Hidy VaultHow to turn off Shared Library on iPhone
Open Settings > Apps > Photos > Shared Library. There you can stop camera sharing, leave the library, or delete it if you are the organizer. Your photos are copied out before you go.
- Stop new photos going in: Settings > Apps > Photos > Shared Library > turn off Sharing from Camera.
- Leave: Shared Library > Leave Shared Library > choose Copy Everything or Copy Only What I Contributed.
- Organizer: Delete Shared Library instead, then choose Keep Everything or Keep Only What I Contributed.
What do you actually want to turn off?
"Turn off Shared Library" can mean three different things. Pick the one that matches your situation before you touch any setting.
- Stop new camera photos going in. You stay a member, but your camera stops feeding the shared library.
- Leave the library. You stop being a member. Your copy of the photos comes with you.
- Delete the library. Only the organizer can do this. It ends the library for everyone.
All three start in the same place: Settings > Apps > Photos > Shared Library.
Option 1: Stop sharing from the camera
This is the lightest change. New photos you take with the iPhone camera stop landing in the shared library.
- Open Settings.
- Tap Apps, then Photos.
- Tap Shared Library.
- Turn off Sharing from Camera.
Apple documents this under its photos sharing settings. It is the right choice if the shared library is useful but you do not want every snapshot to appear in it.
Hidy Vault keeps photos, videos and documents in encrypted vaults that open only with a pattern you draw. No account, no Hidy server. Free for 3 vaults.
Option 2: Leave a Shared Library
Leaving is for members who are not the organizer. Before you leave, iOS asks what to do with the photos.
- Open Settings > Apps > Photos > Shared Library.
- Tap Leave Shared Library.
- Choose Copy Everything or Copy Only What I Contributed.
- Tap Leave Shared Library again to confirm.
Option 3: Delete a Shared Library (organizer only)
If you created the library, you delete it rather than leave it. This ends it for every member.
- Open Settings > Apps > Photos > Shared Library.
- Tap Delete Shared Library.
- Choose Keep Everything or Keep Only What I Contributed.
- Tap Delete Shared Library to confirm.
Apple describes what other members get. People who were in the library for more than seven days automatically receive everything in their Personal Library. People who were in it for less than seven days receive only the content they contributed.
Which copy option should you pick?
| Choice | What you keep | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Copy Everything / Keep Everything | A copy of all photos in the shared library | You want the family or trip photos on your own device |
| Copy Only What I Contributed / Keep Only What I Contributed | Only the photos you added | You want a clean library with just your own shots |
What a Shared Library is, briefly
An iCloud Shared Photo Library holds photos for up to six people: the organizer plus five others. There is one shared library at a time. Photos you contribute move from your personal library into the shared one, and all members can view, edit and delete them.
It needs iCloud Photos and iOS 16.1 or later.
Limits and things to know
- Deleting is not the same as leaving. Deletion affects everyone in the library.
- This does not hide photos. Photos copied into your Personal Library are visible there like any other photo. If you want some out of sight, see how to hide photos on iPhone.
If you want private photos off the shared library
A Shared Library is built for sharing. Anything you put in it, other members can see. If your goal is a private space for sensitive photos, a shared library is the wrong tool. Hidy Vault keeps files encrypted on the iPhone, opened by a pattern you draw. Each pattern opens its own vault, and nothing opens without it. It is coming to the App Store; you can read how Hidy Vault works in the meantime.
For the iCloud side, our guide on stopping iCloud Photos syncing covers what changes when photos stay on one device.
Frequently asked questions
Does leaving a Shared Library delete my photos?
No. You choose to copy everything, or only what you contributed, into your Personal Library before you leave.
What happens to other members when the organizer deletes the library?
Apple says members of more than seven days get everything in their Personal Library. Members of less than seven days get only what they contributed.
Can I turn off Shared Library without leaving it?
Yes, partly. Turning off Sharing from Camera stops new camera photos going in, but you stay a member.
How many people can be in a Shared Library?
The organizer plus up to five other people, and one shared library at a time.
