Photo Library Size Reduction

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Level 1

27 points

Photo Library Size Reduction

Today I got a message saying I was running out of hard drive space... 15 GB remaining out of 1TB.

So after some investigation it shows the OTHER is my Photos Library taking up a whopping 600GB of space. I do have iCloud back up turned on and all my photos are in iCloud.

How would I trim the local cache? The system should be intelligent enough to NEVER send me a message I'm running out of space when the Photos library should be smart enough to trim itself.

I can not find a way to trim my local library, remove anything that is cached. Do I have to look at a third party? Do I need to delete my local and let photos re-download the smaller low res photos and videos?

Seems there is a huge miss here. Maybe in command line I can adjust how much cache photos will actually use before trimming? Any thoughts?

MacBook Pro 15″, macOS 10.13

Posted on Aug 25, 2021 10:49 AM

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Answer 1

Yer_Man

Level 10

165,768 points

Aug 25, 2021 11:02 AM in response to stevenish

Deleting a cache is non-solution. The app in question will simply recreate it again the next time you run it. All you do is slow down the process of running the app.

Move the Library to an external formatted Mac OS Extended (Journaled) or apfs if you want to recover space.

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Answer 2

Old Toad

Level 10

215,064 points

Aug 25, 2021 3:18 PM in response to stevenish

The Other category is a potpourri of files which can include:

• System temporary files

• macOS system folders

• Archives and disk images (.zip, .iso, etc. - often found in the Downloads folder)

• Personal user data

• Files from the user’s library (Application Support, iCloud files, screensavers, etc.)

• Cache files: browser, Mail

• Mail messages & attachments

• Fonts, plugins, extensions

• Safari reading list

• iTunes backups

• Crud resulting from jailbreaking your iDevice

• Game data

• Saved data files

• Call history

• Notes

• Media

• Voice memos

• Other files that are not recognized by a Spotlight search

• Media files that cannot be classified by Spotlight as a media file because they are located inside of a package

• Files created and modified by other user accounts on your Mac.

They can be located anywhere on your hard drive.

The files that you have control over are located in the Documents, Downloads, Pictures, Music and Movies folders. You can use either of these two free apps, GrandPerspective or OmniDiscSweeper, to find the largest files on your drive so you can determine if they can be deleted or moved to an external HD for storage.

Note: you can empty the Downloads folder after the apps and/or updates that were downloaded have been installed or applied. Many users have found a couple of Gigabytes of files in their Downloads folder which are no longer needed.

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Answer 3

Old Toad

Level 10

215,064 points

Aug 26, 2021 9:44 AM in response to stevenish

You have to realize that iCloud Library is a syncing service and not off computer storage. Anything done to a Photos library locally will be reflected in the iCloud Library.

If you need additional space locally for your library give these a look see: OWC Envoy Pro EX

They are small and easy to carry with the laptop.

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Answer 4

stevenish Author

Level 1

27 points

Aug 26, 2021 9:59 AM in response to Old Toad

I disagree with that statement. Opting for the Optimize option in photos preferences does turn it into an off computer backup in the cloud. It’s in the description of the option. If I lose my laptop tomorrow all my photos are safe. that is why ever photo and video is available on all my devices on demand.

And the OS is supposed to make more room when needed if the photo library takes too much space and offload anything it has downloaded to your local.

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Answer 5

Old Toad

Level 10

215,064 points

Aug 26, 2021 11:02 AM in response to stevenish

If you delete a photo by intent or accident in your local library it will be deleted in the iCloud Library. That's not off computer storage.

True if you delete the library entirely (which prevents it from syncing) you can restore it by creating a new system library and enabling iCloud Library.

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Answer 6

stevenish Author

Level 1

27 points

Aug 26, 2021 12:47 PM in response to stevenish

I have tinkered around and I think I have made a discovery. I don't recommend this as a viable solution, but I want to put it out there since some people are interested in this topic it seems and after some un-scientific testing my theory seems to be correct.

I went to Pictures/Photos Library
Show Package Contents
Originals

Within Originals there are a bunch of folders labeled with the first letter of the hash used for the media files.

I found an media in a folder and ALSO the image in my Photos library so I could easily find it again.

I closed Photos. Photos can not be open when any item in the package changes.

The image I selected in particular was a .JPG and a .mov. - Same piece of media, one is the still, one is the Live Photo.

I deleted the .mov first. Opened Photos and found the image. As soon as I rolled over the image or clicked to view Live Photo the .mov reappeared in the package. So the system did indeed pull the file from iCloud.

I then closed Photos and deleted BOTH files. I found the image in photos again and voila, the files were pulled from iCloud again.

This backs up my original claim:

iCloud is the master. It holds the media and full backup.

Whenever you view a Live Photo, or view a full res image, iCloud downloads to your local.

iOS / Photos SHOULD trim your Photos package, but it doesn't it seems until maybe you are so out of space there is no choice for it.

Next step, try deleting more and see what happens. I'm only deleting media I know I don't need anymore :) Just in case.

* I'm not saying this is all true and correct, this is what I have found with my limited testing but I think I'm onto something.

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Answer 7

Aug 26, 2021 4:10 PM in response to stevenish

The contents of the library are not intended for user access - which is why it is hidden by default.

If you start messing about in there, deleting stuff using finder, you will break your library and potentially lose access to your photos.

Don't do it.

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Answer 8

stevenish Author

Level 1

27 points

Aug 26, 2021 5:47 PM in response to TonyCollinet

Agreed.

In this case I’m frustrated that Apple does not handle this situation better. The solution to move your library to an external one is not a solution especially since if I didn’t have a 1Tb drive, it probably automatically uses the space it can since iCloud does hold the masters.

Footnote for the more adventurous: I just cleared out 331gb of videos using the method above. I did put them on a hard drive in case something went awry. My library in photos hasn’t changed. And the videos I cleared are still there on all my devices and simply download if I want to view them. My 1Tb drive thanks me.

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Answer 9

stevenish Author

Level 1

27 points

Aug 26, 2021 8:13 AM in response to Old Toad

So I used DiskDaisy and I did confirm is it my Photo Library. Now I’m investigating if I can safely delete my originals folder within the Photo Library package since all images are in the cloud.

I do not want to move my photo library. That defeats the purpose of having my Photos optimized and saved to iCloud.

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Answer 10

stevenish Author

Level 1

27 points

Aug 26, 2021 11:42 AM in response to Old Toad

So if I show package contents of the photo library, there is a folder with originals. That is where all the media that is taking space.

That is where I’m talking about deleting. I’m going to try with an image and match it to my photo library. I’m assuming that Photos pulls media into that folder when you view, share, modify. But if I delete it, it will remain on iCloud and in low res form in photos.

And I know deleting a photo in photos removes it from the cloud. That is how it should be. That is not what I’m talking about.

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Answer 11

Yer_Man

Level 10

165,768 points

Aug 26, 2021 12:51 PM in response to stevenish

A back up is a copy on different hardware.

If you accidentally delete a photo from Photos, the master in iCloud is also deleted.

So, how do you recover the photo that was accidentally deleted?

And if you can't, how is that a back up?

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Answer 12

stevenish Author

Level 1

27 points

Aug 26, 2021 12:56 PM in response to Yer_Man

YES: But I'm deleting from within the package, not within Photos. The Photos app still knows it's there using it's library and database. When I want to view it the masters are download from iCloud. Am I not explaining myself clearly?

Note: If you delete in Photos, the file is NOT deleted from the folder in Packages UNTIL you delete from Recently Deleted. I deleted from Recenty Deleted and watched it delete it from the folder :) It is then gone. No recovery. iCloud has removed the file from itself and your devices.

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Answer 13

Yer_Man

Level 10

165,768 points

Aug 26, 2021 3:22 PM in response to stevenish

If you delete in Photos, the file is NOT deleted from the folder in Packages UNTIL you delete from Recently Deleted.

Or, 30 or so days pass. So, in my scenario, when you delete from Photos accidentally, then there is no possible recovery. Hence this is not a back up.

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Answer 14

Yer_Man

Level 10

165,768 points

Aug 26, 2021 8:56 AM in response to stevenish

Now I’m investigating if I can safely delete my originals folder within the Photo Library package since all images are in the cloud.

Do that and you'll trash your library. And remember the cloud is not a back up, it's a sharing service. Moving the Library will not affect the optimisation etc. It works exactly as if it's on your internal.

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Answer 15

Yer_Man

Level 10

165,768 points

Aug 27, 2021 6:21 AM in response to stevenish

Hard drive space is considerably less expensive than Cloud space, and can actually be a back up.

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