Creating an album takes three steps: open Photos, click the plus sign, and choose "Album"

An album in Photos is a folder that holds pictures you pick — it does not move the photos themselves, just groups them together so you can find them faster. You can make as many albums as you want, organize them into folders, and share them without sending files. The process is the same whether you use a Mac or iPhone, though the button locations differ slightly.

Albums are useful when you want to separate vacation photos from family events, keep work images separate from personal ones, or gather pictures for a specific project. Unlike a folder on your hard drive, an album can hold photos from different dates and locations all in one place.

Key Takeaways

  • Create an album by opening Photos, clicking the plus sign, and selecting "Album" — the photos stay in their original location.
  • Add photos to an album by dragging them in on Mac or tapping "Select" and checking boxes on iPhone.
  • Organize albums into folders by creating a folder first, then dragging albums into it.
  • Share an album by right-clicking it on Mac or swiping left on iPhone, then choosing "Share Album" — recipients see only the photos you included.

Creating an album on Mac

Open the Photos app and click the plus sign in the top-left corner. A menu appears with options including "Album", "Smart Album", and "Folder". Click "Album". A dialog box opens asking you to name the album — type whatever you want and press Enter or click "OK".

The new album appears in the sidebar on the left under "My Albums". It starts empty. To add photos, click "Photos" at the top to see your library, then drag photos into the album name in the sidebar. You can drag one photo at a time or select multiple photos first by holding Command and clicking each one, then dragging them all at once.

Creating an album on iPhone

Open Photos and tap the "Library" tab at the bottom. Scroll to the bottom and tap "New Album". Type a name for the album and tap "Save". A screen appears showing your photo library with a "Select" button in the top-right corner.

Tap "Select", then tap each photo you want to add — a checkmark appears on each one. You can scroll through your library and keep tapping photos. When you are done, tap "Done" in the top-right corner. The photos are now in your album. You can add more photos later by opening the album, tapping "Select", and tapping the plus sign.

Organizing albums into folders

If you have many albums, you can group them into folders to keep your library organized. On Mac, click the plus sign and select "Folder" instead of "Album". Name the folder and press Enter. Then drag album names into the folder in the sidebar — they nest underneath it.

On iPhone, tap "New Album" as usual, but before naming it, you will see an option to create a folder instead. Tap "New Folder", name it, and tap "Save". Then open each album you want to move, tap the three dots in the top-right corner, select "Move Album", and choose the folder.

Adding and removing photos from an existing album

You can add photos to an album after you create it. On Mac, open the album, click the plus sign in the top toolbar, and select "Add Photos". Your library appears — select the photos you want and click "Add". On iPhone, open the album, tap "Select", tap the plus sign, and check the photos you want to add, then tap "Done".

To remove a photo from an album on Mac, right-click the photo and select "Remove from Album" — this does not delete the photo from your library, only from that album. On iPhone, swipe left on the photo in the album and tap "Remove". The photo stays in your library and any other albums it belongs to.

Sharing an album with others

You can share an album as a link without sending files. On Mac, right-click the album name in the sidebar and select "Share Album". A window opens where you can add email addresses or copy a link to send however you want. People you share with see only the photos in that album, and you can let them add their own photos if you turn on that option.

On iPhone, swipe left on the album name in your library and tap the share icon. You can send the link via Messages, Mail, or any other app. Recipients can view the album in a web browser or in their own Photos app if they have an Apple device. You can stop sharing anytime by opening the album, tapping the three dots, and selecting "Stop Sharing".

Deleting an album

Deleting an album removes the grouping but does not delete the photos inside it — they stay in your library. On Mac, right-click the album and select "Delete Album", then confirm. On iPhone, swipe left on the album name and tap "Delete", then confirm.

If you delete a folder that contains albums, the albums move back to "My Albums" but are not deleted. You can recover a deleted album from the Recently Deleted folder if you act within 30 days on iPhone, though Mac does not have a recovery option for albums.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I put the same photo in multiple albums?

Yes. A photo can belong to as many albums as you want. Adding it to an album does not remove it from other albums or from your main library. This is one reason albums are useful — you can organize the same photo in different ways without duplicating the file.

What is the difference between an album and a smart album?

A regular album holds photos you pick manually. A smart album automatically adds photos that match rules you set — for example, all photos taken in the last month, or all photos with a certain star rating. Smart albums update themselves as you take new photos or change ratings.

Can I edit photos inside an album?

Yes. Editing a photo in an album edits the original photo in your library — the changes show up everywhere that photo appears. Albums are just different views of the same photos, not separate copies.

Do albums take up extra storage space?

No. Albums are just lists of which photos belong to them. The photos themselves are stored once in your library, so creating albums does not use extra space on your device or iCloud.

Can I rearrange the order of photos in an album?

On Mac, yes — drag photos to reorder them within the album. On iPhone, you cannot manually reorder photos in a regular album, but you can sort by date, title, or other criteria. Smart albums sort automatically based on their rules.