- iCloud Shared Albums shrink photos and work best on Apple devices.
- Google Photos keeps quality but asks everyone for a Google account.
- A Room takes any phone, no account, in original quality.
iCloud Shared Albums
Easy if everyone has an iPhone. But photos in a shared album are reduced in size, videos are limited in resolution, and friends on Android can only look, through a web link.
Google Photos shared albums
Works on iPhone and Android and can keep full quality. Everyone who adds photos needs a Google account and the album lives in your Google storage.
A Just Send Files Room
One link for the whole group, in any browser. Nobody but you needs an account, nothing is compressed, and Download all gives you every photo and video at once.
Questions
Do iCloud Shared Albums keep full quality?
No. Apple reduces photos in shared albums and limits video resolution, so they are fine to look at but not the originals.
Can Android friends add to an iCloud album?
Not really. They can view it through a public web link, but adding photos needs an Apple device.
Does a Room count against my Google or iCloud storage?
No. A Room has its own space, starting at 10 GB for free, separate from your phone’s cloud.