Can I share Drive photos from my iPhone without a computer?

Yes. Both the Drive app and Galrivo work from the iPhone browser, so you can pick and share without touching a laptop.

Will the people I share with need an iPhone?

No. That is the main advantage of sharing from Drive. A gallery link opens in any browser on any device.

Why won't the Google picker open in Safari?

Safari's cookie blocking can stop the picker window. Allow cross-site tracking briefly, or set up the gallery on a laptop. We explain this more in our guide to keeping shared media private.

Google Drive sharing

How to share iPhone photos that are stored in Google Drive

Keep your iPhone photos and videos in Google Drive but want to share them without the usual iCloud friction? Here is the clean way to share Drive media from an iPhone.

Hannah Brooks

UX writer at Galrivo·3 February 2026·3 min read

An iPhone resting on a table showing a photo gallery

Plenty of iPhone owners keep their photos and videos in Google Drive rather than iCloud. Maybe you ran out of the free iCloud storage, maybe you split life across an iPhone and an Android tablet, maybe you just trust one place for everything. Whatever the reason, sharing from Drive on an iPhone has a couple of quirks worth knowing.

Why people share from Drive instead of iCloud

iCloud shared albums work beautifully, but only really shine when the other person also has an Apple device.
If your originals already live in Drive, sharing through iCloud means moving them around first.
Drive is the same on an iPhone, an Android phone, and a laptop, so the people you share with are never left out.

Sharing with the Drive app on iPhone

The Google Drive app on iOS can share a folder, though the controls are a little buried compared with the desktop:

Open the Drive app and find the folder

Tap the three dots next to the folder you want to share.

Tap Manage access

Change General access to "Anyone with the link" so people without a Google account can open it.

Share “iPhone photos”

General access

Anyone with the link

Anyone on the internet with the link can view

Viewer

Copy linkDone

Copy the link

Tap Copy link, then share it through Messages, WhatsApp, or wherever you like.

Watch the share sheet

If you use the iPhone share sheet to send a Drive file, it sometimes sends a copy from your phone rather than a link to the Drive original. For big videos that quietly defeats the point. Copy the Drive link directly to be sure.

A hand holding an iPhone outdoors taking a photo — Your originals stay in Drive; you just send a link to them.

The nicer way: a gallery link from your iPhone

If you want the people you share with to see an actual gallery instead of Drive's file list, open Galrivo in your iPhone browser and make a gallery there. You pick the photos and videos from your Drive, get one link, and send it from the same phone.

When your friend taps it, they get a full-screen, swipeable gallery that works the same on their iPhone, their Android, or their laptop. No app, no account, and your photos arrive at full quality, not the squished version a chat app would create.

A note for Safari users

When you set up a gallery on an iPhone, Safari sometimes blocks the Google picker window because of its strict cookie settings. If the picker will not open, switch on cross-site tracking for the moment, or set the gallery up once on a laptop. Viewing a finished gallery always works fine in Safari.

Key takeaways

Keeping iPhone media in Drive makes sharing work for non-Apple friends too.
In the Drive app, set access to "Anyone with the link" before copying it.
Avoid the share sheet for big videos, it can send a copy instead of a link.
A gallery link gives the cleanest result and keeps full quality on any device.

Frequently asked questions

Share your media the easy way

Turn the photos and videos in your Google Drive into one clean link, with a password and an end date if you want. Free to start, no app for the people you send it to.

Make my first gallery

Hannah Brooks

UX writer at Galrivo

Hannah writes the words inside Galrivo and the step-by-step guides for getting things done on your phone, whatever device you carry.