Shared Album on iPhone, but not Mac.

Hello shelley91,

Welcome to Apple Support Communities!

We see you viewed the Apple Support page for How to share albums in Photos on your iPhone, iPad, and Mac - Apple Support

It sounds like you followed these steps too: "On your Mac, open the Photos app. From the menu bar at the top of the screen, choose Photos > Preferences. Click the iCloud tab, then select Shared Albums."

Do you see the Shared Albums option in the sidebar of Photos at all, or is it not showing there? Have you confirmed you're using the same Apple ID on both devices?

Please check for any pending updates, which can help make sure macOS is working as expected. Use these steps to check for updates: Update macOS on Mac - Apple Support

We hope this helps to isolate the issue so you can use Shared Albums on your Mac as expected.

Cheers!

shelley91,

If you invite a contact to one of the shared albums that is only on your iPhone, and one that is only on your Mac, does the contact receive both invites? If so, are they able to view both shared albums without any difficulties?

Did you also have the opportunity to verify the Shared Album option is enabled in the iCloud Settings on your iPhone? How to share albums in Photos on your iPhone, iPad, and Mac - Apple Support

Do you use any other devices that are compatible with shared albums, such as iPad or Apple TV? If so, are they exhibiting the similar behavior?

Hopefully those details will help to isolate this further so we can provide the best guidance possible.

Take care.

Hi Shelley,

There were updates to macOS, iOS and iPadOS released today. Can you confirm you are updated to macOS 12.5, iOS 15.6 and iPadOS 15.6 on your devices? Depending on the size of your library and the speed of the internet connection, it might take a while for iCloud Photos to sync with everything. Try connecting your devices to power and letting them update overnight. Then compare shared albums across devices again and let us know the results.

Update your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch

If the issue still persists, you may need to talk to an Apple advisor. Locate the phone number for your area in the resource below and call when it is convenient for you.

Contact Apple for support and service

Take care!

Hey Shelley,

The other option would be to remove/delete the affected Shared Album and then create a new one. It sounds like this could possibly resolve the issue. Be sure to download and save any photos and videos from the album before doing this.

If the new Shared Album still doesn't show on both devices, then reach out to Apple Support at the link so they can continue to look into this with you there: Contact Apple Support

Regards.