iCloud Delays Launch Of iOS iCloud Shared Photo Library Feature

iPhone maker, Apple is drawing back in the release of its iOS 16’s iCloud Shared Photo Library feature, announcing that it would be “coming later this year” instead of its September 12 mobile operating system launch, according to  AppleInsider.

The iOS 16 webpage has an archived version of it indicating that the delay notice about the launch was added sometime last week.

The iOS 16 iCloud SharedPhoto Library feature when launched will allow a user and up to five other people automatically share a collection of photos, while also allowing the option of including all the photos in the user’s personal library, photos from after a specific date, or that include specific people.

Apple is not new to the habit of withholding features from the initial release, one of such instances is the launch of the iOS 15 without having SharePlay, Universal Control, and better Find My support for AirPods.  The features then began to come out in point releases in the next few months after that.

There are not too many features that are getting pushed back in iOS 16, even though the iPadOS 16 update for Apple tablets also got delayed, scheduled to be launched as iPadOS 16.1.

There is a possibility that Apple’s decision to put iPadOS 16 on its own release schedule may be predicated on the feature’s delay: It may for instance be trying to make sure the set up in available on users iPad or Mac. Apple on its web page said the release date for its Mac macOS Vetura will be around October, fairly a month away, and it may be understandable if the technology company is trying to be on the side of caution, especially as the feature has to do with photos and images that users will not want to lose.

Apple has so far been mute on public request on why it had a change in plans for the Shared Photo Library.