Google has finally given us the ability to share directly with other Google users in Shared Albums, similar to a feature the company added to One-Time Photos back in December. This will now be the default sharing experience in Google Photos, replacing the “shared link” that was previously the main option.

You still have options: Google says you can still share albums with a link, which can then be embedded in an email, text, or a website for people without a Google account. You can also turn link sharing on or off and decide whether you want people you've shared with to add photos to your albums. You can also remove people, which will take everything they've contributed with you.

In short, whether you use Google Photos to share individual images or entire albums, it’s nice to not have to worry if the link you created to share has been given to someone else. Even better to know that you can still use a link for those albums that you DO want to give to people you may not know yet. The new sharing rules are in effect now.