Stop losing photo quality when you share pictures

You , send it to someone and then hear the question nobody wants to hear: "Why does this look blurry?" That can happen because some sharing methods resize or compress photos before they reach the other person. The image may still look fine on a phone screen, but zoom in or try to print it and the lost detail becomes easier to spot.

With iOS 27 Apple is addressing one long-standing version of that problem. Shared Albums can now store newly added photos and videos in their original formats at full resolution. Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel phones also have built-in ways to send photo files without relying on a messaging app that may shrink them along the way.

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HOW TO SEARCH ANYTHING ON IPHONE, GALAXY AND PIXEL

Before iOS 27, Apples Shared Albums reduced photo resolution. Photos were generally limited to 2,048 pixels on the long edge, while videos could be delivered at resolutions up to 720p. Starting with iOS 27, newly shared photos and videos in the upgraded Shared Albums experience are stored in iCloud in their original formats at full resolution. That means newly shared photos can remain at their original resolution instead of being reduced to the limits used by older Shared Albums.

There is one trade-off. New items added to an upgraded Shared Album count toward the album owners available iCloud storage, including items other participants add. Items that were already in the album before the upgrade do not count toward that storage, and temporary Shared Albums do not count either.

First, make sure Shared Albums are enabled on your iPhone.

On running iOS 27:

Apple requires iCloud Photos for the new Shared Albums experience in iOS 27.

Any new Shared Album you create in iOS 27 automatically uses Apples upgraded Shared Albums experience.

To create one:

Photos and videos you add to that new album are stored in their original formats at full resolution. You can also allow people to join through a link. Apple says friends and family can access and contribute to a shared album on the web even if they do not have an or Apple device.

YOUR PHONE CAN FIX BADLY FRAMED PHOTOS AFTER YOU TAKE THEM

Albums created before iOS 27 stay in the older format until you upgrade them. Apple lets the owner upgrade an existing Shared Album to the new experience. After the upgrade, newly added photos and videos can be stored at full resolution. That word "newly" is important. Upgrading an album does not restore the original resolution of photos or videos that were already uploaded under the older system. So, if you have an older family album or vacation album and want future additions preserved at full quality, upgrading it makes sense.

If someone shares a photo through an upgraded Shared Album, you can save it to your own library.

Apple says photos and videos in the new Shared Albums experience can be stored at full resolution in their original formats. However, content saved from a Shared Album may not include every piece