How to Share a Family Photo Album as One Link
To share a whole family photo album as one link, scan the album into an app that turns it into a web page, then send that single link by WhatsApp, text message or email. With Albumbox, relatives open the link in any browser and need no app and no account to look through the album and download the photos. Creating the link is part of Albumbox Plus; scanning the album is free.
How to share an album as one link, step by step
- Scan the album. Lay the album flat near a window and photograph one page at a time. Albumbox finds up to six photos on each page, crops and straightens every one and saves it as its own picture, with contrast and colors improved as it scans. How long this takes depends on the size of the album: count on one to two minutes per page, so a 40-page album takes about an hour. If you have not scanned yet, the guide on how to digitize a whole photo album without removing the photos walks you through it.
- Check the order and add names. The photos stay in the order of the pages. Add the date, the place and who is in the picture, to one photo or to several at once. Your relatives will see these captions in the shared album.
- Create the link. Open the album, tap "Share" at the bottom and then "Share album". You sign in with a free account (Apple, Google or a code by email), and you need Albumbox Plus for this step.
- Send it. Paste the link into WhatsApp, a text message or an email. One link covers the whole album, however many photos it holds.
- Test it once. Send the link to one relative first and ask whether it opened. Then send it to everyone else.
What your relatives see when they open the link
The link opens a web page with the whole album, in the same order as the printed pages, together with the captions you added. It works on a phone, a tablet or a computer, in any browser. Nobody has to install anything or create an account, which matters for relatives who rarely use apps.
They can look through the photos, open each one large and download all of them. A brother abroad, a cousin across the country and an aunt in a care home can all open the same album at the same time, from wherever they are.
Ways to share old photos with relatives far away
| Way | What the recipient needs | Album stays together | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| WhatsApp or text message | The same messaging app | No, photos arrive one by one | Nothing extra |
| Email attachments | An email address | No, large albums need several emails | Nothing extra |
| Shared cloud album (Google Photos, iCloud) | A link; whether an account is needed depends on the sharing settings | Yes | Depends on your storage plan |
| Albumbox link | Any browser | Yes, in page order with captions | Albumbox Plus, €39.99 per year (as of November 2026) |
Messaging apps work well for a handful of pictures, but a whole album turns into a long, unsorted stream, and many apps shrink the photos to save data. Email keeps the original files, but most providers limit the size of a message. Shared cloud albums keep photos together and suit families who already use the same service. A single link from a scanning app suits relatives of any age, because opening a web page is the one thing every phone can do. The guide on how to share old family photos without an app compares these ways in more detail.
What it costs
Scanning, creating albums and adding names, dates and places are free in Albumbox and need no sign-up. Saving a single photo to your phone or sending it through your phone's share menu is free as well. Sharing a whole album as a link, saving several photos at once and making a PDF photo book are part of Albumbox Plus.
Plus costs €14.99 per month, €39.99 per year (with a 3-day free trial at the moment, which works out at about €3.33 per month), or €79.99 once for three years. The three-year option ends on its own: no renewal and nothing to cancel. Prices are in euros as of November 2026; the App Store or Google Play shows the price in your currency. The pricing page lists everything that is included.
The link stays active as long as you have Plus. If Plus ends, the link stops working, and if you take out Plus again later, the same link works again without sharing it anew. You can delete a link at any time.
Is a shared album private?
Only people who have the link can open the album. The album pages are hidden from search engines, and the transfer is encrypted. A shared album is stored on a server in the EU until you delete the link; deleting it also deletes that copy. The photos in the app on your phone are not affected.
If you want to keep some pictures within the closest family, make a separate album for them and share that one only with the people you choose.
Tips for sharing with older relatives
- Send a short message with the link that says what it is: "Grandma's albums from 1965 to 1980, tap the link to look through them."
- Share one album per link, for example one per decade or per family branch. Smaller albums are easier to look through on a phone.
- Add names before you share. The captions answer the question "Who is that?" before anyone has to ask.
- If someone cannot open the link, check that they copied the whole address. It opens in any browser, so a different browser usually helps.
Frequently asked questions
Can I share a whole photo album with one link?
Yes. Scan the album into an app that publishes albums as a web page, then send one link. In Albumbox, the link shows every photo of the album in page order with your captions, and it needs Albumbox Plus.
Do my relatives need to install an app to see the photos?
No. The link opens in any browser on a phone, tablet or computer. Your relatives do not need the app and do not need an account.
Can relatives download the photos from the link?
Yes. Everyone with the link can view the photos and download them. If you only want to show a few pictures, share them in a separate album.
What happens to the link if Plus ends?
The link stops working while you do not have Plus. Your scans stay in the app on your phone. If you take out Plus again, the same link works again, so you do not have to send a new one.
How do I share old photos with relatives who live far away?
Scan the albums, add names and dates, and send one link per album by WhatsApp or email. Everyone opens it on their own phone or computer, wherever they live, without installing anything.
If you have an album on the shelf, scan its first page with Albumbox today and send the link to one relative to see how it looks on their screen.
