Shared Photos Library for multiple (2) user accounts, is it possible?

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Shared Photos Library for multiple (2) user accounts, is it possible?

Good morning,

I'd like to have additional Photos Library, (other than my System Photo Library), but I'd like to be able to share this additional library with some other user accounts.

If additional Photos Library is stored either on the same Mac for example in /Users/Shared or some accessible volume on home network like afp://ServerName.local/Photos or similar is it possible for multiple (2) user accounts to have R/W access to this library and be able to import new photos, make edits, permanent delete of unwanted photos, etc. ???

Are there any special considerations or downsides of this approach?

Of course I understand that photos in this library will not sync to iCloud and other devices, but that's fine, I don't care about this while workin with this additional Photos Library.

Hopefully someone experienced in Photos will have an advice, have great day everyone!!!

iMac 27", macOS 10.15

Posted on Mar 31, 2020 3:52 AM

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Answer 1

Best reply

léonie

Level 10

195,191 points

Mar 31, 2020 4:19 AM in response to Manolis_from_Prague

You can share a library between two user accounts,

if the library is not the system photo library
and if the library is on a local external volume or in a separate partition (not a shared folder and not a network volume). The library needs to be on a volume, where the "ignore ownership on this volume" can be enabled.
The other users need to be logged off. You cannot stay logged in with fast user switching, while somebody else is using this library.

Prepare the external volume or partition like this: Move your Photos library to save space on your Mac - Apple Support

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Answer 2

Mar 31, 2020 12:45 PM in response to léonie

Hello léonie,

just there's one 'problem', following your advice and also link u provided to Apple's solution I have created new APFS volume and set "ignore ownership on this volume". But, in this case anyone can access this volume, and it's folder, and also shared Photo Library. Even Guest User can make deletes and edits in this Photo Library. I think it's not really safe and secure approach.

I have to figure out if it is really necessary to have "ignore ownership on this volume" checked, I had an intention to set up R/W access for specific user accounts, or maybe give an access to group like 'Photographers' or so. But having volume wide open like this seems to me a little dangerous.

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Answer 3

léonie

Level 10

195,191 points

Mar 31, 2020 2:00 PM in response to Manolis_from_Prague

You right, everyone who has access to the volume will be able to access this library. But without the "Ignore Ownership" flag you will have to repair the library whenever another user opened it. Even if the other user only wants to read the library, opening it requires read/write access and will modify the file ownership of the internal databases. After that, when you switch to a different user, the library will need repairing. At will be very tedious and time consuming.

Photos is a single-user application.

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Answer 4

Mar 31, 2020 6:29 AM in response to léonie

Thank you very much , that helped me a lot.

(I have one more concern about Referenced files in Photos, but I'd better start new post about it.)

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Answer 5

léonie

Level 10

195,191 points

Mar 31, 2020 6:37 AM in response to Manolis_from_Prague

You're welcome 😊

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Shared Photos Library for multiple (2) user accounts, is it possible?

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