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User profile for user: Mac on Andy
Mac on Andy Author
User level: Level 4
2,098 points

Clarification on iCloud Photos

So I've read a few articles on iCloud Photos and generally understand how this works, but have a couple of queries I can't find the answer to. As background I have an iMac running High Sierra (max it can get), iPhone, iPad both on iOS 14 and Apple TV 4K.


  1. All my photos in Photos on the Mac have titles, descriptions, keywords etc associated with them. If I turn on iCloud Photos on all these devices, does all this metadata also sync to the cloud, so that they would be visible on other devices as well?
  2. I'm planning on getting a new iMac next year to replace my current one. When this happens, would I restore the Photos Library to the new iMac from Time Machine/other backup, or would I simply turn on iCloud Photos on the new Mac and let it repopulate from the cloud? Or would either method work? Are there any advantages/disadvantages to either method? If I repopulate from the cloud, would all my titles, descriptions, keywords etc remain?


Thanks in advance for any advice.

Posted on Nov 28, 2020 10:47 AM

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User profile for user: Old Toad
Old Toad
User level: Level 10
210,615 points

Posted on Nov 28, 2020 11:39 AM

1 - Yes

2 - create a new library on the new Mac and let it populate from iCloud would be the fastest method to get a full library. If you restored the library from Time Machine and set it up as an iCloud Library it would have to go thru a re-syncing process (not actually uploading or downloading image files) which will take longer than just downloading to a new library.


Yes, all of the metadata would be included in the new library.


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User profile for user: Old Toad
Old Toad
User level: Level 10
210,615 points

Nov 28, 2020 11:39 AM in response to Mac on Andy

1 - Yes

2 - create a new library on the new Mac and let it populate from iCloud would be the fastest method to get a full library. If you restored the library from Time Machine and set it up as an iCloud Library it would have to go thru a re-syncing process (not actually uploading or downloading image files) which will take longer than just downloading to a new library.


Yes, all of the metadata would be included in the new library.


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User profile for user: léonie
léonie
User level: Level 10
197,321 points

Nov 28, 2020 12:01 PM in response to Mac on Andy

Just a caution to your question 1: Your Photos library will sync to iCloud Photos and will appear exactly as you are seeing it on your current Mac on any other Mac you are syncing with iCloud Photos as well. All your metadata and albums will be in iCloud Photos Library, only your projects will not be synced.

The metadata will also sync to your iPhone or iPad, but you will only be seeing the places and faces there. The keywords and titles cannot be displayed in Photos on iPhones, iPads, iPod touch; they are there, and you can search for them, but not see them.

If you have a device with iOS 14 or iPadOS 14, you will be seeing the descriptions on the iPhone or iPad in the details below the photo, and even can enter a description, that will be synced back to your Mac.


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Clarification on iCloud Photos

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