Creating a new album takes three taps

Open the Photos app and tap the Albums tab at the bottom of your screen. Tap the plus sign (+) in the top right corner, then tap New Album. Type a name for your album and tap Save. The album now exists but is empty — you add photos to it in the next step.

The album appears in your Albums list when ready. You can create as many as you want, and they don't take up extra storage because they're just collections of photos you already have. Deleting an album doesn't delete the photos inside it.

Key Takeaways

  • A new album is created in three taps: Albums tab, plus sign, New Album, then type the name and save.
  • Albums are collections that point to photos you already have, so creating one uses almost no storage.
  • You add photos to an album by opening the album, tapping Select, and choosing which photos to include.
  • You can rename or delete an album anytime without affecting the original photos.
  • Shared albums let other people add photos to the same collection if you give them the link.

Adding photos to your new album

After you create the album, tap it to open it. You'll see it's empty. Tap Select in the top right, then scroll through your photo library and tap each photo you want to add. A checkmark appears on each one you tap. When you're done selecting, tap Done in the top right, then tap Add and choose the album name from the list.

You can also add photos to an album while you're browsing your library. Find a photo you want, tap it to open it, tap the share button (the box with an arrow), scroll down and tap Add to Album, then choose which album to add it to. This method is faster if you're adding just one or two photos.

Organizing albums into folders

If you create many albums, you can group them into folders to keep your Albums tab organized. Go to the Albums tab, tap See All next to My Albums, then tap Edit in the top right. Tap the plus sign (+) to create a new folder, give it a name, then drag albums into it. Tap Done when finished.

Folders are purely organizational — they don't change how the photos are stored or backed up. You can move albums in and out of folders anytime by tapping Edit again.

Using Smart Albums for automatic organization

iPhone can create albums automatically based on what's in your photos. In the Albums tab, tap See All, then scroll down and look for options like Recents, Favorites, Screenshots, or Selfies. These are Smart Albums — they fill themselves with matching photos without you having to add anything manually.

You cannot create your own Smart Albums with custom rules the way you can on a Mac. The ones iPhone offers are fixed. But they're useful if you want to quickly see all your screenshots or all the photos you've marked as favorites without scrolling through your entire library.

Renaming or deleting an album

To rename an album, go to the Albums tab, find the album, and swipe left on it. Tap the pencil icon to edit the name. Type the new name and tap Done. To delete an album, swipe left on it and tap the trash icon. A confirmation message appears — tap Delete Album to confirm. The photos inside stay in your library; only the album itself is removed.

You cannot rename or delete Smart Albums like Recents or Favorites. You can only rename or delete albums you created yourself.

Sharing an album with other people

Open an album you created, tap the three dots (•••) in the top right, then tap Share Album. Choose how you want to share the link — Messages, Mail, AirDrop, or another app. Anyone who receives the link can view the photos and, if you allow it, add their own photos to the same album.

When someone joins a shared album, you'll see their photos appear in it. You can remove individual photos from a shared album by tapping the three dots on the photo and choosing Delete Photo. If you want to stop sharing entirely, tap the three dots in the top right of the album and tap Stop Sharing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I move a photo to an album instead of copying it?

No. When you add a photo to an album, you're creating a link to the original photo, not moving it. The photo stays in your library and in any other albums you've added it to. Deleting the photo from your library removes it from all albums at once.

What's the difference between an album and a folder?

An album holds photos. A folder holds albums. Folders are just a way to organize your Albums tab when you have many albums. Photos go in albums, not directly in folders.

Can I sort photos within an album?

Albums display photos in the order you added them, with newest first. You cannot manually reorder photos within an album on iPhone. If you need a specific order, you'll need to delete and re-add photos in the order you want.

Do albums take up storage space?

No. Albums are just collections that point to photos you already have. Creating an album uses almost no storage. Only the original photos count toward your storage limit.

What happens if I delete a shared album?

When you stop sharing an album, other people can no longer see it or add photos to it. The album and all its photos remain on your iPhone. People who were in the shared album won't be notified — the link straightforward stops working.