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mitchbert Author

Level 1

8 points

Syncing Photos between two desktop macs

On my main new M1 mac (Mac1) I have an Apple Photo library with 15,000 pictures (Photo1). This photo library is in the iCloud and shares photos with my iPhone and iPad. I recently updated an older mac in my vacation home to a new M1 mac (Mac2). This computer also has an Apple Photo library with about 10,000 pictures (Photo2). These photos are duplicates of photos I have in Mac1 Photo1. Both computers use my same Apple ID. I would like to sync my Mac2 with my Mac1 and eliminate my old Photo2. I think I can do this on my Mac2 in System Peferences – iCloud – and check the box labeled Photos. I’m unclear what happens next. Will I end up with an iCloud Photo1 library with 25,000 pictures with 10,000 being duplicates? Should I delete my Photo2 library before I do this? Or if I delete my Photo2 library first, will I end up with and empty Photo1? I’m sure there is a right answer, I just don’t know it.

iMac 24″, macOS 11.5

Posted on Sep 2, 2021 7:25 AM

Top-ranking reply

TonyCollinet

Level 7

23,954 points

Posted on Sep 2, 2021 9:43 AM

Simplest way:

Create a new empty library on the mac you want to sync with iCloud (To do this hold down the option key while starting photos)

Open the new library

Go to photos>preferences, and click the circled button in the first screenshot

Go to the iCloud tab of preferences, and set up as shown.

It should now download all iCLoud photos to the new empty library. Once it has, if you wish, you can delete the old library with duplicates in (just delete the whole library using finder.

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Syncing Photos between two desktop macs

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