To export a shared album’s photos and videos as files on your Mac, first save the items you want to your Photos library, then export those selected items to a folder. Apple documents saving items from a Shared Album and exporting items from the library as separate steps; it does not document a direct “export this entire Shared Album” command. This method lets you choose which items to export and where the resulting files go.

Save selected items from the Shared Album to your library

  1. Open Photos on your Mac and find the album in Shared Albums in the sidebar. If the section is hidden, reveal it under Sharing using the disclosure arrow.
  2. Double-click the shared album.
  3. Select the photos and videos you want. To select multiple items, use the standard Mac selection controls, such as Command-click for individual items or Shift-click for a range.
  4. Control-click the selection and choose Save to Library. Apple’s current save guide also documents Import as an option. The saved items appear in your photo library and in the Imports collection; selecting only the items you intend to export makes the next step easier. Apple’s instructions for shared albums on Mac

Saving is necessary because Shared Album content is not automatically saved to your device. Apple says likes and comments attached to shared items are not saved with the photo or video. How to save photos from a shared album

Export the saved selection to a folder

  1. In Photos, open Imports or Library and select the items you just saved. Confirm that the selection contains only the files you want to export.
  2. Choose File > Export. Pick Export [number] Photos for photo files or Export [number] Videos for videos.
  3. For photos, choose the file type and any available size, quality, naming, or subfolder options. JPEG is widely compatible; HEIC is efficient; TIFF and PNG are lossless formats. For videos, choose the available movie quality.
  4. Click Export, choose a destination such as a folder on the Desktop or an external drive, and confirm the export.

Apple also documents dragging selected items to a Finder location as a quick export method. The Export command provides more control over format, filenames, and folder organization. Export photos and videos on Mac

Choose between an exported copy and an unmodified original

Use Export [number] Photos when you want to select an output format, size, or quality. If you need the file in the format it was imported into Photos, select the items and choose File > Export > Export Unmodified Original. Apple notes that a Live Photo exported this way becomes two files: a still image and a video. The export dialog can also include assigned IPTC metadata and keywords in an XMP sidecar file. These controls are documented for items in Photos; they do not establish that a shared-album download is identical to the contributor’s source file.

Resolution is an important limit. Apple’s current support article says that on iOS, iPadOS, visionOS, or macOS version 27 or later, Shared Album photos are stored in iCloud in their original formats at full resolution. On version 26 or earlier, photos are reduced to 2048 pixels on the long edge (with panoramas up to 5400 pixels wide), and videos are delivered at up to 720p. If you need a contributor’s original-resolution file and are on an earlier version, ask them to provide that original; exporting an item saved from the older Shared Album cannot restore detail that was not included there. Apple’s Shared Album resolution and saving details

If you can’t find the Shared Album or saved files

If Shared Albums is missing, check Photos > Settings > iCloud and make sure Shared Albums is enabled. Apple notes that Shared Albums are available only with the System Photo Library. After saving items, look in Imports or Library before exporting; the shared-album view and your regular photo library are separate places in the workflow. Turn on Shared Albums in Photos on Mac

The reliable sequence is to select items inside the shared album, save them to your library, select those saved copies, and export them to a Finder folder. Choose standard export for a convenient format or unmodified-original export when preserving the format available in Photos matters, while keeping Shared Album resolution limits in mind.

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