How to Share Photos and Videos with Anyone Using Google Photos

This guide shows you how to share photos and videos with anyone using Google Photos, whether they have the app or not. You’ll learn how to create shareable links, collaborate on shared albums, and control who can view or download your media. No special setup is needed beyond having a Google account and the Google Photos app or website.

What You’ll Need

A Google account (free to create)
The Google Photos app installed on your phone/tablet, or access to photos.google.com on a computer
The photos or videos you want to share already backed up to Google Photos

Step-by-Step

Open Google Photos – On your phone, tap the Google Photos app icon. On a computer, go to photos.google.com and sign in with your Google account.
Select the items you want to share – Tap and hold one photo or video to enter selection mode. Then tap any others you want to include. On a computer, hover over an item and click the checkmark circle that appears in the top-left corner of each thumbnail.
Tap the Share button – It’s the icon that looks like a person with a plus sign (or an arrow pointing up on some devices). On a computer, it’s in the top-right corner.
Choose how to share – You’ll see two main options:
- Create a link – This gives you a shareable URL that anyone with the link can view. Tap “Create link” and then copy the link to send via text, email, or social media.
- Share with specific people – Enter their email addresses or phone numbers. They’ll receive an invitation to view the album or items.
Set permissions (optional) – Before sending, you can decide if recipients can only view or also add photos/videos (only for albums). Look for a “Viewer” or “Contributor” option when sharing with specific people.
Send the link or invitation – Once you’ve chosen your method, tap Send or Copy Link. If you copied a link, paste it into your message, email, or social post.
Share an entire album – To share a whole collection, go to the Albums tab, open the album, then tap the Share icon. Follow the same steps as above. You can also create a new album by selecting multiple photos and tapping the plus icon, then choosing “Album.”
Manage your shared items – To see everything you’ve shared, go to the “Sharing” tab at the bottom of the app. From here, you can see who has access, copy the link again, or stop sharing.

Common Mistakes

Sharing a link with the wrong permissions – By default, link sharing may allow anyone with the link to view. If you want to restrict access, use the “specific people” option instead.
Forgetting to turn off link sharing – If you shared a link and later want to revoke access, you must go to the Sharing tab and remove the link. Deleting the original photos does not always remove the link immediately.
Sharing a single photo instead of an album – If you want to share multiple items, make sure you select them all before tapping Share. Sending one photo at a time is tedious for the recipient.
Not checking storage limits – Google Photos gives you 15 GB of free storage (shared with Gmail and Drive). If you’re sharing large videos, you may run out of space, which can prevent new uploads.

Tips

Use shared albums for events – Create a shared album for a wedding, party, or trip, and let multiple people add their own photos. Everyone can contribute and see all the memories in one place.
Use the “Collaborate” feature – When sharing an album, you can allow others to add photos and videos. This is great for group projects or family gatherings.
Control downloads – If you want to prevent others from downloading your photos, you can’t fully disable it with a link, but you can choose to share only with specific people and ask them not to download. There’s no built-in way to block downloads entirely.
Share directly from the camera – If you’ve just taken a photo, you can tap the share icon in the bottom-right of the screen to quickly share it without going to the main library.
Create a movie or animation – Before sharing, you can use Google Photos’ built-in editor to create a movie or animation from your selected photos. This can be more fun than sending raw files.

Troubleshooting

Recipient can’t open the link – Make sure you copied the full link. Sometimes the link gets cut off in messaging apps. Also, check that the link is still active (you can see this in the Sharing tab).
Recipient doesn’t see the photos – If they don’t have a Google account, they can still view via the link, but they may need to tap “Open in browser” if the link opens the app. If you shared with a specific email, make sure they’re signed in to that account.
Sharing button is grayed out – This usually means the photos haven’t finished uploading to Google Photos. Wait for the upload to complete and try again.
Can’t find the Sharing tab – On the mobile app, the Sharing tab is at the bottom. On the web, it’s on the left sidebar. If you don’t see it, you may be on an older version; update the app or refresh the page.
Link sharing is turned off – Some Google Workspace accounts have restrictions. If you see an error about link sharing being disabled, contact your administrator.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I share photos with someone who doesn’t have a Google account?
A: Yes, you can create a link and send it to anyone. They can view the photos in a web browser without signing in.

Q: How do I stop sharing a photo or album?
A: Go to the Sharing tab, find the item, tap it, and choose “Remove” or “Stop sharing.” This will revoke access for everyone.

Q: Can I share photos directly to social media?
A: Yes, when you tap Share, you’ll see icons for apps like Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Select one, and the photo will be posted there (you may need to grant permission).

Q: Is there a limit to how many photos I can share?
A: No, but there is a storage limit for your own account. You can share as many as you have space for.

Q: Can I let others add their own photos to a shared album?
A: Yes, when creating a shared album, you can choose “Collaborate” and allow others to add photos and videos. They’ll need to be signed in to a Google account.

Q: What happens if I delete a photo I’ve shared?
A: The photo will be removed from the shared album or link. If you delete it from your library, it will also disappear from any shared albums it was in.

General steps for current mainstream versions; menus can differ by device and version. See the disclaimer or report an error.

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