Collections
Understanding Permissions
Learn what each role can do in your collections.
The Four Roles
Everyone in a collection has one of these roles:
Owner
The person who created the collection. Full control over everything.
Editor
Trusted people who can help organise and manage photos.
Contributor
Can add their own photos but can't change anything else.
Viewer
Can see everything but can't add or change photos.
What Each Role Can Do
| Action | Viewer | Contributor | Editor | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| View photos | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Like and comment | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Download photos | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Upload photos | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Create posts | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Edit post details | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Remove photos | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Invite people | ✓ | |||
| Change roles | ✓ | |||
| Remove people | ✓ | |||
| Delete collection | ✓ |
Choosing the Right Role
Use Viewer for:
- Extended family who want to see updates
- Friends viewing photos from an event
- Anyone who shouldn't add or change content
Use Contributor for:
- Family members at gatherings
- Event guests adding their own photos
- Anyone who should add but not organise
Use Editor for:
- Your partner or spouse
- Adult children helping sort photos
- Trusted family members who help manage memories
Changing Someone's Role
As the collection owner, you can change anyone's role:
Open collection Settings
Tap the gear icon in your collection.
Go to Sharing
Find the list of people who have access.
Tap their role
Click on their current role (e.g., "Viewer").
Pick a new role
Select the new permission level.
Changes take effect immediately.
Removing Someone
To remove a person from your collection:
- Go to Collection Settings > Sharing
- Find the person
- Tap Remove
They'll lose access immediately. Any photos they uploaded stay in the collection (unless you remove those separately).
Good to Know
There's one Owner per collection. You can't transfer ownership or have multiple owners. If you need someone else to manage a collection, make them an Editor - they can do almost everything except manage people.
Start with less access. It's easy to upgrade someone from Viewer to Contributor. It's awkward to downgrade them. When in doubt, start low.