Mac Photos application Search not working

I found this today and it seems to have fixed my very frustrating problem. AFTER making a back up of your library... control click on it and choose "show package contents" then follow these steps (someone in another thread posted this)

There is a folder inside that container called Database with a sub folder called "Search". After ensuring I had a backup of my photos library AND a copy of the contents of this database folder in the library, I deleted all the files and the folder called "search".

I then launched the photos app and it rebuilt the database. Viola, keyword search is working now.

BobSRichardson wrote: I am pretty sure my whole library is not synched to iCloud (library is 800gb) - but might try that on a different machine - thanks

On a Mac you can have multiple Libraries. I have a Favorites library that is my System Library and is connected to iCloud. I copy my favorite pictures from my Family library and my Nikon Librayry, etc, to the Favorites Library so I can share those with family and friends using my iPhone and iPad. The iPad is a great way to show people your pictures without them having to see all the rejects!

I'm having the same exact problem. Did you ever find a solution? I've tried Apple Support as well but so far we have not found a way to fix this. I have 38,000 photos and no idea how to deal with this.

I think that I would wait a bit-- the new macOS, Sequoia, may come out this week, certainly in the next few weeks. As you say, the problem is not with Photos, but with your Library. (Mine works OK.) But when you upgrade, the Photos Library will be upgraded to work with Sequoia, as well. So upgrading might fix it. Maybe not, but if waiting isn't a big problem, that might be the easiest thing to try.

I had thought of that. Apple Support told me they are looking into a few things but a couple of options we discussed was 1. Wiping the hard drive and reinstalling everything (which I'd really rather not have to do) 2. Make a new library and let all the photos download from iCloud (will take forever on my wifi and may not solve the problem). I think I will probably do as you suggest and wait and see if Sequoia does the job. Photos is pretty useless for me right now.

The "Download from iCloud" is pretty much a universal fix, and it may happen faster than you think. But scanning for faces and duplicates and all that will certainly take awhile. I'd wait.

Speaking of scanning for faces-- I attach keywords for everyone whose face I've named. Then, if I some get lost in an upgrade, I can quickly find and fix them. I just select all the pictures for a Person, and add the keyword, so it's easy. Something to think about...

Thanks for responding. I will likely wait for sequoia (making a backup first in case sequoia affects it similarly to Sonoma). I am pretty sure my whole library is not synched to iCloud (library is 800gb) - but might try that on a different machine - thanks

Update: Tried all of the suggestions (except a variation of one) with no luck. What finally did it was setting my library to Not be the System Library and then the next day (don’t think there is any real reason to wait) and then set the library back to the System Library and then synched with iCloud. Took a very long time (3days for 850gb) but it worked.

Not sure if you tried this but what seemingly worked in my case, which has my main library as my system photo library, synched with iCloud, was to turn off the system photo library option (which turns off iCloud) and then turn system photo library back on and turn iCloud back on and select the option download iCloud pictures to this Mac. This kicks off a process where it synchronizes this library with what is in iCloud - takes a really long

time for mine (830GB), roughly two days. When it was done - my search was working. Not sure if it will work in your particular case - but worth a try.

I'm sorry to hear this. I spent quite a LONG time on the phone with Apple Support trying to solve this problem. They were sending it to the higher ups and had me try all kinds of things. Nothing works until I control clicked on that library and removed the files listed. I think I had to wait a bit for the computer to reindex the drives but I could see immediately that it was working by searching for people that were listed under people and pets or by searching for a particular year (both previously returned no results).

Those are both absurd "resolutions".

The resolutions were not ideal but if you seem my message above simply deleting the files referenced fixed the problem.

Yes, I saw that. Still, who tests this stuff? The Crowdstrike people?!?!

Yes, that did the trick.

I was full of hope and tried this. Still not working after restoring things. I give in now.