---
title: "What is a temporary shared album on iPhone in iOS 27?"
description: "A temporary shared album in iOS 27 expires after 30 days and doesn’t use iCloud storage. Learn how to make one, what participants see, and what iOS 27.1 adds."
url: "https://picway.app/guides/temporary-shared-album-iphone/"
lang: "en"
type: "guides"
updated: "2026-11-01"
published: "2026-11-01"
keywords: "temporary shared album"
---

# What is a temporary shared album on iPhone in iOS 27?

URL: https://picway.app/guides/temporary-shared-album-iphone/
Markdown: https://picway.app/guides/temporary-shared-album-iphone/index.md
Last updated: 2026-11-01

Per Apple, a temporary shared album, available when you create a shared album in iOS 27, expires after 30 days. Apple says albums set to expire don’t use any iCloud storage, and participants can see when it expires and save items before then. A temporary album can hold up to 5000 photos and videos combined.

## How to do it {#steps}

1. **Start a new shared album**: Open the Photos app, tap Collections, scroll down to Shared Albums, and create a new shared album on iOS 27.
2. **Turn on Make Album Temporary**: While creating the album, turn on Make Album Temporary to set it to expire after 30 days.
3. **Choose who can join**: Under Sharing Options, select People You Choose or Anyone with the Link, then invite people.

## What are the rules for a temporary album? {#rules}

| Rule (per Apple) | Detail |
| --- | --- |
| Expires | After 30 days |
| iCloud storage | Doesn’t count toward your iCloud storage |
| Size | Up to 5000 photos and videos combined from all contributors; file size of each item isn’t limited |
| Participants | Up to 100, including the owner |

Sources: Apple’s [Create shared albums](https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/create-shared-albums-iph3d2676c9/ios) and [Shared Albums limits](https://support.apple.com/en-us/148868).

## Can participants save photos before it expires? {#save-before-expiry}

Yes. Apple says participants can see when a temporary album expires and save items before that date ([Apple](https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/create-shared-albums-iph3d2676c9/ios)). iOS 27.1 adds a reminder before albums expire so participants can save important photos and videos ([Apple](https://support.apple.com/en-us/149076)).

## What else did iOS 27.1 add? {#ios-27-1}

Apple’s iOS 27.1 notes list editing captions and comments and avoiding adding duplicate photos ([Apple](https://support.apple.com/en-us/149076)).

## Who can join through a link? {#link-access}

If you pick People You Choose and the link reaches someone you didn’t invite, they can request access to the album, and you can grant or deny it ([Apple](https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/create-shared-albums-iph3d2676c9/ios)).

## Should I use a temporary or a regular album? {#which-one}

Use a temporary album for a one-off event so it doesn’t use your iCloud storage. For photos you want to keep, a regular album created in iOS 27 stores originals at full resolution and counts toward your storage. See [do shared albums use iCloud storage](https://picway.app/guides/shared-albums-icloud-storage/).