Shared with You
Also known as: Shared with You photos, Messages shared content, where do shared photos go
Shared with You automatically surfaces content sent to you in Messages — photos, links, music, and articles — inside the matching app. Photos shared this way can be saved into your library, where they then count toward your storage like any other image.
- Surfaces content from Messages inside matching apps
- Saved shared photos count toward your storage
- Toggle per app in Settings > Apps > Messages
How Shared with You works
When friends send you photos, links, or songs in Messages, Shared with You collects them in the relevant apps — a Shared with You section in Photos, in Safari, Music, News, and more — so you can find them without scrolling back through chats.
In Photos, a shared image appears in the Shared with You area but is not yet a full library item until you save it. Once you tap to save, it becomes a regular photo that uses storage and syncs through iCloud Photos.
Controlling it and reclaiming space
You can turn the feature on or off per app in Settings > Apps > Messages > Shared with You. Because saving shared photos copies them into your library, a chatty group thread can add up — review and delete saved shared media you no longer want.