Picasa Web Albums has been a popular platform for storing and sharing photos online. While sharing albums with friends and family is a great feature, there may come a time when you need to unshare an album for privacy reasons. This guide will walk you through the step-by-step process of unsharing photo albums on Picasa Web Albums, giving you complete control over who can access your photos.

What Happens When You Unshare a Picasa Web Album?

Before diving into the steps, it's important to understand what happens when you unshare an album:

• People you've shared the album with will no longer have access
• Any public links to the album will stop working
• The album will become private and only visible to you
• Comments and tags added by others will remain, but no new ones can be added

Quick Guide to Unshare Picasa Web Albums

For those in a hurry, here's a quick overview of the process:

1. Sign in to your Picasa Web Albums account
2. Locate the album you want to unshare
3. Click on the album to open it
4. Click "Share" or "Link settings"
5. Change visibility to "Private" or remove specific people
6. Save your changes

Detailed Steps to Unshare a Picasa Web Album

Now, let's break down the process in more detail with clear instructions for each step.

Step 1: Sign in to Your Picasa Web Albums Account

First, you need to access your Picasa Web Albums account:

1. Open your web browser
2. Go to picasaweb.google.com (or photos.google.com if you've migrated)
3. Enter your Google account credentials
4. Click "Sign in"

If you're already signed in to your Google account, you might be automatically signed in to Picasa Web Albums.

Step 2: Find the Album You Want to Unshare

Once you're logged in:

1. Look for the "My Photos" or "Albums" section
2. Browse through your albums to find the one you want to unshare
3. You can use the search function if you have many albums

Step 3: Access the Album's Sharing Settings

After finding the album:

1. Click on the album to open it
2. Look for the "Share" button (usually near the top of the page)
3. If you don't see a "Share" button, look for "Link settings" or "Album settings"

Step 4: Change the Sharing Permissions

Now you'll see the current sharing settings for your album. You have several options to unshare the album:

Option 1: Make the Album Completely Private

1. Look for the "Visibility" or "Privacy" option
2. Select "Private" or "Only you"
3. Click "Save" or "Apply"

Option 2: Remove Specific People

1. Find the list of people who have access to the album
2. Look for the "X" or trash icon next to each person's name
3. Click this icon to remove their access
4. Confirm the removal if prompted
5. Save your changes

Option 3: Remove Public Link Access

1. Look for the "Link sharing" or "Public link" option
2. Turn off this feature or set it to "Off"
3. Save your changes

Step 5: Verify the Changes

After making your changes:

1. Return to your album list
2. Check for any sharing icons next to the album name
3. Re-open the album's sharing settings to confirm the changes took effect

Unsharing Albums on Different Versions of Picasa

The Picasa interface has changed over the years, and Google has transitioned many users to Google Photos. Let's look at how to unshare albums on different versions:

Classic Picasa Web Albums

In the original version:

1. Open the album
2. Click "Link settings" in the top-right corner
3. Change "Visibility" to "Only you"
4. Click "Save changes"

Newer Picasa Web Albums Interface

In the updated version:

1. Open the album
2. Click "Share" at the top
3. Click "Advanced"
4. Change visibility to "Private"
5. Click "Save"

Google Photos (for migrated Picasa users)

If your Picasa albums have been migrated to Google Photos:

1. Go to photos.google.com
2. Click on "Albums" in the left sidebar
3. Open the album you want to unshare
4. Click the three dots (menu) in the top-right corner
5. Select "Options" or "Sharing options"
6. Turn off sharing or remove specific people
7. Click "Done" or "Save"

Common Issues When Unsharing Picasa Albums

You might encounter some problems when trying to unshare your albums. Here are solutions to common issues:

Problem: Can't Find Sharing Options

Solution: Try these alternatives:

• Look for a gear icon that represents settings
• Check under the "More" or "..." menu
• Right-click on the album and look for sharing options
• Try accessing your account through photos.google.com instead

Problem: Changes Don't Save

Solution:

• Make sure you're clicking "Save" after making changes
• Try using a different browser
• Clear your browser cache and cookies
• Wait a few minutes and try again (server sync issues)

Problem: Album Still Appears Shared

Solution:

• Double-check that you've saved your changes
• Log out and log back in to refresh your view
• Ask someone who previously had access to check if they can still view it
• Check if there are multiple sharing settings (public link vs. specific people)

Comparison: Different Ways to Control Picasa Album Access

Method	Pros	Cons	Best For
Make album private	Complete privacy, no one can access	Removes access for everyone at once	When you want to completely hide an album
Remove specific people	Targeted control, others still have access	More time-consuming for multiple people	When you want to revoke access from certain individuals
Disable public link	Stops anonymous access while keeping specific shares	Directly shared people still have access	When you want to limit access to only specific people
Password protection	Album remains shared but protected	People need to remember the password	When you want controlled sharing with a layer of security

Alternative Ways to Control Album Access

Besides completely unsharing an album, there are other ways to control who can see your photos:

Set Viewing Permissions Without Editing Rights

You can allow people to view but not edit, download, or comment on your photos:

1. Open the album's sharing settings
2. Find the permission level dropdown next to each person
3. Change from "Can edit" to "Can view"
4. Save your changes

Use Password Protection

Some versions of Picasa Web Albums allow password protection:

1. Open the album's sharing settings
2. Look for "Password protect this album" option
3. Create a password
4. Save your changes
5. Share the password only with people you trust

Create Limited Time Access

For temporary sharing:

1. Share the album normally
2. Make a note to unshare it after a specific date
3. Follow the unsharing steps on that date

What to Do After Unsharing an Album

After you've unshared your album, consider these follow-up actions:

Inform Relevant People

If appropriate, let people know you've removed their access, especially if they might need those photos:

• Send a quick email explaining the change
• Offer to share specific photos individually if needed
• Suggest alternative ways they can access photos if applicable

Check Other Albums

While you're managing your privacy settings:

• Review other albums to ensure they have appropriate sharing settings
• Look for any forgotten public albums
• Consider creating a consistent privacy strategy for all albums

Consider Downloading Important Photos

Since Google has been transitioning away from Picasa:

• Download important photo albums as backups
• Consider alternative photo storage solutions
• Explore Google Photos as the long-term replacement

Privacy Considerations for Picasa Web Albums

Understanding privacy aspects can help you make better decisions about your photo sharing:

Shared Photos Can Be Downloaded

Remember that when you share photos, recipients can usually:

• Download the images to their devices
• Take screenshots even if downloading is disabled
• Potentially reshare the photos elsewhere

Facial Recognition and Tags

Be aware of how tagging works:

• Photos with facial recognition tags may identify people
• Unsharing doesn't automatically remove existing tags
• Consider removing sensitive tags before or after unsharing

Location Data in Photos

Your photos might contain location information:

• Check if your albums have location data enabled
• Consider removing location data from sensitive photos
• Be aware that metadata can reveal where photos were taken

Transitioning from Picasa to Google Photos

Since Google has been phasing out Picasa in favor of Google Photos, you should know how this affects sharing:

How Migration Affects Sharing

When your Picasa Web Albums migrate to Google Photos:

• Most sharing settings are preserved during migration
• The interface for managing sharing is different
• Some advanced sharing features may change

Unsharing in Google Photos

The process in Google Photos is slightly different:

1. Open the album in Google Photos
2. Click the "Share" icon
3. Find "Shared album link" and toggle it off
4. Or remove specific people from the sharing list
5. Click "Done"

Benefits of Moving to Google Photos

There are advantages to embracing the transition:

• More modern interface
• Better integration with other Google services
• Continued updates and support
• More granular sharing controls

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Will people know when I unshare a Picasa album with them?

No, Picasa doesn't send notifications when you unshare an album. People will simply lose access to the album the next time they try to view it. They'll typically see an error message saying the album is no longer available or they don't have permission to view it.

2. Can I unshare an album but keep specific photos shared?

In Picasa Web Albums, you can't selectively share photos within an album. If you want some photos to remain shared while others become private, you'll need to create a new album with just the photos you want to share, and then unshare the original album.

3. If I unshare an album, will comments and tags be deleted?

No, unsharing an album doesn't delete existing comments or tags. They'll still be visible to you as the album owner. However, once unshared, people can no longer add new comments or tags to your photos.

4. What happens to shared albums when Picasa completely transitions to Google Photos?

When your Picasa Web Albums are fully migrated to Google Photos, your sharing settings generally transfer over. However, the interface for managing these settings will change. It's a good idea to check your albums in Google Photos after migration to confirm the sharing settings match your preferences.

5. Can I temporarily unshare an album and then reshare it later?

Yes, you can unshare an album and then reshare it later if needed. The process to reshare is similar to the original sharing process. However, you'll need to re-add all the people you want to share with, as the system doesn't remember previous sharing settings once they're removed.

Quick Tip to ensure your videos never go missing

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Conclusion

Unsharing a Picasa Web Album is a straightforward process that gives you control over your privacy. Whether you're making an album completely private, removing specific people's access, or just disabling public links, the steps are simple to follow. Remember that as Google transitions fully to Google Photos, the exact interface might change, but the core concepts remain the same.

Taking the time to manage your photo sharing settings helps protect your privacy and ensures your personal moments are only shared with the people you choose. Regularly reviewing your albums and their sharing status is good practice in our increasingly connected digital world.

By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can confidently manage who has access to your photos, giving you peace of mind about your digital memories.