Importing photos directly from another Photos Library into the currently open Library

by: léonie

Last modified: Jul 19, 2023 6:09 AM

3 14204 Last modified Jul 19, 2023 6:09 AM

Finally - Apple listened, and we can now (Photos 7 on macOS 12 Monterey) import photos with adjustments applied from one library into another library, while keeping the original image and the edited versions paired as one photo. The capture date, the location, and the adjustments will be transferred, and we can revert the adjustments.See this support document: Import photos from another library in Photos on Mac - Apple Support

It is a very useful new feature, saving us the trouble of exporting from one library and importing the exported photos into the destination library.

There are some limits, however:

The import dialog is only showing the new photos, and none of the albums and folders. This is very problematic, if the source library is large, with many new photos.
Only some of the keywords will be transferred, the keywords embed in the originals, but not the keywords of the edited versions.
The custom faces are not transferred at all.
We cannot import from our iCloud Photos library. The source library must not be syncing with iCloud Photos.

Nov 10, 2021 11:31 PM

While welcome that this is now built in, its a shame that after all this time, apple haven't managed to even replicate all the capability of the external app Power Photos (Keywords/Albums etc).

Nov 10, 2021 11:31 PM

léonie

Level 10

(200,495 points)

Nov 11, 2021 9:12 PM

It is only since PowerPhotosVersion: 1.7.7 on Catalina macOS10.15.2, that Power Photos can support a lossless merging of libraries. The program interface to Photos made it previously impossible for third-party applications to implement a safe merging of libraries. https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-250000662

And even now it is not possible for PowerPhotos to merge an iCloud Photos Library completely into another library, for example into my archive libraries, even if the "optimise Storage" feature is turned off, because Photos is dragging its feet about downloading all photos and has no indicator, if the download is complete. I am using Power Photos's merge tool to check, which originals have still not been downloaded from iCloud.

Nov 11, 2021 9:12 PM

léonie

Level 10

(200,495 points)

Jul 19, 2023 6:09 AM

Power Photos can now merge photos even from am optimized iCloud Photos Library into another library.

Jul 19, 2023 6:09 AM

Importing photos directly from another Photos Library into the currently open Library

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