPhone is in Low Power Mode. For iCloud photo sharing working normally, you can charge your iPhone or manually turn off Low Power Mode in Settings > Battery.

#7. Check Apple iCloud Server Status

If Apple system servers are not available or iCloud service is having some issues, iCloud photo sharing will not work. You can visit the Apple System Status page and check if there is a green dot next to the iCloud Photos.

#8. Reset Network Settings

If iCloud photo sharing is not working becuase your iPhone is not connected to the internet, you can also try to reset network settings. To do that, go to Settings > General > Reset and tap on "Reset Network Settings".

#9. Update iOS to the Latest Version

If you want to use the iCloud Photo link to share photos with family or friends, you will need to make sure that your iPhone is running iOS 12 or later. Go to Settings > General > Software Update and update to the latest version if available.

Use iCloud Alternative to Backup iPhone Photos to PC

One of the best iCloud alternatives to transfer/backup data from iPhone to computer is FoneGeek iOS Backup & Restore (iOS 16 supported) if you found that your iCloud Photo Sharing is not working properly. This tool gives you a chance to seamlessly export photos from iCloud, iTunes and iPhone without restoring your iPhone system.

Why Choose FoneGeek iOS Backup & Restore:

• It offers 3 ways to transfer your iPhone to computer: from iTunes backup, from iCloud backup and from iOS devices directly.
• More than 20 types of data can be transferred to computer in one click.
• It is safe to use. You data will not be disclosed and be damaged.
• You can preview the photos that you want to back up with the free trial version.
• This program is fully compatible with the latest iOS 16/15 and iPhone 14/13 models.

Backing up photos with FoneGeek iOS Backup & Restore couldn't be easier. Next, read the simple 3 steps to transfer and backup all iPhone photos to your computer.

Step 1. To transfer photos from iPhone or iCloud to computer, you need to download, install and launch FoneGeek iOS Backup & Restore.Then Choose "Backup & Restore" based on your needs.

Step 2. Select the data you would like to save and click "Backup". After that, click "Export to Computer" within the menu and transfer the selected photos to your computer.

Conclusion

The iCloud photo sharing not working error can be easily solved with the solutions demonstated in this article. And FoneGeek iOS Backup & Restore will be a great assistant to transfer iPhone data including photos to computer. You can have a try!