Non-iCloud Photos Library Size Linitations?
Is there a limit to the size of a non-iCloud photos library? I want to combone a few libraries and it’ll result in a 3TB file and over 100,000 photos.
MacBook Pro with Touch Bar
Question marked as
Hi - There is no documented limit, and photos is reliable with well looked after libraries even when they are large.
You need to think about how you will backup this library. Obviously this becomes more challenging with larger libraries, and generally a restore involves restoring the whole library which will not be quick.
Presumably you will be storing it on an external drive. If so:
The drive must be formatted APFS or MacOS extended (journaled), and not be (or have been) used for time machine. It must have the 'ignore ownership" checkbox ticked. It should not be on a memory stick, SD or similar. It stands to reason that if you want any sort of reasonable performance it should be a fast drive with a fast connection.
It must also not be a network drive (a direct connection is required - eg USB or Thunderbolt)
See