iOS 15 Photos Share Sheet Changes Explained

Apple's iOS 15 update brought meaningful refinements to the Photos app share sheet, prioritizing user privacy, metadata management, and streamlined file handling. This guide covers the specific changes made to the photo sharing interface, detailing the dedicated Options menu, new privacy controls for location and metadata, and improved file format selections.

Dedicated "Options" Button

In iOS 15, tapping the Share icon displays an Options button directly at the top of the share sheet, positioned beneath the photo thumbnail count. This provides a central access point for configuring how photos and videos are exported before choosing a recipient or destination app.

Granular Location Toggling

Within the Options menu, iOS 15 introduced a dedicated Location toggle. Users can turn off geotag data on the fly before sending a photo via Messages, AirDrop, Mail, or third-party platforms. Disabling this setting removes the GPS coordinates from the shared copy while keeping the location data intact within the user's personal Photos library.

"All Photos Data" Toggle

The share sheet added the All Photos Data option, primarily intended for AirDrop transfers and iCloud links. When enabled, the recipient receives the original, uncompressed image file alongside its full edit history, Live Photo video components, and RAW assets. When disabled, the share sheet outputs a standard, flattened version without historical adjustments.

Format Controls (Automatic vs. Current)

iOS 15 introduced clear controls for file formatting when exporting media:

  • Automatic: Converts HEIC and HEVC media into universally compatible formats (such as JPEG and H.264) when sharing to platforms or recipients that might not support Apple's high-efficiency containers.
  • Current: Preserves the exact file format stored on the device, preventing unwanted automatic conversions during export.

Streamlined Sharing Row and Suggestions

The horizontal contact suggestion bar received smarter sorting powered by on-device intelligence. The share sheet prioritizes frequent contacts based on recent conversations in Messages and detects people recognized in the selected photos, offering one-tap sharing to the individuals featured in the frame.