iOS 27 Will Let Android, Windows Users Add Photos to Your iCloud Library

Apple is making it easier for iPhone and Android users to share photos with each other, addressing one of the longstanding limitations of its iCloud photo-sharing system.

Announced as part of iOS 27 at WWDC 2026, Apple's iCloud Shared Albums feature will now support collaboration from Android users. The update allows people using Android devices to contribute photos and videos to shared albums instead of being limited to viewing content shared by Apple users.

The move marks a notable shift for Apple, which has traditionally kept many of its services closely tied to its own ecosystem. By opening up collaboration features to Android users, the company is making iCloud Shared Albums more practical for families, friend groups, and workplaces that use a mix of devices.

Full-Resolution Photo Sharing Coming to Shared Albums

Apple is also upgrading image quality within Shared Albums. Until now, photos shared through the feature were compressed, which often resulted in reduced image quality.

With iOS 27, Shared Albums will support full-resolution image uploads, allowing users to preserve the original quality of their photos and videos when sharing them through iCloud. The change is expected to benefit photographers, content creators, and users who want to archive memories without sacrificing image quality.

A More Collaborative iCloud Experience

The enhancements form part of Apple's broader effort to improve collaboration across its services. While competitors such as Google Photos have long offered cross-platform sharing features, Apple's latest update narrows the gap by making Shared Albums more accessible to non-iPhone users.

The feature will roll out as part of iOS 27 later this year. Apple unveiled the update alongside a host of other announcements at WWDC 2026, including a redesigned Siri AI experience, expanded Apple Intelligence features, and updates across iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch software.