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Public links ​

Ente lets you share your photos via links that anyone can access without an app or account. The contents remain end-to-end encrypted, with decryption keys embedded in the link.

You can create public links in two ways: from an existing album, or by selecting specific photos.

From an album ​

Share an entire album via a public link:

On mobile:

  1. Open the album you want to share
  2. Tap the Share icon
  3. Select "Create link" or "Share link"
  4. Configure link options (optional)
  5. Tap "Copy link" and share it with anyone

On web/desktop:

  1. Open the album
  2. Click the share icon
  3. Select "Create link"
  4. Configure link options (optional)
  5. Click "Copy link" and share it

Create a shareable link without creating an album first:

On mobile:

  1. Long press to select one or more photos
  2. Tap the share icon
  3. Select "Create quick link"
  4. Configure options
  5. Share the link

On web/desktop:

  1. Select one or more photos
  2. Click the share icon
  3. Select "Create quick link"
  4. Configure options
  5. Share the link

How it works: Ente creates a special hidden album behind the scenes and adds your selected photos to it. The link works exactly like a regular public link - recipients see an album with the photos you selected.

Managing quick links:

  • View all quick links in the Sharing tab under "Quick links"
  • Quick links can be converted to regular albums if needed
  • Removing a link doesn't delete the photos

Public links support powerful security and control features:

Password protection ​

Add a password to your link for an extra layer of security. Recipients must enter the correct password to view photos.

When to use:

  • Sharing sensitive content
  • Limiting access to a specific group
  • Adding security beyond link secrecy

Set an expiration date for your link. After this time, the link automatically stops working.

When to use:

  • Temporary event photo sharing
  • Time-limited access
  • Automatic cleanup of old shares

Options:

  • Custom date/time
  • Common presets (7 days, 30 days, etc.)
  • Can be extended or changed later

Device limits ​

Limit how many devices can access the link. This prevents the link from being widely forwarded.

When to use:

  • Sharing with a known small group
  • Preventing viral spread of the link
  • Adding accountability to sharing

Prevent downloads ​

Disable the option to download original quality photos. Recipients can still view photos and take screenshots, but can't download the original files.

When to use:

  • Protecting professional work
  • Watermarked preview sharing
  • Limited distribution control

Note: This doesn't prevent screenshots or screen recording, but does make it harder for recipients to get high-quality copies.

Allow adding photos (Collect mode) ​

Enable photo uploads through the link. Anyone with the link can add photos to the album via web browser - no Ente account needed.

When to use:

  • Collecting event photos from guests
  • Group trip photo gathering
  • Wedding or party photo collection

When this option is enabled, the link becomes a "collect link". All photos added through the link count towards your storage quota.

Learn more in the Collaboration guide.

Custom domains ​

Use your own domain instead of albums.ente.io for your public links.

For example: https://pics.example.org/?t=... instead of https://albums.ente.io/?t=...

Learn more in the Custom domains guide.

On mobile:

  • Go to the Sharing tab (bottom navigation)
  • See "Shared albums" and "Quick links" sections

On web/desktop:

  • Open the sidebar
  • Click "Sharing" to see all shared links
  1. Find the link in your sharing list
  2. Tap/click the three dots menu
  3. Select "Edit link settings"
  4. Modify password, expiry, device limits, or other options
  5. Save changes

Changes apply immediately - anyone accessing the link will see the updated settings.

  1. Find the link in your sharing list
  2. Tap/click the three dots menu
  3. Select "Remove link"
  4. Confirm deletion

Deleting a link makes it immediately inaccessible. The photos in the album remain in your account.

Quick links create hidden albums. You can convert them to regular albums:

  1. Go to Sharing tab
  2. Find the quick link under "Quick links"
  3. Tap/click the three dots menu
  4. Select "Convert to album"

The album becomes a regular album in your Albums tab, and the link continues to work.

How encryption works ​

Public links are end-to-end encrypted, but with an important caveat:

What's encrypted:

  • All photo and video files
  • Photo metadata and album information
  • Everything is encrypted before leaving your device

The security trade-off:

  • Decryption keys are embedded in the link (in the URL fragment after #)
  • Anyone with the link can decrypt and view the content
  • The keys never reach Ente's servers (URL fragments aren't sent to servers)

For sensitive content:

  • Use password protection for an additional security layer
  • Set link expiration to limit exposure
  • Use device limits to prevent wide sharing
  • Consider sharing albums directly with Ente users instead

Implementation details have been documented in our blog post: Building shareable links.

Availability ​

Public links (including collect links and quick links) are only available to paid customers. This limitation helps safeguard against platform abuse.

Free users can:

  • View public links shared with them
  • Add photos to collect links shared with them
  • Receive shared albums from other Ente users

To create public links:

  • Upgrade to any paid plan
  • All paid tiers have full sharing capabilities