Jul 12, 2017 How to Move Your Apple Photos Library to Another Location Matt Klein @howtogeek Updated July 12, 2017, 11:14am EDT Apple’s new Photos application was released as part of a. Jan 12, 2020 Apple hides the Library folder by setting a file system flag associated with the folder. You can toggle the visibility flag for any folder on your Mac; Apple just chose to set the Library folder's visibility flag to the off state by default. Here's how to change it. Apr 01, 2020 Designate a System Photo Library in Photos If you have multiple photo libraries on your Mac, you can choose one to be the System Photo Library. The System Photo Library is the only library that can be used with iCloud Photos, Shared Albums, and My Photo Stream. You can do this easily by clicking on the 'Calibre Library' button at the top of the window, and then clicking the 'Switch/Create Library' option in the menu. This time, choose the first option in the list, which tells Calibre to use your existing library at a new location.
Photos User Guide
When you import photos and videos into Photos, they’re copied to the Photos library in the Pictures folder. If you prefer, you can store photos and videos outside the Photos library (for example, in a folder on your Mac or on an external drive) and still view them in Photos. Files stored outside your library are called referenced files.
Referenced files aren’t automatically uploaded and stored in iCloud, and they aren’t backed up along with the rest of your files when you back up your photo library—you must back them up manually. To avoid manually backing up referenced files, you can move or consolidate the files into your library.
Store imported files outside the Photos library
In the Photos app on your Mac, choose Photos > Preferences, then click General.
Deselect the “Copy items to the Photos library” checkbox.
Now, when you import photos or video, Photos leaves the files in their original location and accesses them as referenced files.
Find a referenced file in the Finder
In the Photos app on your Mac, select a referenced file.
Choose File > Show Referenced File in Finder.
Copy referenced files into a Photos library
You can copy referenced files into your photo library so they’re easier to back up and are automatically stored in iCloud if iCloud Photos is turned on.
In the Photos app on your Mac, select the files that you want to copy into the photo library.
Choose File > Consolidate.
Click Copy.
Photos in your System Photo Library are available in apps like iMovie, Pages, and Keynote. You can also sync them to iOS devices and view them on Apple TV. And if you want to use your own images as your desktop picture or screen saver, the images need to be in your System Photo Library before you can select them in System Preferences.
If you have only one photo library, then it's the System Photo Library. Otherwise, the first photo library that you create or open in Photos will become the System Photo Library. If you have more than one library, you might need to designate a System Photo Library, so other apps can access the photos and videos you want them to use.
Where Is My Calibre Library
Follow these steps to designate a System Photo Library:
- Quit Photos.
- Hold down the Option key and open Photos. One of the photo libraries is already designated as YourLibraryName (System Photo Library).
- Choose the library you want to designate as the System Photo Library.
- After Photos opens the library, choose Photos > Preferences from the menu bar.
- Click the General tab.
- Click the Use as System Photo Library button.
Calibre Library Download
If you open a second or different library in the Photos app, and you haven't designated it as the System Photo Library, other applications will use photos from the original System Photo Library. Hold down the Option key when you open Photos to see which library is set as the System Photo Library.
Calibre Library Download
iCloud and the System Photo Library
You can use iCloud Photos, Shared Albums, and My Photo Stream only with the System Photo Library. If you choose a different library in Photos without designating it as the System Photo Library, the iCloud tab in Photos preferences is disabled:
If you designate a new library as the System Photo Library and then turn on iCloud Photos, the photos and videos in the new library will merge with those already in your iCloud Photos. If you want to keep the contents of your photo libraries separate, don’t turn on iCloud Photos for more than one library in Photos.