Latest iOS 12 Beta Lets Users Generate iCloud Links for Sharing Pictures in the Photos App

[MacRumors]

In the latest beta of the upcoming iOS 12 update, Apple has included a feature that lets users generate iCloud links for sharing pictures via the stock Photos app.

The iCloud.com URL link option, first noticed by Reddit user Hunkir​

The new sharing option appears in the bottom row of the iOS Share Sheet, and allows users with iCloud Photos enabled to copy an iCloud.com URL link to one or several selected images that lasts for 30 days.

Clicking a link in an email takes the recipient to a web page containing the image in question, as well as an option to download it. Sharing a link in the Messages app also shows a preview of the image right in the chat thread. The link also includes the author's name, the photo's title, and associated EXIF data, excluding location information.

The addition should come in handy for times when you quickly want to share an image from your iOS device, minus the hassle of uploading it to a third-party service. It's also more than likely that the iCloud link sharing option will feature in macOS Mojave.

For more on all the changes coming in iOS 12, check out our dedicated roundup.

Article Link: Latest iOS 12 Beta Lets Users Generate iCloud Links for Sharing Pictures in the Photos App

 

[mejsric]

In full image file? Not compressed.

 

[canesalato]

Cool feature

 

[alexmarchuk]

In full image file? Not compressed.

Looks pretty good here, even videos look close to original (haven’t compared sizes or anything though).

 

[mattopotamus]

So is this like built in Imgur?

 

[Gorms]

Nice! Can’t believe we didn’t have this until now

 

[hortod1]

Nice! Can’t believe we didn’t have this until now

Can’t believe they STILL don’t have tagging in iOS.

 

[NightFox]

Is this just individual photos, or can I share albums this way? AFAIK, Apple still doesn’t allow you to create shared iCloud albums that just reference the originals, instead it creates duplicates which have to be re-uploaded and take up iCloud storage space - or has this changed?

 

[Sefstah]

Wow, we’re jest getting that now in 2018?! Sometimes I wonder if anyone at Apple is checking out what the rest of the world is up to. I dont think it would be a bad idea.

 

[unsaltedrhino]

Is this just individual photos, or can I share albums this way? AFAIK, Apple still doesn’t allow you to create shared iCloud albums that just reference the originals, instead it creates duplicates which have to be re-uploaded and take up iCloud storage space - or has this changed?

https://support.apple.com/en-us/ht202786

“The photos and videos in your shared albums are kept in iCloud, but they don't count against your iCloud storage limit.”

 

[unobtainium]

So is this like built in Imgur?

It’s like built in Google Photos.

 

[Apple blogger]

In the latest beta of the upcoming iOS 12 update, Apple has included a feature that lets users generate iCloud links for sharing pictures via the stock Photos app.

The iCloud.com URL link option, first noticed by Reddit user Hunkir​

The new sharing option appears in the bottom row of the iOS Share Sheet, and allows users with iCloud Photos enabled to copy an iCloud.com URL link to one or several selected images that lasts for 30 days.

Clicking a link in an email takes the recipient to a web page containing the image in question, as well as an option to download it. Sharing a link in the Messages app also shows a preview of the image right in the chat thread. The link also includes the author's name, the photo's title, and associated EXIF data, excluding location information.

The addition should come in handy for times when you quickly want to share an image from your iOS device, minus the hassle of uploading it to a third-party service. It's also more than likely that the iCloud link sharing option will feature in macOS Mojave.

For more on all the changes coming in iOS 12, check out our dedicated roundup.

Article Link: Latest iOS 12 Beta Lets Users Generate iCloud Links for Sharing Pictures in the Photos App

This is awesome! Finally an easy way to share photos!!! And that too without the hassle to delete it after a few days!!!! I hated making a public album cause then I had to delete it..

 

[Benjamin Iveagh]

Nice! Can’t believe we didn’t have this until now

We did have this, it just took more steps. You had to create a shared album, make it public, and send the URL to others.

 

[Sunday Ironfoot]

Great. Now add support for sharing files in iCloud Drive via URL and I can finally drop Dropbox.

 

[Benjamin Iveagh]

Great. Now add support for sharing files in iCloud Drive via URL and I can finally drop Dropbox.

would be a great workaround when you don’t want to use MailDrop or want to share above 5GB

 

[SBlue1]

Is this finally a way to share the family photos between me and my wife? Because as of now we just send us the photos and videos with a message and copy it in each library since there is no way to share one single photo library like you can do with the music library.

 

[tennisproha]

Is EXIF data always attached when you normally share, like on Twitter, Imgur, etc?

 

[GreyOS]

Hmm, as others have pointed out this is just simplifying something you could already do through the iCloud photo sharing option.

This addition is great, but simply copying the link and leaving it to you to manually share still feels incomplete.

What would be much better imo is when you’re on the share screen (where you have the reel of photos you’ve selected to share and the apps and actions below) you get two new options, something like ‘Share Photos’ (traditional method) and ‘Share Link’. If you select the latter, when you then share via an app such as WhatsApp, it will have created the album and the message will have the link.

(The implementation I detail might not be perfect but the general idea is there)

 

[mattopotamus]

Is this finally a way to share the family photos between me and my wife? Because as of now we just send us the photos and videos with a message and copy it in each library since there is no way to share one single photo library like you can do with the music library.

Use the shared family album. “Family” is on by default if you have a family account.

 

[chmarch]

It absolutely baffles me that someone on these forums who has over 1000 posts does not know what shared photo streams are! Yes, you can call me a "newbie", I typically do not post on macrumors. But I have had every iPhone iteration since the beginning. When Scott Forstall introduced shared photo streams in 2012 on iOS 6, I was so excited!

Then Apple fired Scott and completely forgot about the feature. Look at the crippled interface on iPad STILL in the coming iOS 12. This is a very nice feature, and hopefully people will catch on to stop filling up my iMessages with pictures!

 

[Tivoli_]

Developer or public beta? The link does not appear on iPhone 5s.

 

[ignatius345]

Use the shared family album. “Family” is on by default if you have a family account.

I do this with my family a lot. Images are downscaled a little, unfortunately, but it's OK for casual sharing.

 

[SBlue1]

Use the shared family album. “Family” is on by default if you have a family account.

There is an empty album in the shared section called family. Is this what you mean?

 

[mattopotamus]

There is an empty album in the shared section called family. Is this what you mean?

Yeah. Add photos to that and the person on your “shared” account will see them and vice versa.


You can create new shared albums with other people and it works the same way. I have one with my wife, family, brother-in-law, and some friends.

 

[SBlue1]

Yeah. Add photos to that and the person on your “shared” account will see them and vice versa.


You can create new shared albums with other people and it works the same way. I have one with my wife, family, brother-in-law, and some friends.

Thanks a lot.