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Photos iCloud

I'm confused about syncing my Photos to my MBA. I was using another library with my MBA, but not want to see my main library. I created a new library and see this.


What does it mean to "Turn on iCloud Photos in Settings". Searching for Photos in Settings isn't helping me.


Here's where I think I need to be and this is the setting from three days ago and still seeing this after OS update and reboot. On my home network. "Main" library is showing on iPhone and Mini.



What do I need to do?


Thanks for any help.

MacBook Pro 15″, macOS 10.15

Posted on Jul 17, 2023 10:08 AM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Jul 17, 2023 10:18 AM

The are two different "Settings" - the main Settings.app with the system settings, and the setting inside the Photos.app. These have been called Preferences in the previous system version. The message you are seeing is referring to the Photos > Setting (previously Photos > Preferences")


While Photos is running, go the main menu bar with Photos's application menu. . Click the menu item "Photos", then select "Settings" and enable iCloud Photos for this particular new library. You may first have to make this new library your System Photos Library, because only the System Photos Library can sync with iCloud Photos. You can make the library your System Photos Library in the Photos > Settings > General.



3 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Jul 17, 2023 10:18 AM in response to MtnBiker

The are two different "Settings" - the main Settings.app with the system settings, and the setting inside the Photos.app. These have been called Preferences in the previous system version. The message you are seeing is referring to the Photos > Setting (previously Photos > Preferences")


While Photos is running, go the main menu bar with Photos's application menu. . Click the menu item "Photos", then select "Settings" and enable iCloud Photos for this particular new library. You may first have to make this new library your System Photos Library, because only the System Photos Library can sync with iCloud Photos. You can make the library your System Photos Library in the Photos > Settings > General.



Jul 19, 2023 7:28 AM in response to MtnBiker

Following up. Finally got main library on my MBA. Took about six tries. Photos keep hanging and I couldn't delete the new libraries that got created. (I opened Photos and created a new library. As soon as I made it System Library, Photos hung). I ended up deleting those empty libraries in the Terminal. After many tries and a reboot and waiting to see if the hangs would end, finally just worked.


Trying to delete from Finder. Tiny files (folders) and nothing happens except the blue bars go back and forth.


Stopped these hung processes and used Terminal `rm -rf foldername` (For those not in the know, this is a dangerous command if you get it wrong.)

Photos iCloud

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