Creating a new album takes three taps

Open the Photos app on your iPhone and tap the "Albums" tab at the bottom of the screen. Tap the plus sign (+) in the top left corner, then tap "New Album". Type a name for your album and tap "Save". Your iPhone will then show you all the photos and videos on your device — select the ones you want to add to this album by tapping each one, then tap "Done".

Once you create an album, you can add more photos to it later. Open the album, tap "Select" in the top right, choose additional photos or videos, and tap "Add" to include them. You can also remove photos from an album by selecting them and tapping "Remove" — this deletes the photo from the album only, not from your iPhone's main photo library.

Key Takeaways

  • New albums are created through the Albums tab in the Photos app using the plus sign button.
  • You can add photos to an album when ready after creating it, or add more photos later without affecting the originals stored on your phone.
  • Removing a photo from an album does not delete it from your iPhone — it only removes it from that specific album.
  • Albums you create are stored on your iPhone itself, separate from iCloud Photo Library, so they stay private unless you share them.
  • You can create as many albums as you want and organize the same photo into multiple albums at once.

Adding photos to an existing album

If you already have an album and want to add more photos, open the album and tap "Select" in the top right corner. Tap each photo or video you want to add — a checkmark appears on each one you select. Once you have chosen all the photos you want, tap "Add" and your iPhone will add them to that album.

You can also add photos to an album directly from your main photo library. Open the Photos app, find a photo you want to organize, tap "Select", then tap the share icon (the box with an arrow pointing up). Scroll down and tap "Add to Album", then choose which album you want it to go into. This method is faster if you are browsing through your library and want to sort photos as you go.

Using Smart Albums to organize automatically

iPhone also offers Smart Albums, which organize your photos based on rules you set rather than requiring you to manually add each photo. When you create a new album, you have the option to make it a Smart Album instead of a regular one. Tap "New Album", then choose "Smart Album" instead of "Album".

Smart Albums can organize photos by criteria like date taken, location, photo type (screenshots, portraits, videos), or whether they have been edited. For example, you could create a Smart Album that automatically collects all photos taken in the last month, or all portrait-mode photos. Once you set the rules, the album updates itself — any new photos that match your criteria are added automatically without you having to do anything.

Organizing albums into folders

If you create many albums, you can group them into folders to keep your Albums tab organized. Tap the "Albums" tab, then tap "Edit" in the top right. Tap the plus sign (+) and select "New Folder". Name your folder and tap "Save". Your iPhone will then let you select which albums to move into that folder.

You can create folders for different purposes — one for family photos, one for travel, one for work projects, or one for screenshots you want to keep separate. Once albums are in a folder, tap the folder to open it and see all the albums inside. You can still add photos to any album within a folder the same way you would with albums on the main Albums tab.

Sharing albums with others

Albums you create on your iPhone are private by default — only you can see them. If you want to share an album with family or friends, open the album and tap the share icon (the box with an arrow pointing up). Tap "Shared Album" to turn on sharing for that album.

When you enable a shared album, you can invite specific people by their email address or phone number. They will receive an invitation and can view, add photos to, and comment on the album if you give them permission. Shared albums are stored in iCloud, so everyone invited can access them from any device. You can turn off sharing at any time by opening the album and tapping the share icon again, then toggling off "Shared Album".

Renaming and deleting albums

To rename an album, open it and tap "Edit" in the top right corner. Tap the album name at the top of the screen and type a new name, then tap "Done". The album name updates when ready on your iPhone.

To delete an album, go to the Albums tab, tap "Edit", then tap the red minus sign next to the album you want to remove. Tap "Delete Album" to confirm. Deleting an album removes the album itself but does not delete any of the photos or videos inside it — they remain in your main photo library. If you delete a folder that contains multiple albums, all those albums are deleted, but again, the photos inside them stay on your iPhone.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I put the same photo in multiple albums?

Yes. A photo can belong to as many albums as you want. When you add a photo to an album, it does not move or get copied — your iPhone straightforward adds that photo to the album's list. The original photo stays in your library, and you can add it to other albums without any problem.

What is the difference between albums and folders?

Albums hold photos and videos. Folders hold albums. If you have many albums, folders help you organize them on the Albums tab. You cannot put photos directly into a folder — you must put them in an album first, then put that album in a folder.

Do albums take up extra storage space on my iPhone?

No. Albums are just lists of photos you already have on your phone. Creating an album does not duplicate your photos or use additional storage. The photos themselves are stored once, and each album is straightforward a way to view and organize them.

If I delete a photo from my library, does it disappear from my albums too?

Yes. If you delete a photo from your main library, it is removed from every album it was in. However, deleted photos go to the Recently Deleted folder first, where you can recover them for 30 days before they are permanently erased.

Can I rearrange the order of photos within an album?

Yes. Open an album, tap "Edit", then tap and hold a photo to drag it to a new position. Tap "Done" when you are finished. The order you set applies only to that album — the same photo may appear in a different order in another album or in your main library.