HT204655: Updating from iPhoto to Photos for OS X

Learn about Updating from iPhoto to Photos for OS X
Pale
Level 1 (0 points)

Q: Can you use one Photos library under different accounts?

I, like many, have recently migrated from iPhoto to the new Photos App. I'm having one significant issue that is bothering me, using a single Photos library under two different accounts on my Mac. In iPhoto, I could easily point both accounts at one library. The only minor issue with doing this was that both accounts couldn't have it open at the same time. However, everything else worked great, including setting the screensaver on both accounts to be the iPhoto library.

 

Now that I use Photos, everything works fine on one account, but if I try and open the same Photos library on a different account, it gives a generic error and fails. What am I doing wrong? Is this not possible? That's a pretty obnoxious issue if so.

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.4.9), XP Pro on Boot Camp

Posted on May 2, 2015 3:43 PM

Close
Pale

Q: Can you use one Photos library under different accounts?

  • All replies
  • Helpful answers

  • by Glenn Leblanc,

    Glenn Leblanc Glenn Leblanc May 2, 2015 9:41 PM in response to Pale
    Level 6 (11,016 points)
    Mac OS X
    May 2, 2015 9:41 PM in response to Pale

    How are you accessing it from the 2 accounts? In order to do that, it would need to be in a location accessible to both accounts such as a shared folder or public folder and both accounts would need to have privileges to it.

     

    And still only one user can access the library at one time.

  • by LarryHN,

    LarryHN LarryHN May 2, 2015 9:52 PM in response to Pale
    Level 10 (84,632 points)
    Photos for Mac
    May 2, 2015 9:52 PM in response to Pale

    If you use iCloud Photo library an both use the same apple ID to log into iCloud then you are sharing one library

     

    Otherwise please provide details of your setup

     

    LN

  • by s.Oaten,

    s.Oaten s.Oaten Jul 15, 2015 5:36 PM in response to Pale
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jul 15, 2015 5:36 PM in response to Pale

    I have the same question.  I have a mac with an account for my wife, and one for myself.  All I want is the ability to share our rather large photo library between the two of us.

     

    iCloud is not a viable solution for this.  Is Apple serious?  Send my photos up into the cloud, then back down from the cloud onto the exact same computer?  and store them in two places?  so our 200+gigs of family photos takes up 400+ gigs of drive space?   Plus then I'd have to pay $10 a month for the 500 gig iCloud plan...... just for this this....  (somewhere, an Apple exec is laughing while wringing their hands together at their summer home in the Hamptons)?  Does anyone want that many photos on their iPhone?  I don't think so.  No thanks

     

    As far As I can tell, the only way to do it now is to put your photo library on an external drive (formatting it to have no permission restrictions). Although, to be honest, I'd rather not have to use an external drive. It seems a bit short sighted by Apple to have to resort to plugging external drives into our computer for something so many users have asked about.  I have plenty of drive space, I'd rather use what I have.

     

    Preferred solution(s):


    Just add the ability to create a "Share with other users on same system" Album, which other users can then opt into, or out of.  Now THAT sounds like the simplicity of use one would expect from Apple.

  • by LarryHN,

    LarryHN LarryHN Jul 15, 2015 7:58 PM in response to s.Oaten
    Level 10 (84,632 points)
    Photos for Mac
    Jul 15, 2015 7:58 PM in response to s.Oaten

    If you choose not to use iCloud Photo Library then the only other choice is https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201517

     

    LN