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User profile for user: Manolis_from_Prague
Manolis_from_Prague Author
User level: Level 2
164 points

How to understand referenced files in Photos library?

I know that if I deselect the “Copy items to the Photos library” checkbox, the photo files on import will be just "referenced" to to my active Photos Library. And those will not sync to iCloud. This is ok and exactly what I'm looking for, but:


1) What happen to the referenced photo in Photos Library, when I delete the original file on disk?


(For now, it seems to me that in Photos it stays in place and Photos app doesn't even complain that original file is missing. Isn't it strange if Apple says that referenced photo files are not copied into library?)


2) How do I delete referenced photo from Photos Library? Does this operation delete also original file on disk, or will that original stay untouched. Is there a way to delete referenced photo from Photos Library and also its original file on disk?


3) When I have such mixed System Photos Library also with some referenced files, what happen to these referenced photos in library when after new re-installation when account gets connected to iCloud and your normal System Photo Library is synced? What about those previously referenced photos? Are they gone? As they were never synced to iCloud?


Thanks in advance for an answer. I'm now making up my photos and need to choose good strategy for future time. Have nice day everyone, bye.

iMac 27", macOS 10.15

Posted on Mar 31, 2020 6:50 AM

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User profile for user: léonie
léonie
User level: Level 10
197,655 points

Posted on Mar 31, 2020 7:13 AM

When working with referenced files I would enable the option "View > Metadata > referenced files. Then you will be seeing a tiny arrow on the thumbnails. If the reference is broken and the original missing, the arrow will be broken.


  1. If you delete the referenced file from the disk, Photos will complain, if you try to edit the photo or to share it, after you empty the Trash and the photo is completely gone. you may not immediately notice the missing original, but Photos will not be able to do anything, where the original file is needed.
  2. Photos has a very poor support for referenced files. If you delete a photo from your library, the original image file will stay. You have to find and remove it on your own. YOu may want to use the command "File > Reveal original file" before you delete an image, so you know where you will find the original.
  3. A mixed library seems currently to be risky in Photos 5.0 on Catalina. There have several bugs been reported. Referenced images are not appearing in the Places map. Some users reported that the referenced images seem to be uploaded to iCloud and caused iCloud Photos to hang. I would wait for these apparent bugs to be fixed, before trying to use a referenced library (in combination with iCloud Photos) on Catalina. You do not have to enable iCloud Photos; it is not compulsary. The update to Catalina should not enable it by default. If you are planning to use iCloud Photo s with Catalina, consolidate your referenced photos into the library with "File > Consolidate".


A referenced library has been well supported in Aperture, but Photos has only a very basic support. If you ever need to move the referenced originals to a different volume, because the drive is failing or you want to move your growing library to a different volume with more space, you will be having a very hard time to reconnect the moved originals. Or if you haver to restore them from a backup. A managed library is far less trouble with Photos. Disadvantages of a Referenced Library in Photos for Mac - Apple Community


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User profile for user: léonie
léonie
User level: Level 10
197,655 points

Mar 31, 2020 7:13 AM in response to Manolis_from_Prague

When working with referenced files I would enable the option "View > Metadata > referenced files. Then you will be seeing a tiny arrow on the thumbnails. If the reference is broken and the original missing, the arrow will be broken.


  1. If you delete the referenced file from the disk, Photos will complain, if you try to edit the photo or to share it, after you empty the Trash and the photo is completely gone. you may not immediately notice the missing original, but Photos will not be able to do anything, where the original file is needed.
  2. Photos has a very poor support for referenced files. If you delete a photo from your library, the original image file will stay. You have to find and remove it on your own. YOu may want to use the command "File > Reveal original file" before you delete an image, so you know where you will find the original.
  3. A mixed library seems currently to be risky in Photos 5.0 on Catalina. There have several bugs been reported. Referenced images are not appearing in the Places map. Some users reported that the referenced images seem to be uploaded to iCloud and caused iCloud Photos to hang. I would wait for these apparent bugs to be fixed, before trying to use a referenced library (in combination with iCloud Photos) on Catalina. You do not have to enable iCloud Photos; it is not compulsary. The update to Catalina should not enable it by default. If you are planning to use iCloud Photo s with Catalina, consolidate your referenced photos into the library with "File > Consolidate".


A referenced library has been well supported in Aperture, but Photos has only a very basic support. If you ever need to move the referenced originals to a different volume, because the drive is failing or you want to move your growing library to a different volume with more space, you will be having a very hard time to reconnect the moved originals. Or if you haver to restore them from a backup. A managed library is far less trouble with Photos. Disadvantages of a Referenced Library in Photos for Mac - Apple Community


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User profile for user: Manolis_from_Prague
Manolis_from_Prague Author
User level: Level 2
164 points

Mar 31, 2020 7:49 AM in response to léonie

Thanks a lot léonie for your time to answer my questions,


You made it much more clear to me than it was before and saved me probably a lot of time I would have to spend with experiments to find out exactly how do these referenced photos behave in Catalina. (I think here Apple could have done better with their documentation for Photos app.)


Regarding, deleting of original files and leaving referenced photos in library, I told you, it seemed strange that even the originals were gone, Photos were still able to view, zoom, even edit those referenced photos without complain and that was confusing. (I didn't try to export them or maybe I forgot to 'Empty Trash' when I was deleting originals.)


Regarding, deleting referenced photos from the library And also from disk... That is annoyingly wrong!!! :-))) I hoped you will say something better. :-) But this what you have confirmed, it's gonna make big mess with what you have erased in Photos and what's left on disk... seems like really "no-go" for referenced photos in Photo Library.


For now, taking all your advices into consideration, I will probably stay with two 'switched' Photo Libraries.


One System Photo Library with all iCloud sync and sharing features.


And another 'switched' non-system Photo Library where I'll keep all my 'huge' RAW photos, which I don't what to be syncing with iCloud.


I will not even think about referenced photos scenarios!


The only downside I see here is when I decide to move some of those photos separated in 2nd non-system Library to iCloud or use iCloud Sharing with them, probably the only way is to export those from non-System Library, switch back to iCloud System Photo Library and import them back, correct? Or can you think about better way to go?


Thanks a lot, and have good day, bye...



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User profile for user: léonie
léonie
User level: Level 10
197,655 points

Mar 31, 2020 8:07 AM in response to Manolis_from_Prague

If you want to manage several Photos Libraries, consider to invest into PowerPhotos. It is a great tool to move complete albums between Photos Libraries or browse more than one library at a time. Copying albums and moments

You can download PowerPhotos here: https://www.fatcatsoftware.com/powerphotos/


If you do not add adjustments to your photos or organise them into albums, exporting from one library and reimporting into the other library will suffice, but the advantage of PowerPhotos is, that it can keep the Master-Version pairs stacked, so you can move the items losslessly, with the photos still in the albums.


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How to understand referenced files in Photos library?

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