Why Can't I Access My Photos Library On My Mac

  • Apr 21, 2015 Hi, I can't import my iPhoto library to Photos. Every time I select the iPhoto library icon to be import to Photos, it doesn't give me the option since it is a grey-out icon. How can you do this? Also, I heard some people losing photos in the process. Does anybody confirm this?
  • Oct 06, 2018  Trying to close your Mac's Photos App but it gets stuck on Closing the Library? Check out our top tips and reader advice on how to fix it now. When I open iphotos, it won’t show pics from my iphone anymore. I can’t close the library without force quitting it every time. I checked icloud settings. It wasn’t set to include iphotos so I.

The iCloud Photo Library is one of those “where have you been all my life” kind of apps. Once you’ve started using it, there’s no going back. The iCloud Photo Library lets you sync your photos across all other devices meaning your precious memories are with you at all times and completely safe should anything happen to your device.

You can export photos in the original file format in which they were imported into your Photos library. A Live Photo is exported as two separate files: a still image file and a video file. In the Photos app on your Mac, select the photos you want to export. Choose File Export Export Unmodified Original.

Before we show you how to set up the iCloud Photo Library and how to access iCloud on Mac, there’s a bit of housekeeping we need you to take care of.

How to keep no junk in iCloud

One of iCloud’s great features is that it automatically backs up all of your photos. So when you’re out happily snapping away with your iPhone camera, iCloud will work in the background to add all of your images to the Photo Library so that you can instantly access them on your Mac when you get home.

However, as you’re going to be setting up the Library for the first time, your Mac will automatically start syncing every image that already exists on your computer to iCloud. There are two reasons why this might not be ideal:

  1. There are photos on your Mac that you don’t want, or need, uploading.
  2. The iCloud Photo Library only comes with 5GB of free storage. More storage costs a minimum of $0.99 (USD) a month.

So, before switching on the Photo Library, it’s worth clearing out some of your iPhoto junk. CleanMyMac X lets you do this in a few clicks, using its smart scanning tool to only remove photos that you no longer need, such as pre-rotated or pre-cropped shots.

Here’s how to use CleanMyMac to clean up your iPhoto folders.

Mac os library can't be found. 2020-4-6  How to Access User Library in MacOS Mojave, macOS Catalina, and MacOS Sierra. If you don’t need to constantly show the /Library folder on the Mac, you can just access it when needed by using the “Go” menu: From the Finder of Mac OS, pull down the “Go” menu and hold down the SHIFT key; Choose “Library” from the drop down list.

  1. Download CleanMyMac (you can do that here, for free).
  2. Launch CleanMyMac and click on Photo Junk from the sidebar menu.
  3. Your default photo library is already pre-selected to be scanned, but can easily be changed by clicking on Change Library.
  4. Hit Scan.
  5. Then hit Clean.

That’s it! No more useless photos poised to take up precious iCloud space.

Setting up the iCloud Photo Library

Okay, you’re ready to start syncing your photos. Before turning on the iCloud Photo Library make sure that you’re running the latest version of macOS. You can check for updates by going to Apple Menu > System Preferences > App Store and clicking on the Updates tab. While you’re there, check that “Automatically check for updates” and “Download newly available updates in the background” are selected, this will ensure you never miss a new update. Then, check that you’re signed to iCloud with the same Apple ID that you use across all devices.

To turn on the iCloud Photo Library, go to System Preferences > iCloud. Next to Photos, click Options, then select iCloud Photo Library.

Your photos will now automatically begin uploading to the iCloud Photo Library. Depending on the size of your collection and your internet speed, the process might take some time. Fortunately, you don’t have to upload everything at once. Your Mac lets you pause the upload whenever you like.

To do this, open up the Photos app, select Photos, then click on Moments. Scroll to the bottom of your photos and hit the Pause button.

How to Access iCloud Photos on Mac

The iCloud Photo Library really doesn’t change anything in terms of how you view or manage your photos. To view photos synced to iCloud, open up the Photos app — they’ll all be there, just like before.

Mac

The Photos app is also the place to manage your storage space. iCloud offers an “Optimize Mac Storage” feature that stores full-resolution photos and videos in iCloud and keeps originals on your Mac (if you have space). It’s a feature worth using alongside CleanMyMac to better manage your free space. To enable the feature, click Photos > Preferences and select Optimize Mac Storage.

If you decide that 5GB of storage isn’t enough, you can upgrade your plan by going to System Preferences > iCloud > Manage and clicking on Storage Plan or Buy More Storage.

How to access iCloud Photos on an iOS device

While your Mac is likely to be your main hub for organizing and editing photos, your iPhone or iPad is the device you'll use to snap all of those lovely photos.

To access the iCloud from iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, or Apple TV first you’ll need to turn it on. In iOS 10.3 or later, do this by going to Settings > [name] > iCloud > Photos, then turn on iCloud Photo Library.

In iOS 10.2 or earlier, go to Settings > iCloud > Photos.

On Apple TV tvOS 9.2 or later, go to Settings > Accounts > iCloud > iCloud Photo Library.

Why Can't I Access My Photos Library On My Mac Account

Now, iCloud storage access of all photos and videos can be had by using the Photos app.

Why Can't I Access My Photos Library On My Mac Download

How to access iCloud drive from a browser

If you don’t have your Mac or iOS device, you’ll be pleased to know that you can also access iCloud from a PC, Android, or Windows device using your preferred browser.

Can't find library folder on mac os x el capitan. Regardless, the folder structure that OS X uses is the same whether you have one user or dozens.Within the Users folder, you find your personal Home folder (which bears your Account Name), along with a Shared folder, where you can put files you want to share with other users. Within the Users folder, each user with an account on this Mac has his or her own set of folders containing documents, preferences, and other information that belongs to that user and account.If you’re the sole person who accesses your Mac, you probably have only one user.

All you need to do is go to iCloud.com and login in using your Apple ID. Once you’re logged in, click on the iCloud Drive button to manage your account in the same way that you would on your Mac.

Photos library mac

Keep the photos you need, get rid of the ones you don’t

Enabling the iCloud Photo Library across all of your devices is the best way to organize and manage your photos, and keep your precious memories close to hand at all times. However, you should always be mindful of space. If you shoot as many videos as you take photos, iCloud’s 5GB of free storage can be maxed out fast, leaving you unable to backup media files until you upgrade or delete unwanted photos.

With the Photo Library enabled, make a regular habit of using CleanMyMac to delete unneeded photos and manage space with iCloud’s optimize feature.

CleanMyMac X makes it easy to rid your Mac of old photos and videos to ensure your iCloud Photo Library only syncs the things you need. Download the app for free today.

These might also interest you: