Apple Will Let Android Users Contribute To Shared Albums In iOS 27

iCloud shared albums let you create a joint photo album to share photos with your friends and family. Each participant you invite can upload image and video files that will appear on every participant's device, and they'll be notified when a new item is added. Whether you're maintaining a long-term album for your family or want to share pictures from a road trip with friends easily, the feature is one of the easiest ways to collect and sync memories across devices.

There's always been one issue with Apple's shared albums, however: only iOS users can upload files to these collections. You can still share the album itself with a friend or family member on Android, but they'll only be able to view the album and download images and videos, and they won't be able to upload files themselves. Apple revealed at WWDC 2026 that this is set to change with iOS 27, when Android and Windows users will finally be able to contribute to albums the same way Apple users can.

This change is coming to all iPhones with iOS 27 in the public release later this year. There are plenty of other changes and new features, both big and small. Apple is making its liquid glass aesthetic more customizable, allowing users to control the glass's opacity. There are general speed and efficiency improvements throughout the system, with Apple claiming that apps will load up to 30% faster due to better optimization and app data preloading. AirDrop is also set to be 80% faster.

Some of the more interesting news includes a revamped Siri, along with a dedicated Siri AI app that Apple says will not infringe on user privacy. Showcased features include on-screen context, fetching data from past messages and emails, and performing tasks on your behalf, similar to Google's recent agentic AI push with Gemini. There are also more ways for parents to ensure their children stay safe online with features that flag and censor inappropriate content, set time limits on apps, and restrict who can be messaged without parental consent.