Apple has opened another door in its ecosystem to Android (and beyond)

Sharing entire photo albums between iOS devices and Android smartphones has, for a long time, been a cumbersome and frustrating process, often resolved by resorting to sending compressed images via messaging apps.

However, during the recent WWDC 26, the Cupertino company announced a long-awaited feature for users: starting from next autumn, the Shared Albums of iCloud will support cross-platform sharing while preserving the original resolution of the images.

This feature, unveiled among the numerous new features of iOS 27 and macOS 27, finally allows anyone who receives an invitation to view and add photographs at the highest possible quality, regardless of the operating system used on their device.

iCloud, photo albums open up to Android and Windows

It should be recognized that this move represents an alignment with market standards more than an absolute invention. Since 2015, Google Photos allows users of Android, iOS, or the web interface to collaborate in creating shared albums by uploading files in their original quality, without requiring the installation of dedicated apps.

Currently, iCloud architecture allows external users to view images only via a web browser, without the ability to easily upload their own shots.

Many have interpreted the development as a tacit admission by Apple regarding the intrinsic limits of an overly closed system. It remains to be seen whether the autumn update will guarantee true functional parity with the solution proposed by Mountain View, enabling a complete and unobstructed bidirectional synchronization.

Le possibili ragioni di una nuova strategia

The motivations behind this sudden flexibility raise interesting questions, especially considering the timing. During the same WWDC, it emerged that the Siri‘s renewed AI is strongly supported by a customized Gemini model, provided by Google itself.

Even in the absence of official statements about a direct link between the two events, the coincidence of these technological choices suggests a possible thaw in the relations between the two companies.

A closer collaboration on AI features could have fostered a less rigid attitude even with regard to multimedia file sharing.

For families and groups of friends characterized by the presence of smartphones with different operating systems, the update represents a concrete step forward towards real interoperability.

Anyone who has found themselves having to constantly send third-party links to their relatives just to share vacation photos will find in this tool an integrated and functional solution.