Create a new album from the Photos app
Open the Photos app and tap the "Albums" tab at the bottom of your screen. Tap the plus sign (+) in the top left corner, then select "New Album". Type a name for your album and tap "Save". The iPhone will then show you your photo library — tap each photo you want to add, and a checkmark will appear on each one. Once you've selected all the photos you want, tap "Done" and they'll be saved into your new album.
You can create as many albums as you need. Some people organize by date (like "Summer 2024"), by subject (like "Garden"), or by person (like "Mom's Birthday"). The album itself doesn't move your photos — it just creates a collection that points to the originals, so a single photo can appear in multiple albums without taking up extra storage.
Key Takeaways
- New albums are created through the Albums tab in the Photos app using the plus sign button.
- Photos in an album are linked to the originals, so adding a photo to an album doesn't duplicate it or use extra storage.
- You can add photos to an album after creating it by opening the album, tapping "Select", and choosing photos from your library.
- Albums can be rearranged, renamed, or deleted at any time without affecting the original photos.
- Smart Albums automatically collect photos based on criteria like date taken or whether they contain people's faces.
Add photos to an existing album
Open an album you've already created and tap "Select" in the top right corner. Tap the plus sign (+) that appears, and your photo library will open. Choose the photos you want to add by tapping each one — a checkmark shows which ones you've selected. Tap "Done" when you're finished, and those photos will be added to the album.
This method works even if you created the album weeks ago. You're not limited to adding photos when you first make the album — you can add more anytime you want.
Use Smart Albums to organize automatically
Smart Albums collect photos based on rules you set, rather than you choosing each photo manually. When you create a new album, you'll see an option to make it a "Smart Album" instead of a regular one. Tap that option and you can set criteria like "Photos taken in the last month" or "Photos with people". The iPhone will then automatically add any photos that match those rules.
Smart Albums update on their own. If you take a new photo that matches the criteria, it appears in the Smart Album without you doing anything. This is useful if you want a running collection of, say, all photos taken at a specific location, or all screenshots you've taken.
Rename or delete an album
To rename an album, open it and tap "Edit" in the top right corner. Tap the album name at the top of the screen and type a new name, then tap "Done". The album's contents stay the same — only the name changes.
To delete an album, go to the Albums tab, tap "Edit" in the top left, and tap the red minus sign next to the album you want to remove. Tap "Delete Album" to confirm. Deleting an album does not delete the photos inside it — they stay in your photo library. Only the album itself is removed.
Move photos between albums
Open an album and tap "Select" in the top right. Tap the photos you want to move, then tap "Add To" at the bottom of the screen. Choose the album you want to move them to, or create a new album right there. The photos will appear in both the original album and the new one, since albums link to photos rather than moving them.
If you want a photo to appear in only one album, you'll need to remove it from the first album. Open that album, tap "Select", tap the photo, and then tap "Remove" at the bottom. The photo stays in your library but is no longer in that album.
Organize albums into folders
If you have many albums, you can group them into folders. Go to the Albums tab and tap "Edit" in the top left. Tap "New Folder" and give it a name. Then tap and hold an album to drag it into the folder. You can drag multiple albums at once by tapping each one while holding the first one.
Folders help keep your Albums tab clean, especially if you've created albums for different years, projects, or people. You can create folders within folders as well, though most people find one level of organization is enough.
Share an album with others
Open an album and tap "Select" in the top right, then tap "Share" at the bottom. You can share the album through Messages, Mail, AirDrop, or other apps on your phone. When you share an album, the people you send it to can view the photos but cannot edit or add to the album unless you've set up a shared album instead.
If you want others to add photos to an album, you'll need to create a Shared Album instead. Go to the Albums tab, tap the plus sign, and choose "New Shared Album". You can invite people by their phone number or email, and they'll be able to add their own photos and comments to that album.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do albums take up extra storage on my iPhone?
No. Albums are just collections that point to your original photos. A photo in five different albums still only takes up storage once. Deleting an album doesn't delete the photos, and adding a photo to an album doesn't duplicate it.
Can I sort photos within an album?
Albums display photos in the order they were taken. You cannot manually rearrange photos within an album on iPhone. If you need a specific order, you can take screenshots of the album and arrange those, or use a third-party photo app that offers manual sorting.
What's the difference between a regular album and a shared album?
Regular albums are private to your phone. Shared albums let you invite other people to view, add photos to, and comment on the album. Shared albums sync across iCloud, so changes appear for everyone. Regular albums stay only on your device unless you back them up.
Can I recover an album I deleted by mistake?
Deleting an album removes it from your Albums tab, but the photos inside stay in your library. You can create a new album with the same name and add those photos back. If you deleted the album recently, check your Recently Deleted folder in the Photos app — some deleted albums may appear there for 30 days.