Changes to Searching for Text in Photos 5 Catalina

In the earlier versions of Photos for mac we could search for any part of a text when searching for filenames, titles, descriptions, keywords, places. Now in Photos 5 the search is more limited . The text we are looking for, should be the start of a word or at least be separated from the other tet by an underscore or white space.

For example, when we are searching for files with a certain number in the filename, we cannot just search for the number, we have to enter the full filename including the base filename prefix for the the camera make, unless this prefix is separated by an underscore.

For example, when we are searching for IMG_0172.jpg, we could just enter "_0172" and Photos will find the file. But to find the files taken with a Panasonic camera wit the prefix "P" we have to include the prefix into the search search string, because it is not separated from the image number and search for "P1290293", not just "1290293".

Searching for the filename by using the first letters of the string will always work, like shown below.

In the example above I would have also found the files by searching just for "_017".

Alternately, use a smart album to search for filenames. A smart album has a specific search rule for filenames "Filename includes ...."

I have to use "Filename includes ..." instead of "Text is ...".

In Photos 4 on Mojave the "Text" rule in smart albums had more options. We could use rules with "Text includes", for example.

Now, in Photos 5 on Catalina, we only have "Text is", "Text is not", "Text starts with".