Photos and files guide
Share Immich with family
Your photos stay on your hardware. Your family can still get to them from anywhere.
You'll need
- Immich running on a machine at home
- Docker
- A free Seawise.io account
Step by step
Everything happens in your browser except step 1.
Run the Seawise.io container
Run this on the machine where Immich runs. The container connects out to Seawise.io, so you don't open any ports on your router.
On Docker Desktop for Mac or Windows, replace --network host with -p 8082:8082.
$ docker run -d --name seawise \ --restart unless-stopped \ --network host \ -v seawise-data:/config \ ghcr.io/seawise-io/seawise-client:latest
✓ Container started
Set a password
On a computer at home, open http://your-server-ip:8082 and create a password for the container's page.
Connect it to your account
Give the server a name, click Connect, and approve it in the seawise.io tab that opens. Sign up for free there if you haven't yet.
Add Immich
Fill in the name, the address and the port Immich uses (2283 by default), then click Add.
--network host, use localhost. On Docker Desktop, use host.docker.internal. If Immich runs on another machine, use its local IP, like 192.168.1.20.
Open it from anywhere
Immich now shows on your Servers page at seawise.io. Click it from any browser, on any network, and you're in.
Share it
Go to Portals, create one (say, Family), and add Immich to it. Then open its sharing settings and add the email of everyone who should get in.
Skip this step if Immich is just for you.
What they see
Send them the portal link. They sign in with the email you added, using Google, GitHub or an email link, and tap Immich. Nothing to install, on any phone, tablet or laptop.
Get Immich ready for family
01
Give each person their own account
Go to Administration > Users and click Create user. Use the edit icon to set a storage quota in GiB if you want to cap how much someone uploads.
02
Set the External Domain
In Administration > Settings > Server Settings, set External Domain to https://your-app.seawise.dev with no trailing slash. Shared links and email notifications then use your Seawise.io address instead of a local one.
03
Share albums or a whole library
Share an album with other Immich users as editor or viewer, or use Account Settings > Partner Sharing to share everything with a partner. Partner sharing is one way, so both people turn it on to see each other's photos.
If something's not working
Immich shows as offline+
Seawise.io can't reach the Immich server. Run curl http://localhost:2283 on the server; if nothing answers, check the immich-server container and its port mapping.
The phone app can't log in+
The Immich mobile app can't show the Seawise.io sign-in page. Family can use Immich in a phone browser, or you can make the app public on the Admin plan so the app connects and Immich's own login protects it.
Shared links point to a local address+
Immich builds links from the address you were using when you created them. Set External Domain under Server Settings and create the link again.
Public share links ask for a sign-in+
Immich share links skip Immich's login, but a private Seawise.io app still asks visitors to sign in. Add the person to your portal, or make the app public on the Admin plan.
Good to know
Backups count as bandwidth
Photos and videos backed up from a phone through Seawise.io are uploads, and uploads count toward your monthly bandwidth. Back up at home on Wi-Fi when you can.