They do not see your photos. You can turn off location. Answer from hawk_ky on reddit.com
Reddit
reddit.com › r/applehelp › question about the privacy of “apple family sharing”
r/applehelp on Reddit: Question about the privacy of “Apple Family Sharing”
June 16, 2024 -
My two main concerns are if photos are shared automatically/permanently or if the same goes for sharing my location. I want to join my family’s plan for the extra iCloud storage but there are some stuff I don’t want them to be able to see, and I haven’t come across any concrete answers for those two specifically.
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They do not see your photos. You can turn off location.
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No data is shared with family sharing. Photos are not shared unless you manually enable shared photo library. The location can be shared if you manually enable it in family sharing settings. The only time you have to share location is if you're under 13. What is Family Sharing? Everyone's personal files and preferences stay private When you share iCloud+, family members can't see each others’ photos, files, or documents. And when you share other subscriptions like Apple Music, Apple Fitness+, or Apple TV+, each person sees their own preferences and recommendations — not the whole family’s. How to use iCloud Shared Photo Library Share your location with your family The family organizer sets up location sharing in Family Sharing settings. After location sharing is turned on, the organizer's location is automatically shared with everyone in the family group, and any new family members who are added later. Then each family member can choose whether or not to share their location. Share iCloud+ with your family When you share an iCloud+ subscription, everyone in the family group uses their own account. That way your photos, documents, and other information stay private, even though you're sharing access to the service. You simply share the features and space available in iCloud+ with your family members, so you only have one plan to manage.
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Actually a Shared Family photo album is a feature of Family Sharing. Photos need to be actually shared through that album to be visible to other members of the family group however.So unless you actually share you photos, they cannot be seen by anybody else. Set up Family Sharing - Apple Support
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Yes. You are only sharing the storage for them, not the photo libraries themselves. Other people in the group cannot access iCloud Photo Libraries from other members in the family group. If you don't have iCloud Photo Library turned then, then your photos are not even on iCloud.
MultCloud
multcloud.com › explore more about popular clouds › can a family share icloud storage? learn how to optimize your family plan
Can a Family Share iCloud Storage? Learn How to Optimize Your Family Plan
January 21, 2025 - Keeping shared iCloud storage confidential is a common concern. "If I share iCloud storage with family, can they see my pictures?" is a question many people ask. No, the answer is that each family member's data is kept confidential.
Reddit
reddit.com › r/applehelp › if i backup my photos to icloud, will my family see them?
r/applehelp on Reddit: If I backup my photos to iCloud, will my family see them?
February 25, 2022 -
We have a family plan, which means we share subscriptions and money and such. If I enable iCloud photos, will they be able to see the photos in my iCloud?
SimplyMac
simplymac.com › icloud › if-i-share-icloud-storage-with-family-can-they-see-my-pictures
If I Share iCloud Storage with Family Can They See My Pictures? - SimplyMac
December 28, 2024 - When you share an iCloud storage plan with family members, your photos remain private unless you choose to share them. So sharing iCloud storage with your family is a convenient way to manage storage costs, but it does not compromise the privacy ...
Quora
quora.com › I-am-in-family-sharing-and-have-shared-iCloud-storage-with-my-family-Are-they-able-to-see-all-my-photos-I-have-my-own-Apple-ID
I am in family sharing and have shared iCloud storage with my family. Are they able to see all my photos? I have my own Apple ID. - Quora
Answer (1 of 7): Thanks for the A2A. Being part of Family Sharing does not mean the content on devices logged in with your Apple ID will automatically be shared with them. All Family Sharing does is allow content to be shared in ways you decide. In regards to photos, when Family Sharing is set u...
Apple Support
support.apple.com › en-us › 108783
Share iCloud+ with your Family Sharing group - Apple Support
They can't keep their current plan and the shared family plan at the same time. Open the Settings app, then tap Family. Tap Subscriptions, then tap iCloud+. Tap Use Family Storage. Choose Apple menu , click System Settings, then click Family. Click Subscriptions, then choose iCloud+. Click Use Shared Plan. If you see a message that your iCloud storage is full or almost full — and you're part of an iCloud+ plan shared with your family — you can ask the family organizer or the member who purchased the iCloud+ plan to upgrade to a plan with more storage.
MultCloud
multcloud.com › explore more about popular clouds › can family members access my icloud storage? manage permissions easily!
Can Family Members Access My iCloud Storage? Manage Permissions Easily!
January 21, 2025 - As long as they are part of your Family Sharing group, they can share the storage space. You need to invite them to your Family Sharing and they must accept the invitation. A: No, family members cannot see your personal files in iCloud.
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According to this article by Serenity Caldwell of iMore, there are three ways to share photos to all your family members.
Use the "Family" album that is automatically created if you have Family Sharing turned on.
Create a shared album.
Use the same iCloud account for all family members.
Nevertheless, there doesn't seem to be a way to automatically share all your photos to your family members. You will still need to copy photos into the share album. (Unless you are all using the same iCloud account, which I didn't want to do, since each user already have their own active iCloud accounts.)
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How many photos and videos can be stored in a shared album?
A shared album can hold a maximum of 5000 photos and videos combined. When you reach your limit, you must delete some photos or videos before adding new ones.
iCloud Photo Sharing FAQ
My Photo Stream and iCloud Photo Sharing limits
I realize this is not directly answering the original question, but the information seems relevant because if you have > 5k photos/videos then the answer becomes "No, you cannot share all iCloud Photo Library content with a family member".
ZDNET
zdnet.com › home › business › companies › apple
Apple's iCloud Shared Photo Library auto-shares your photos with family | ZDNET
June 6, 2022 - The family members in the shared library will also see these photos featured in For You, to view in memories and featured photos. ... The iCloud Shared Photo Library's ultimate purpose is to help families share pictures in one place.
Cult of Mac
cultofmac.com › home › how-to › 6 reasons to set up apple’s family sharing asap
Apple Family Sharing: Share photos, apps, movies, location, more | Cult of Mac
August 14, 2025 - You’ll also get recommendations in the For You tab for pictures that your iPhone thinks should go in the shared folder. (Screenshots, memes and pictures you save from the web will not be added to the shared library.) Learn more in our how-to: ...
MacPaw
macpaw.com › how to › optimization › backup
How to share iCloud storage with family step by step
October 23, 2025 - Only you can access them in iCloud Drive either on your Mac, the web, or in the Files app on iPhone and iPad. No other family members will be able to see or access them. To do that, they would need access to your Mac, iPhone, or iPad.
Apple Support
support.apple.com › en-us › 105062
How Family Sharing works - Apple Support
With Family Sharing, you and up to five other family members can share access to Apple services like iCloud+, Apple Music, Apple TV, and more. You can even help locate each other’s missing devices, share your location, and manage a child's device with Screen Time and parental controls. To set up Family Sharing, one adult in your household — the family organizer — invites the other family members. When members join, they get access to the Family Sharing group’s subscriptions and content, as long as it's eligible for sharing.
Apple Community
discussions.apple.com › thread › 252067985
can a family shared icloud see each other… - Apple Community
When you share a storage plan, everyone’s personal photos, files, and documents stay private. Family members are only sharing the storage plan. You can't see each others’ content. If an adult family member needs more space or wants to use their own iCloud storage, they can choose their ...
Quora
quora.com › If-I-do-family-sharing-on-Apple-iCloud-can-they-see-my-photos-and-my-messages
If I do family sharing on Apple iCloud, can they see my photos and my messages? - Quora
Family sharing gives everyone their own separate chunk of storage for things like messages, photos, contacts, etc. The way people did (and still do, quite a bit unfortunately) share iCloud storage was to put one Apple ID on everyone’s phone.
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No, you are sharing the storage, but not the iCloud Photo Library, if the family members are using different Apple IDs. You can use the family shared album to share selected photos between all family members.
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iCloud Photo Sharing is all Apple has to offer to share photos, but it has many draw backs. It is fine to show off the best photos in shared albums and to transfer them easily, but it it is horribly inadequate to share a joint Photos Library between family members. We cannot sort the photos in the shared albums.The number of photos and albums is listed.And worst of all, most metadata will be lost, when we add photos to a shared album and the quality will be reduced,When shared, photos taken with standard point-and-shoot cameras, SLR cameras, or iOS devices have up to 2048 pixels on the long edge. Panoramic photos can be up to 5400 pixels wide.Shared albums cannot be used to transfer photos to a joint family photos library, unless we want to sacrifice image and video quality and metadata.Even with shared iCloud Storage planes, the only supported way to share a Photos Library is still the sneaker drive: Sharing photo libraries among multiple users - Apple Support
Flexy Spy
blog.flexyspy.com › home › can someone else see my pictures on icloud?
Can Someone Else See My Pictures on Icloud? - Flexy Spy
January 30, 2023 - And if you’ve been thinking about ... be able to see your pictures. The answer is yes, if you share your iCloud storage with family members they will be able to see your pictures....
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No, your wife won't lose her files. Turning on Family Sharing simply adds the features to her iCloud account, which can include more data, and other features. She will see options on what of her iCloud data she wishes to share.
When you leave a Family, your iCloud simply loses the Family sharing benefits, including shared apps, photos, etc. But the data doesn't get deleted, it remains unless you actually delete to make room. This way, if you rejoin the family it simply makes the data visible again. The data does remain visible on the iCloud account of whoever set up the Family share in the first place, btw.
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For everyone else that might be looking - I just got off "chat" with Apple support and they confirmed that this WILL NOT delete any files - they will be copied to the new shared storage.
TikTok
tiktok.com › selena vox (@selenavoxvo) | tiktok › replying to @sweetenerkiid photos, messages, and emails are not shared. #exappleemployee #appleemployee #exapple #apple #appleadvisor #appleinsider #applesecrets #askapple #appletips #familysharing #applesupportpleasehelp
Can Family Sharing Members See My Photos? Apple Insider ...
723 Likes, 56 Comments. TikTok video from Selena Vox (@selenavoxvo): “Discover what Family Sharing members can see on your Apple devices and iCloud account, including photos, messages, and more. Get insights from an ex-Apple employee.