It's not an actual feature of iCloud Photo Library or any other iCloud syncing. You have to manually create Smart albums and sync keywords in order to be able to view specific people on your various devices. It's a complicated workaround, but it does the trick. Launch the Photos app on your Mac. Click on People under Albums section in your sidebar. Google Photos is the home for all your photos and videos, automatically organized and easy to share. “The best photo product on Earth” – The Verge - “Google Photos is your new essential picture app” – Wired The official Google Photos app is made for the way you take photos today and includes essential features like shared albums, automatic creations and an advanced editing suite. I installed this app only to discover how clunky it is and where is the preview function where I can select how much of the image I want scanned. I put in a 4 X 6 and it scans a full sheet. NOT what I needed! Brother - someone needs to wake up and start to care again about supporting their products - especially to the Mac community.
- What Does Updating Mean On Photo App On Mac Desktop
- What Does Updating Mean On Photo App On Mac Computer
- What Does Updating Mean On Photo App On Mac Catalina
Whether you’ve just taken a weekend trip up North or the European vacation of your dreams, you’re guaranteed to return home with a massive amount of photos, probably a handful of videos, and, if you were feeling particularly artsy, half a dozen time-lapses.
But now that you’re home, what are you going to do with all those pictures? Where are you going to keep them? How are you going to share them?
Enter the Photos app for Mac.
What is Photos on Mac?
The Photos app is a convenient home for all of your pictures and videos. Anything you shoot, Photos will store it and — better yet — organize it, so you can actually find said pictures when you feel like reliving the memories.
In this post, we’ll go over the basics of using Apple’s Photos app. We’ll talk about where to find photos on your Mac and how you can manage your ever-growing photo library. And of course, we’ll cover all the features Apple has built into this underrated app.
iPhoto vs Photos: What’s the difference?
Those of you familiar with iPhoto for Mac are probably wondering what makes its successor so special. And to oversimplify it, Photos is the next step in photo management — and a giant step at that.
Prior to Photos, Apple made two apps for managing pictures and videos. iPhoto, for those of us less experienced in photography, and Aperture, for the ones looking to do some heavier editing. Photos perfectly blurs the line between those two apps, combining the best of both while adding new features like iCloud Photo Library and iCloud Photo Sharing.
If you used iPhoto before, Photos will feel instantly recognizable. You’ll have your pictures, albums, and collections in the main window, a navigation sidebar to the left, and different viewing options at the top. However, a significant point of difference between iPhoto and Photos is the app’s performance. When working with larger libraries, iPhoto had the tendency to lag or choke up and had arbitrary limits that would restrict album and collection sizes. Photos gets rid of those limitations entirely and is able to handle much larger libraries than its predecessor. While the look of Photos may be the same, it feels like a faster and more powerful app.
Where are the photos stored on Mac?
The Photos app maintains pictures and videos in its own library, making it easy to view the content, but confusing to access the actual files. To find the photos on your Mac, you’ll need to find that Photos Library first:
- With the Photos app open, click on Photos in the menu bar
- Then go to Preferences > General
- At the top of the window, you’ll see Library Location. Click the Show in Finder button.
The first thing you’ll notice after you find the Photos Library file is you can’t do much with it. You can double-click it, but that opens Photos again. If you want to find the original files of your pictures and videos, you’ll need to:
- Right-click on Photos Library to open the alternate menu
- Select Show Package Contents from that menu
- Open the Masters folder
- All of your pictures and videos live in this folder, organized by year, month, and date
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If you only need master files for a few pictures, you can drag them out of the Photos app directly onto your desktop. Doing this will create copies of the pictures and won’t move or delete the original files. Just don’t forget to find and delete all the copies later, so they don't turn your Mac into a mess. A duplicate finder like Gemini 2 can help with that.
If you only need master files for a few pictures, you can drag them out of the Photos app directly onto your desktop. Doing this will create copies of the pictures and won’t move or delete the original files. Just don’t forget to find and delete all the copies later, so they don't turn your Mac into a mess. A duplicate finder like Gemini 2 can help with that.
How to use Apple’s Photos app
When you open Photos for the first time, the app offers you a glimpse of what your library will look like with all your pictures and videos imported. You get a quick intro to some of the features and tools, and learn how you can make these memories tangible through printed objects like calendars, photo books, and more.
Once you’ve finished the tour of the app and gone through the initial setup, you’re all set to start importing your pictures and videos!
How to import photos to Mac
There are several ways you can import your media content to Photos, depending on where you’ve been storing it.
From your iPhone or a digital camera
- Connect your iPhone or camera to your Mac with a USB cable. You might need to unlock your iPhone with your passcode, and then tap Trust when prompted to Trust This Computer.
- On your Mac, if the Photos app doesn’t open automatically, go ahead and open it.
- The Photos app will show you an Import screen that has all the photos and videos on your iPhone or camera. If you don’t see the Import screen, click on your iPhone or camera in the Photos sidebar under Devices.
- From here you can either choose to Import All New Items or select a batch and click Import Selected.
From a folder or an external hard drive in Finder
You have a couple of options here. If your pictures and videos live on an external hard drive, you’ll want to make sure it’s connected first. Then, you’ll want to do one of the following:
- Drag the files from your drive into the Photos window
- Drag the files from your drive onto the Photos icon in the Dock
- In Photos, go to File > Import from the menu bar. Choose the photos or videos you want to import and click Review for Import.
An important thing to know about Photos is that the app copies the pictures and videos into the Photos Library we talked about earlier, leaving the original file either on your device or in its folder.
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Because Photos doesn’t remove the original picture after you import, you may end up with duplicate pics taking up precious space on your Mac. And if you’ve taken multiple photos of the same thing from slightly different angles, those will waste even more storage. To keep your photo collection lean, scan your Mac for duplicates from time to time. Gemini 2 can help you find and delete duplicate and even similar photos, so you don’t have to go through hundreds of photos manually. Download it for free and try it out.
Because Photos doesn’t remove the original picture after you import, you may end up with duplicate pics taking up precious space on your Mac. And if you’ve taken multiple photos of the same thing from slightly different angles, those will waste even more storage. To keep your photo collection lean, scan your Mac for duplicates from time to time. Gemini 2 can help you find and delete duplicate and even similar photos, so you don’t have to go through hundreds of photos manually. Download it for free and try it out.
Tabs in Photos: Library, Albums, Projects
Have you ever been unable to find a specific picture because you couldn’t remember when you took it? You can remember everything else about the photo, things like where it was taken and who was in it, but not the one thing you need to navigate your files.
The Photos app helps you with this predicament by organizing your pictures not only by date, but also by event, location, and even by people’s faces. In the sidebar, you’ll find a number of tabs designed to make sorting through your pictures easier.
Memories. Photos creates “memories” based on who is in a series of images as well as when and where those pictures were taken.
Favorites. These are the pictures you’ve gone through and clicked the heart icon on, marking them as your favorites.
People. This is where you’ll be able to see all the pictures of you have of specific people.
Places. This is where you can see all the pictures you’ve taken in specific locations.
Shared. This section is where you’ll find all the albums you’ve shared with other people and the albums that have been shared with you. (Check out our guide to iCloud Photo Sharing for more info on Shared Albums.)
Albums. If you want to group certain pictures for easy navigation, you’ll want to create a new album. This section is where you can access those albums.
How to tag people in photos
If you want to tag someone in a specific picture:
- Open the photo in the Photos app
- Click the info button in the top right corner.
- At the bottom of the info window, you’ll see circles with faces at the bottom. Tap on one of those.
- The face will now be circled on the photo. Underneath the circle will be a text box labeled “unnamed.” Click on the text box and type the person’s name.
If the person you’re tagging has already been tagged in your Library, their name should appear under the circle on the photo.
How to share pictures from the Photos app
![App App](/uploads/1/3/4/2/134205377/754864694.jpg)
The Photos app on Mac has made it easier than before to share your pictures. Just select the photos you want to share and click on the Share button in the top right-hand corner. You’ll see a list of options:
- Shared Albums
- AirDrop
- Messages
- Notes
- and more, depending on what apps and accounts you set up on your Mac
Tap on your preferred option and proceed to send the pic or create a Shared Album.
This might be helpful: How to edit photos with Mac's native image editors
Now that you’ve gotten a feel for how to use Photos on Mac, it’s time to give it a spin. Once you’ve got your library set up and organized, you’ll see how easy it is to relive and share your memories with Photos.
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Have you had your Mac system stuck in the middle of the macOS Catalina update process? Are you seeing a warning stating ‘The macOS installation could not be completed’? You are not the only one facing this problem. A lot of other Mac users have also gone through the same trouble. If you are unable to fix the issue that Mac is stuck when upgrading macOS 10.15 Catalina, this guide is going to help you with that.
There are basically three situations can be classified. You can just turn to the scenario you have met, specific solutions are listed to help you figure out how to bring your frozen Mac back to normal during upadating macOS Catalina.
1. Mac Gets Stuck When Downloading macOS Catalina
Downloading the new macOS version is the first step of the updating process, many Mac users have been reported that their devices were stuck when downloading the macOS 10.15 Catalina. Let’s find out the reasons and learn how to fix it.
Why Does the Downloading Become Problematic?
If you have a newer version of macOS that you are attempting to download shortly after the release, there is a chance that quite a lot people are accessing the server at the same time, which could slow down the installation and may even freeze the upgrading installtion. Just try installing sometime later and it’ll be good.
However, most other common reasons including poor Wi-Fi connection and insufficient space on Mac should also be blamed for. To ascertain the real cause, it is suggested that running Disk Utility on your system before updating the macOS Catalina.
In order to avoid embarrassing and undesirable problems, it is also advised that running a few checks on your Mac system before trying to update its operating system.
How to Fix macOS Catalina Downloading Error
There are numerous solutions to this problem, depending on the reason causing your Mac to get stuck.
What Does Updating Mean On Photo App On Mac Desktop
1. If the updating process is stuck and you are left with a spinning wheel, restarting your Mac might be an effective way to get rid of the problem. Press the power button, and restart the device to try again. Once restarting the device, your system should be able to update to the macOS 10.15 Catalina.
2. If the restarting doesn’t work, please make sure your WiFi signal is strong and ensure a wired internet connection to finish the downloading process.
2. Mac Gets Stuck When Installing macOS Catalina
Aftet downloading the macOS Catalina, your Mac may get stuck when installing the new OS on your device. Even if after repeated attempts, you are unable to get the Mac updating process back to normal, just follow steps below to fix when Mac is stuck during the installtion of macOS Catalina.
Way 1: Check Your Mac's Compatibility
One of the most important reasons your Mac might be getting stuck is because it is not fully compatible with the requirements of the new macOS Catalina for Mac.
Different versions of the following machines are compatible to support the new macOS Catalina:
- MacBook (2015 or later)
- MacBook Air (2012 or later)
- MacBook Pro (2012 or later)
- Mac mini (2012 or later)
- iMac (2012 or later)
- iMac Pro (2017 or later)
- Mac Pro (2013 or later)
You need to understand which category your Mac belongs to and then ensure that the version you use is listed in the above models.
Way 2: Check Your Mac's Available Storage Space
Apart from the compatibility, the most common issue faced by Mac users is the lack of sufficient space. It is quite possible that your Mac system doesn’t have the necessary amount of free disk space on the hard drive.
Keep in mind that macOS Catalina is a big software. To work properly, it is going to consume a lot of space. Apple recommends that you need to have at least 20 GB vacant disk space storage on your MacBook to be able to effectively install this new macOS.
How to check your Mac’s available storage space?
Go to the Apple menu and press ‘About This Mac’ option. From there, opt for ‘Storage’, and here you will be able to see how much vacant disk storage you have available on your Mac device, and you can see whether you have 20GB disk space free or not .
In case there is less space available, you can proceed to opt for an appropriate way to get more space. For instance, you always have the option to use an automatic Mac cleaning tool for this purpose.
While there are numerous cleaning tools, Umate Mac Cleaner is regarded as the best among them all.
What Is Umate Mac Cleaner?
From its name, we can ses it is an application that allows you to clean up your Mac and get more free space. In case your macOS Catalina installation is not working because of small disk space, using Umate Mac Cleaner is the best thing to do.
This app is capable of releasing space on your Mac by deleting a large number of unneeded files. It can perform powerful features in just simple clicks, and your Mac will get 4X free space after using the app. There is no need to worry about its security, for it only removes the target files you want to delete and never affect those important ones that you want to keep.
Key Features:
- Delete more than 40 types of junk files.
- Get rid of large files that are over 50MB.
- Delete duplicate files completely.
- Uninstall unwanted apps.
- Remove unnecessary extensions.
How to use the app?
The app is very easy to use by choosing the feature you need and click 'Scan' button, then you can preview and select the files you want to remove after scanning. At last, just hit the 'Clean' button to get rid of all files you selected.
Since these files could cause low disk space on your Mac, using Umate Mac Cleaner will help you free up the maximum storage space on the machine. It can help you to remove and delete all of these space-consuming files with just one click. Once you have enough disk space, you can then proceed to install macOS Catalina on your device.
Way 3: Install the macOS Catalina in Safe Mode
If your Mac can not update to macOS Catalina successfully, you can hold down the power button to turn it off, and then hold Shift buttin when turning it on. After this, your Mac will be set to Safe Mode, and now you can try to run the macOS update again.
Way 4: Reinstall macOS from 'macOS Recovery' Option
You can also choose to use macOS recovery to reiterate the OS downloading. For this, follow the steps below.
Use hold+ command+ R for the reinstallation. When you press this, a startup screen will pop up. From this point onward, you can begin the installation again.
Way 5: Reset NVRAM and SMC
If all the efforts failed, what else can we do if macOS Catalina can't be installed on your device? As a last resort, try resetting NVRAM and SMC.
If either NVRAM or SMC is corrupted, the performance of your MacBook would be adversely affected. Resetting them is believed to be the last resort, but given the circumstances, it is definitely worth it.
What Does Updating Mean On Photo App On Mac Computer
Reset NVRAM (or PRAM): Hold Command-Option-P-R for about 20 seconds.
Reset SMC: Hold Shift-Control-Option on the left side of the keyboard, and press the power button at the same time.
3. Mac Gets Stuck on the “Setting Up Your Mac” Screen After Installing macOS Catalina
After downloading and installing the macOS Catalina on Mac, some Mac users find the process stuck at the 'Setting Up Your Mac...' screen and the device keeps freezing with that message. If you are also encountering an error like that, just don’t worry, you can fix it easily.
How To Fix When Mac Is Stuck on the “Setting Up Your Mac” Screen After Installing
Luckily, there is a simple way to fix this issue. Just turn off your Mac, and then power it back on. After that, your Mac just works again. This way is quite useful to solve this problem for many users.
Conclusion
There is no doubt that new macOS Catalina 10.15 is truly an incredible system to use. However, it requires certain compatibility conditions. In order to work perfectly, you should carefully have a look and ensure that your system meets all the requirements.
What Does Updating Mean On Photo App On Mac Catalina
Umate Mac Cleaner is an excellent tool to use. With this app, you can free up lots of storage space and optimize your Mac to achieve peak performance, which is helpful when updating the new macOS for your Mac.