Your Ex Still Has Access to Your Shared Album
You broke up, but the shared album you made together is still there. Your ex can still see it, and can see anything new you add. You can remove them in a minute on your iPhone, without an app.
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What do I need to know?
- Removing them stops future access. They will not see new photos in that album.
- It does not take back copies. Apple says photos saved to their own library stay there.
- Shared Library is separate. If you also share a library, deal with that too.
How do I remove my ex from a shared album?
If you created the album, these are Apple's steps for Shared Albums on iOS 27:
- Open Photos and tap the shared album.
- Tap the Manage Shared Album button.
- Tap your ex's name under Participants.
- Tap Remove Participant at the bottom of the screen.
On iOS 26, Apple calls them subscribers. Tap the More button, then the album name, then Remove Subscriber.
Should I delete the album instead?
Deleting removes the album from every participant's devices. Apple says "deleting a shared album permanently deletes all of its photos." So save any you want to keep to your library first.
- Open the shared album.
- Tap the More button.
- Tap Delete Shared Album, then Delete.
If your ex created the album, you cannot remove them. Apple's Personal Safety guide says a subscriber can tap Unsubscribe to leave.
What about a Shared Library?
An iCloud Shared Photo Library works differently. Apple's page on leaving a Shared Library covers both sides.
- You created it: Settings → Apps → Photos → Shared Library, tap your ex, then Remove from Shared Library.
- They created it: the same screen, then Leave Shared Library.
Apple says a participant who was in for more than seven days gets a copy of everything shared. If the library is deleted, Apple says all participants get a notification.
Is anything else still shared?
- Check Settings → your name for devices you do not recognise. Apple's device list page shows how to remove one.
- If your ex knows your passcode, change it.
- Look at Safety Check in Settings → Privacy & Security to review other sharing.
What this doesn't protect against
Nothing on your iPhone can delete photos your ex already saved, screenshotted or downloaded. If you think they are sharing intimate images, StopNCII.org can help adults block them on many platforms. A vault only protects photos you keep from now on.
Do it with Cryptile
Keep private photos in Cryptile rather than Photos, so they never land in a shared album by mistake. Each vault is encrypted with AES-256-GCM under a key from your pattern, with no account. Cryptile has no sharing yet; shared vaults are coming.
Cryptile is free for up to 2 vaults, 100 photos and 10 videos. Plus removes the limits for $19.99 a year (7-day free trial) or $39.99 once. The price is the same every day.
Cryptile Send, Files access and shared vaults are coming and are not available yet. Search inside the vault is part of Plus.