Experience using iCloud Link to share high quality images

I find it hard to understand how the iCloud Link feature responds in different configurations. That said, I can list the steps that were ultimately successful:

1) Create a single iCloud Link for multiple files. Using individual links in succession resulted in problems (only the first file was saved).

2) Use the Messages app to send the iCloud Link. Messages has special handling for iCloud links. It interacts directly with the Photos app on the receiving device. For testing purposes, I transferred the files to an iPad (set up with a separate Apple Account), created the iCloud Link, and then used Messages to send that link to my devices. Prior to that, I had mixed and confusing results with links sent by email and pasted into various browsers (however, it is possible to use a 2-step process, by first downloading the iCloud Link files locally and then using the Save Video share option).

3) On iOS, wait for the iCloud Link upload to complete and then look for the Save All Files option to save the files to Photos.

4) On macOS, the iCloud Link received via Messages shows up in the Photos application in the Shared Album section. In this case, right clicking on the link reveals a save option similar to iOS (Save 3 Files for this particular test). Using this option, I successfully saved the iCloud Link files to my local (non-iCloud) Photos Library.

One source of confusion during my initial testing was that it used devices tied to a common Apple Account. In this case, the iCloud Link feature may behave differently than with separate accounts.

The iCloud Link feature should simplify transfers. In my view, it fails badly in this regard. At some point, I ended up using a third-party service which works for both Apple and non-Apple devices. On Apple devices, the locally downloaded files have to be manually added to Photos.

iCloud Drive can also be used. However, I understand that a shared folder must be configured to grant each Apple Account explicit access. I try to avoid ongoing configuration as friends and family members may want to forward the transfer instructions to third parties.

- Pie Lover

P.S. Perhaps I'm stating the obvious, but the above method is only necessary when devices are far apart. The AirDrop feature can be used for transfer when the devices are co-located. Further, AirDrop can now be setup to use a temporary PIN to facilitate transfers, but I haven't personally tried this enhancement (I configure AirDrop on my devices to only work with my contacts).