X

This iPhone Feature Brings Instagram-Like Comments to Your Shared Photo Albums

You can comment on shared photo albums on your iPhone. Here's how to do it.

Lisa Eadicicco Senior Editor
Lisa Eadicicco is a senior editor for CNET covering mobile devices. She has been writing about technology for almost a decade. Prior to joining CNET, Lisa served as a senior tech correspondent at Insider covering Apple and the broader consumer tech industry. She was also previously a tech columnist for Time Magazine and got her start as a staff writer for Laptop Mag and Tom's Guide.
Expertise Apple, Samsung, Google, smartphones, smartwatches, wearables, fitness trackers
Lisa Eadicicco
2 min read
Apple logo on an iPhone

We'll walk you through how to comment on shared photo albums on your iPhone.

Sarah Tew/CNET

The best part about sharing photos with friends and family members is seeing their reactions to your memories. Yes, you can always post your pictures to Instagram, Facebook or another social media app to get their comments, but sometimes you may not want the world to see that particular picture of your cat or what you ate for dinner

Sharing photos virtually isn't the same as browsing through a physical photo album in person. But photo-sharing apps have attempted to imitate that experience digitally by making it possible to create shared photo albums. On the iPhone, this functionality is built right into Apple's main Photos app. 

And it's not just about viewing each other's photos; you'll likely want to comment on them, too. All it takes is a few quick taps. 

photo of someone petting a cat, shared on an iPhone

You can easily comment on photos in shared albums on the iPhone. 

Lisa Eadicicco/CNET

How to comment on shared photo albums on your iPhone

  1. Open the Photos app on your iPhone. This will pull up your iPhone's camera roll.
  2. Tap the Albums tab on the bottom of the screen, located in between the For You and Search options.
  3. Scroll down to Shared Albums. This is where you'll find any albums that have been shared with you and shared albums that you've created.
  4. Tap the photo you want to comment on. 
  5. Tap the Add comment option. If you don't see this option, tap on the button displaying how many "likes" or comments the photo currently has. You should see a comment field appear after pressing that button. 
  6. Write your comment and press the send button.

That's all there is to it. Check out our collection of iPhone tips and tricks for more advice. Plus, take a look at how to unlock your iPhone's secret trackpad to make typing way easier and all the details about iOS 15.5.