Search results
People also ask
How do I back up iCloud Photo Library on my Mac?
How do I back up a photo library on a Mac?
How do I backup photos from iPhoto library?
How do I back up my photos?
Table of Contents. Back up the library in Photos on Mac. Even if you use iCloud Photos, it’s important that you always back up your library locally using one of the following methods: Use Time Machine: After you set up Time Machine, it automatically backs up the files on your Mac.
- Moving Your Photos Library
- Back Up Your Drive Automatically With Time Machine
- The Best Tech Newsletter Around
To understand how this works, it's important to know how the Photos app catalogs files. It's actually simple; there's a single file that contains your entire library. If you want to back this up, you plug in your external hard drive and drag the whole file over to that hard drive in the sidebar of Finder.
The harder part comes when you need to change which Photos library you want to use. You'll have to change the location from which the Photos app is reading.
In the image below, I've got two Photos libraries, the default one, and a backup library.
While you can access the backup library just by double-clicking it---which will open it in the Photos app---it's better to switch Photos to use this one by default. You can always switch back to the regular library when you need to.
Double click the backup library to open it, then open the preferences for Photos from Photos > Preferences in the menubar.
Select "Use as System Photos Library," which will change the default to the new library.
Backing up files manually is not the best solution, as you can never predict when your computer will break. It's better to back up automatically, so you don't have to think about it at all. Apple's built-in Time Machine is the best tool for backing up to an external drive. You can read our guide on setting it up to get started.
Image Credits: dourleak/Shutterstock
By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy and may receive occasional deal communications; you can unsubscribe anytime.
Share Share Share Share Share
Copy
Email
Share
Share Share Share Share Share
- Anthony Heddings
Jun 29, 2022 · There are two ways to back up your iCloud Photo Library to an external drive: backing up your Photos library automatically or manually. (You can also export sections of your library if you don't want to back up the whole thing.)
Apr 10, 2021 · Open a Finder window and select Pictures in the sidebar, then copy the Photos Library or iPhoto Library file or files to an external drive. Use a third-party backup app, such as Carbon Copy Cloner, to schedule backups of your image libraries and other important files.
May 12, 2023 · Jump to: What is iCloud Photo Library? How to set up iCloud Photo Library. How to use and manage iCloud Photo Library. How to set up and use iCloud Photo Sharing. How to back up and troubleshoot iCloud Photo Library.
Nov 28, 2023 · Edit your Google Photos. If you want to backup your photos and videos to Google Photos, or you're wondering how to make a backup of your whole Google photos library, this is the guide for...
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/008-how-to-back-up-your-photos-or-iphoto-library-6b9a8d0d67494893b483cd970a331430.jpg&q=How%20do%20I%20back%20up%20my%20photo%20library?&ck=F5DA4739AFDD0AF32F1E245CE14FCEB2&idpp=rc&idpview=singleimage&form=rc2idp "How do I back up my photo library?1")
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/005-how-to-back-up-your-photos-or-iphoto-library-b4e3d40f28aa4755a58f754c151610bf.jpg&q=How%20do%20I%20back%20up%20my%20photo%20library?&ck=62B612A3119CCC4ACF86B455AEE35D37&idpp=rc&idpview=singleimage&form=rc2idp "How do I back up my photo library?2")
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/007-how-to-back-up-your-photos-or-iphoto-library-3964b8a2dbb54c1682008081bb64ef23.jpg&q=How%20do%20I%20back%20up%20my%20photo%20library?&ck=CBD01B87B6E59055596BEA4343752A79&idpp=rc&idpview=singleimage&form=rc2idp "How do I back up my photo library?3")
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/backup-photos-or-iphoto-library-2260760-1ae7f6b4bca44348bd74a870f5234460.png&q=How%20do%20I%20back%20up%20my%20photo%20library?&ck=189F75600C1037E229F81BAD9F824825&idpp=rc&idpview=singleimage&form=rc2idp "How do I back up my photo library?4")
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/009-how-to-back-up-your-photos-or-iphoto-library-5904e8fefdb547e0b4089742be27a45d.jpg&q=How%20do%20I%20back%20up%20my%20photo%20library?&ck=40912067F4CC0DD34480DB884EB07BFB&idpp=rc&idpview=singleimage&form=rc2idp "How do I back up my photo library?5")
