familyTVHow to share favourites and tags with your family, with or without the cloud
Two ways to share favourites, categories and people: share a folder with sidecar files, or use optional Cloud sharing for metadata.
Everyone in the family has their own view of the same photos. Here are two ways to share favourites, categories and people, with or without the cloud.
Option 1: share the folder (no cloud needed)
familyTV keeps favourites, categories, people and descriptions in a small sidecar file next to each photo (for example IMG_1.jpg.xmp). So the metadata travels with the folder. Share the folder and you share the tags.
Keep the family photos in one folder tree
Use OneDrive, Google Drive or a NAS (WebDAV). The folder guide shows a layout that works well.
Share that folder with your relatives
Give the people who may tag photos edit access, and everyone else view access.
Connect familyTV to the shared folder
Do this on each TV and phone. Choose an access level that can see the shared folder. To save tags, familyTV must be allowed to write the sidecar files; read-only access can show tags but not save changes.
Tag as usual
Sidecars are saved beside the photos, and everyone sees the changes after the next sync.
If your tags are stored inside the photo
Some apps write tags into the photo file itself (EXIF, XMP or IPTC). Those tags travel with every copy, and standard tools such as Lightroom, digiKam and Immich read them. familyTV keeps its own tags in sidecars so your original files are never rewritten.
Good to know
- Viewers see the tags but cannot change them.
- If two people tag the same photo at the same moment, the last save wins.
- Keep photos and sidecars on the same drive so they stay together.
- Agree on category names and who adds new people, so the lists stay tidy.
Option 2: Cloud sharing (coming soon)
For relatives who do not share a drive, Cloud sharing is an optional subscription for Free and Premium. It syncs metadata only (never your photos) between households, and includes 10,000 photos. Your photos stay where they are.
Which one should I use?
- Everyone can reach the same drive: share the folder. It is free and simple.
- Different drives or households: use Cloud sharing.
See also: 10 tips to organise your family photos.