Adding support for photos shared library (iOS 16 feature)

[simonsickle]

The request

I would like to be able to get photos for my shared library, my personal library, or from both. This would allow me to download the images to my server to back them up. Currently, only the personal library can be backed up.

Environment

• pyiCloud version (pip show pyicloud):
• Python version (python -V):
• Operating environment (project deps/Docker/Windows/etc.):

Checklist

• I've looked informations into the README.
• I've looked informations into the pyiCloud's code.

Additional information

[xiaobaiya8]

Upgrade to IOS 16, share pictures with family, and look forward to adding support for shared library

[steilerDev]

As part of my icloud-photos-sync project (that is currently in build up), I already started looking into this.

My findings that I'm happy to share with the project that inspired the above the most:

• The shared photo library is (as I expected) implemented by providing an additional 'zone' that the user can query against (so as part of queries, we need to change zoneName: 'PrimarySync' to zoneName: "SharedSync-<someUUID>")
• Discovery of the shared library is done through new endpoints:
  • {{Photos_URL}}/database/1/com.apple.photos.cloud/production/private/changes/database, I'm guessing this returns all libraries owned by the current user
  • {{Photos_URL}}/database/1/com.apple.photos.cloud/production/shared/changes/database, I'm guessing this returns all libraries that the current user is invited to (cannot check this, because I own the library and currently not sharing with anybody)

POST'ing an empty object to those endpoints results in a list of available libraries.

This means supporting shared library should not change most of the interactions besides the setup.

I've created a Postman collection for all iCloud Photos related interactions: https://github.com/steilerDev/icloud-photos-sync/blob/dev/postman/iCloud.postman_collection.json

[pneff]

I did an initial proof of concept addition implementing shared libraries in this branch: https://github.com/pneff/pyicloud/tree/shared-album-picklepete

Example usage:

    for library_name, album in api.photos.libraries.items():
        print(f'Library: {library_name}')
        for photo in album:
            print(f'{photo.asset_date} {photo} {photo.filename}')

This could easily be extended by adding a shortcut property photos.shared_library. But I am not yet sure if there is only ever one shared library or if there is a circumstance where multiple shared libraries can be present.

[pneff]

Opened a few pull requests for this:

• Support shared libraries #407
• Support shared libraries icloud-photos-downloader/pyicloud#8
• Sync from shared libraries icloud-photos-downloader/icloud_photos_downloader#489

[jo-21]

Opened a few pull requests for this:

• Support shared libraries #407
• Support shared libraries icloud-photos-downloader/pyicloud#8
• Sync from shared libraries icloud-photos-downloader/icloud_photos_downloader#489

Hi Patrice, thanks a lot for the PR. I tried it out, but using the SharedSync as Zone-ID, no folders/albums at all popped out. Do you have a clue why? Does the web-API from iCloud still does not support this?

[timrettop]

Hi @pneff, are you considering revisiting this improvement?

[teh-hippo]

Please consider this improvement; we've recently shifted all our photos into a shared format. This would be amazing for us.

[lukacat10]

As part of my icloud-photos-sync project (that is currently in build up), I already started looking into this.

My findings that I'm happy to share with the project that inspired the above the most:

• The shared photo library is (as I expected) implemented by providing an additional 'zone' that the user can query against (so as part of queries, we need to change zoneName: 'PrimarySync' to zoneName: "SharedSync-<someUUID>")

• Discovery of the shared library is done through new endpoints:

  • {{Photos_URL}}/database/1/com.apple.photos.cloud/production/private/changes/database, I'm guessing this returns all libraries owned by the current user
  • {{Photos_URL}}/database/1/com.apple.photos.cloud/production/shared/changes/database, I'm guessing this returns all libraries that the current user is invited to (cannot check this, because I own the library and currently not sharing with anybody)

POST'ing an empty object to those endpoints results in a list of available libraries.

This means supporting shared library should not change most of the interactions besides the setup.

I've created a Postman collection for all iCloud Photos related interactions: https://github.com/steilerDev/icloud-photos-sync/blob/dev/postman/iCloud.postman_collection.json

I wanted to see the postman file, but it no longer exists in the branch.

Found it here: https://github.com/steilerDev/icloud-photos-sync/blob/23de04abeabfea93b4d25023d607e7e29be3e7a7/postman/iCloud.postman_collection.json

For future reference :)

[steilerDev]

I moved it into 'docs' -> https://github.com/steilerDev/icloud-photos-sync/blob/main/docs/postman/iCloud.postman_collection.json

And some more documentation here: https://icps.steiler.dev/dev/api/