Downgrading a Photos Library to a Previous Version of Photos

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Level 1

11 points

Downgrading a Photos Library to a Previous Version of Photos

As previously noted, Apple Photos Application is not upward compatible, for example, Photos 3.0 cannot open a Photos Library from Photos 4.0. If you update your MacOS to include a new Photos application, that application will not allow an older version of MacOS and Photos to access your library. I know right, these are YOUR photos not Apples, but it is what Apple says it is. One notable solution is using iCloud photos to help downgrade the library https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-250000297 For me, this was a no thanks because I don't want Apple cloud having my photos and I'm not paying for cloud storage.

So, another option is to (a) make a good backup of your photo library [Emphasized], (b) use the current version of MacOS and Photos to Export your photos (c) open photos, (d) highlight all the photos you want, (e) Click File, (f) Click Export, (g) Click Export "n" items, (h) in the drop down window you can pick all the detail you want included, click Export, (i) a new window opens and you will direct where you want the photos exported. Once exported you can then downgrade your OS and then with that photo app import your photos.

So what if you already downgraded your OS and now that version of photos will not open your library? You have two options: (1) Reinstall the new OS then follow the instructions above to export the photos, (2) use another Mac (a friends) with the new OS: (i) open the photos application, (ii) point the application to your backup copy of your photo library, (iii) highlight all the photos you want, (iv) Click File, (v) Click Export, (vi) Click Export "n" items, (vii) in the drop down window you can pick all the detail you want included, click Export, (viii) a new window opens and you will direct where you want the photos exported. Once exported you can then downgrade your OS and then with that photo app import your photos.

I recommend keeping the exported photos so you never have this problem again. Anytime you connect your phone or camera to your Mac, be sure to place a copy of the new photos into your exported library in addition to adding to photos. I'm a long time Mac user so take my advice at your own risk but it worked for me.

Posted on Jul 7, 2019 1:54 PM

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Answer 1

Old Toad

Level 10

210,243 points

Jul 8, 2019 11:00 AM in response to itcantbe

Don't you have a backup of your hard drive from before the upgrade of systems that you can restore your Photos 3 library from? That would certainly be a lot quicker and more effective way to regain your previous library intact.

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Answer 2

léonie

Level 10

196,965 points

Jul 8, 2019 10:50 AM in response to itcantbe

This will work, but downgrading by exporting your photos is a lossy operation. The original versions of your photos and the edited versions will no longer be paired. You will have a lot of work to recreate all your adjustments, if you export the originals. And if you export the edited versions instead, you will need to track down the originals, if you later should decide that you want to adjust the image differently. Your albums and named faces will be lost as well.

Even if you do not want to use iCloud to store your library permanently, you could subscribe to iCloud Photos for just one month to get the job done, and then stop using it again. The big advantage would be, that your library will be like before. You can revert all adjustments, the albums and folders will have been migrated. This might be a compromise between discarding all your work in organizing the library and committing yourself to iCloud.

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Answer 3

itcantbe Author

Level 1

11 points

Jul 13, 2019 3:47 PM in response to Old Toad

I don't edit my photos so the unpairing of original and edited photos wasn't an issue. I do have a few backups and could have downgraded from a previous version, just wanted to let other users know another way to recover their photos and that they should consider maintaining a separate folder (outside of the photos database) of all their photos so they aren't shackled by Apple. Once you drop or import a picture into Apple Photos, you now are at the mercy of the application. So if you ever update your MacOS, your photos library updates as a result and it's a chore to downgrade. Unless you maintain a separate folder with all your photos then it's a snap.

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Answer 4

léonie

Level 10

196,965 points

Jul 14, 2019 4:56 AM in response to itcantbe

That is fine for you, then, if you do not use the adjustments in Photos. I think it is a good practice to keep the backup copies of all original files anyway. It is a part of my regular backup routine to save the originals on an external drive with an XPM sidecar file to save the metadata, in addition to the Time Machine backup.

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Downgrading a Photos Library to a Previous Version of Photos

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