Why You Should Stop Storing Photos as Files and Use Mac Photos Instead, by macmostvideo on YouTube. 13 min 56 s.
- Video length
- 13 min 56 s
- Time to do it
- 30 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 10
What you need
Steps
Open the Photos app from Launchpad or Applications. On first launch, choose to create a new library or point it at an existing one.
Import your loose files by going to File, then Import. Select the folder of photos and click Review for Import, then Import All.
Scroll through the library grid to browse by date. Photos groups shots automatically, so you can jump to a day or trip quickly.
Use the search bar to find photos by place, person, object or date. Type a word like beach or a month name to filter results.
Create albums for projects by choosing File, then New Album. Drag photos into the album, or select photos first and then create it.
Add keywords to selected photos with Command K, or use the Info panel. Keywords let you group photos across albums.
Edit a photo by clicking Edit. Crop, adjust light and color, or apply a filter. Changes are non-destructive, so the original stays intact.
Fix wrong dates or places by selecting photos and opening the Info panel. Change the date and time or type a location there.
Turn on iCloud Photos in System Settings under your Apple Account, then iCloud, then Photos. New iPhone shots then appear on your Mac automatically.
To share, select photos and choose File, then Export, then Export Originals or Export Edited. Pick a folder and file format.
Tips and common mistakes
Keep one main library instead of many small ones, since splitting libraries makes search and albums less useful.
Back up the Photos library to an external drive or Time Machine, because a single library is a single point of failure.
Use keywords and albums together so you can find photos by event even when the date is wrong.
Check the export option carefully: Export Originals keeps full quality, while edited exports apply your changes.
Questions
Will importing delete my original files?
No. Import copies the files into the Photos library. Your originals stay where they are until you delete them yourself.
Can I still edit photos in other apps?
Yes. You can open a photo in an external editor from Photos, and the edited version is saved back into the library.
Do I need iCloud to use the Photos app?
No. The library works fully offline on your Mac. iCloud is only needed to sync photos across devices.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
