Method and system for integration of shared photo albums with messaging applications

1. A method at an electronic device, the method comprising:

receiving a user interface input within a messaging application on the electronic device, the user interface input signaling that at least one of photographs or videos exchanged within a message thread on the messaging application should be stored within a shared photo album, wherein the messaging application is a distinct application from a shared photo album application, wherein only a subset of a plurality of messaging threads for the messaging application have corresponding shared photo albums;

selecting a shared photo album from a plurality of shared photo albums, the selecting comprising:

comparing correspondents of the message thread with membership of the shared photo album;

when the membership of the shared photo album is equivalent to the correspondents of the message thread, selecting the shared photo album; and

configuring the selected shared photo album as a configured shared photo album.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the selecting is based on an exact match between correspondents of the message thread and membership in the shared photo album.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the selecting is based on the correspondents of the message thread being a subset of membership in the shared photo album.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the configuring comprises:

populating a user selection field with an indication of the selected at least one shared photo album; and

receiving a user interface selection at the electronic device of an indication of one of the selected at least one shared photo album.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

transmitting or receiving a second message within the message thread on the electronic device;

processing the second message to find photographs or videos; and

saving found photographs or videos to the configured shared photo album.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising saving supplementary data associated with the found photographs or videos to the shared photo album.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving at a user interface of the electronic device a selection of a photograph in the messaging application; and

providing an option on the user interface to delete the photograph from the configured shared photo album.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing an alert within the messaging application, the alert indicating that photographs or videos are automatically being saved to the configured shared photo album.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving an input on a user interface of the electronic device to limit a time duration for the saving of photographs or videos to the configured shared photo album.

10. A method at an electronic device, the method comprising:

maintaining, in a memory of the electronic device, a list of names for each of a plurality of shared photo albums;

receiving, in a new message thread in a messaging application, a name for a shared photo album of the plurality of shared photo albums as a recipient for the new message thread, the shared photo album having at least two members, where the name for the shared photo album is selected from the plurality of shared photo albums by:

 comparing correspondents of the message thread with membership of the shared photo album; and

 when the membership of the shared photo album is equivalent to the correspondents of the message thread, selecting the shared photo album, wherein the messaging application is a distinct application from a shared photo album application and wherein only a subset of a plurality of messaging threads for the messaging application have corresponding shared photo albums;

receiving input of a first message for transmission within the message thread;

transmitting the first message to at least one other member of the shared photo album;

receiving input of a first image for transmission within the message thread; and

enabling automatic saving of the image to the named shared photo album upon transmission.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the name of the shared photo album corresponds to the name of the shared photo album in an application distinct from the messaging application.

12. A non-transitory computer readable medium for storing instruction code which, when executed on a processor of an electronic device cause the electronic device to:

receive a user interface input within a messaging application on the electronic device, the user interface input signaling that at least one of photographs or videos exchanged within a message thread on the messaging application should be stored within a shared photo album wherein the messaging application is a distinct application from a shared photo album application, wherein only a subset of a plurality of messaging threads for the messaging application have corresponding shared photo albums;

select a shared photo album from a plurality of shared photo albums, the selecting comprising:

comparing correspondents of the message thread with membership of the shared photo album;

when the membership of the shared photo album is equivalent to the correspondents of the message thread, selecting the shared photo album; and

configure the selected shared photo album as a configured shared photo album.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12 , wherein the electronic device is caused to select based on an exact match between correspondents of the message thread and membership in the shared photo album.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12 , wherein the electronic device is caused to select based on the correspondents of the message thread being a subset of membership in the shared photo album.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12 , wherein the electronic device is further caused to:

populate a user selection field with an indication of the selected at least one shared photo album; and

receive a user interface selection at the electronic device of an indication of one of the selected at least one shared photo album.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12 , wherein the electronic device is further caused to:

transmit or receive a second message within the message thread on the electronic device;

process the second message to find photographs or videos; and

save found photographs or videos to the configured shared photo album.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the electronic device is further caused to save supplementary data associated with the found photographs or videos to the shared photo album.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12 , wherein the electronic device is further caused to:

receive at a user interface of the electronic device a selection of a photograph in the messaging application; and

provide an option on the user interface to delete the photograph from the configured shared photo album.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12 , wherein the electronic device is further caused to provide an alert within the messaging application, the alert indicating that photographs or videos are automatically being saved to the configured shared photo album.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12 , wherein the electronic device is further caused to receive an input on a user interface of the electronic device to limit a time duration for the saving of photographs or videos to the configured shared photo album.