(Image credit: Future)
Apple is one of those companies that values loyalty, and routinely rewards it with various exclusive perks and features that can only be accessed from an iPhone or some other kind of Apple device. But if you're not an Apple user, or dare to prefer one of the best Android phones, Apple tends to try and ignore your very existence. The same is true for Windows PCs.There are occasions where Apple will get a little generous, and throw a bone to the people that don't actively buy its products. Sometimes that involves giving them access to Apple services, like Apple Music or Apple TV, and others it means access to features that Apple had previously kept locked inside the walled garden for its own users.Here's the good news: iOS 27 will give Android and Windows users the ability to take full advantage of iCloud Shared Albums without needing an Apple device.
(Image credit: Apple)iCloud Shared albums are exactly what they sound like. They are albums, stored within iCloud, that allow multiple people to share photos and videos together. Each album can store up to 5,000 photos and videos, and previously anything added to those albums didn't count towards your iCloud storage limits.That'll stop being the case in iOS 27 and macOS 27, but we will get to that annoying piece of small print a little later.Shared Albums, previously referred to as iCloud Photo Sharing, have existed in some form for a long time. The idea is that you can easily share photos and videos with up to five other people, giving everyone the ability to add and edit photos as they see fit. Better still, Apple Photos didn't cordon off those files into their own separate albums, and instead shows them in your main feed alongside everything else you've shot.Sadly, Apple kept unlimited access to those shared albums exclusive to its own devices. So you needed an iPhone, iPad or Mac to be able to get the full shared album experience. Windows users could get limited viewing privileges via the iCloud app, while Android users could view them in their web browser.Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips.But Apple is changing that with the next wave of OS upgrades. Once you have access to iOS 27 and macOS 27, you'll be able to "upgrade" your shared albums and bring Android and Windows users into the fold — and let them add their own photos just as they would if they owned an iPhone. These upgrade albums also let everyone share full-resolution, uncompressed files for the first time.The downside is that these new upgraded shared albums are apparently no longer exempt from iCloud storage limits. Instead, it appears that the person who upgrades the album is responsible for everything that gets stored — which is going to be a real pain if your friends insist on posting large video files to the shared album.It's not clear why, though my guess would be that Apple doesn't want non-Apple users taking advantage of free iCloud storage when they don't directly contribute to its bottom line. Android phones have no ability to pay for an iCloud subscription, after all, and they don't buy iPhones.There are temporary shared albums that remain free for 30 days, but any permanent option is going to cost you money.Apple should be more mindful of Android and Windows users
