It’s easy to share content on a Mac—intriguing news stories, interesting web pages, memorable photos, or cool podcasts—but it’s always been difficult to find what you’ve shared or content that’s been shared with you.
To see an item shared with you through a text, for example, you’d have to track down the original message and access the link or attachment. But thanks to a new option in macOS Monterey called Shared With You, you can view shared items from their most relevant app.
Shared photos appear in the Photos app and shared podcast episodes are placed in the Podcasts app. If someone shares a news story with you, it pops up in your News app, while shows and movies go to the TV app. Web pages sent your way are viewable in Safari.
Shared With You is also available on iPhones running iOS 15 or higher and iPads running iPadOS 15 or higher. As long as you sync your text messages via iCloud, any items shared with you are accessible on your iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
Update MacOS
First, make sure you’re running macOS Monterey 12.0 or higher. Click the Apple icon in the upper left and select About this Mac. If the window shows an older version of macOS, click the Software Update button to download and install the latest version.
Enable Automatic Sharing
Next, you need to turn on automatic sharing in the Messages app and choose the apps in which you want to see shared content. Open Messages. Click Messages on the menu bar and select Preferences. Choose the Shared with You tab.
Check the box for each app for which you want to view shared items. You can choose from among News, Photos, Podcasts, Safari, and TV. Now let’s cover the steps for sharing specific items from different apps, both for you and for other people.
Share Content
When you find a piece of content you want to share within News, Photos, Safari, or TV, tap the Share icon in the upper right and choose Messages. Select the person with whom you want to share the item or select the Messages app and type the person’s name, then send a text.
When sharing podcast content, you can select an entire podcast or a specific episode. To share an entire podcast, click the ellipsis icon in the upper right and select Share Show. Otherwise, tap an episode, then click the ellipsis icon and select Share Episode. From there, share the item with another person via text.
Access Shared New Stories
In order to access the content shared with you, open the appropriate app. For shared news stories, open the News app and select the Shared With You section. You can then click on any stories on this page to read them. Right-click on the ellipsis icon for the story to send a reply to the person who sent it, remove the shared item, copy the link, save the story, or share it with someone else.
Access Shared Photos and Video
For shared photos and video, open the Photos app and tap the For You tab. Look for the Shared with You section. If that section does not appear, look in your regular library for shared items and open a photo or video you wish to view. Shared photos have a small From link at the of the image that lists which contact sent you the photo. Click the person’s name at the top to reply, or right-click on the photo or video to delete, hide, or share it with someone else.
Access Shared Podcasts
For shared podcast content, open the Podcasts app and choose the Listen Now entry. Locate the Shared With You section and click a podcast or individual episode to play it. A From link that lists which contact sent you the episode will be underneath the entry. Click the person’s name to respond to their text or right-click the item to share it with someone else.
Access Shared Web Pages
For web pages that have been shared with you, open Safari. Click the View menu and select Show Sidebar if it’s not already visible. Click in the Shared with You section to see all shared web pages; click them to view. Select the name underneath the story to reply to the sender.
Access Shared TV Shows or Movies
If there are shows or movies that have been shared with you, open the TV app and move to the Watch Now section. Scroll toward the bottom until you see the Shared with You section. Click a specific movie or TV episode to watch it in the app. Click the person’s name underneath the shared content to respond to their text.
