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User profile for user: jmcdermon
jmcdermon Author
User level: Level 1
5 points

How do I keep some photos only on my mac and not on my iPhone

I just did a photo slide show for a memorial using hundreds of photos from a friends family and the MacOS photos.app. It turned out great. But, I have iCloud Photo Library turned on and now almost 1000 photos are clogging up my photo stream. I want to have all these photos available on my Mac, in the Photos App so I can replay and re-export the slideshow project if needed. But - I don't want all these photos on my phone. I do still want the benefits of iCloud Photo Library syncing between my Mac and my phone for the photos from before I built the slide show and all the photos I took on my phone since then.


I know I can export the photos into a local folder on my Mac and delete them from the Photo App, but that ruins the slide show project.


I also know I can export the project into a stand alone video file, but the export function is imperfect and the results are not as good as playing the project directly from the Photos App in full screen mode.


What I need is a way to keep a subset of photos from syncing to my phone while still being available in the Photos App without completely turning off iCloud photo library.


Any ideas?

MacBook Pro 13″, macOS 10.15

Posted on Oct 24, 2021 8:09 PM

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User profile for user: TonyCollinet
TonyCollinet
User level: Level 7
23,972 points

Posted on Oct 24, 2021 11:33 PM

Hi


What I do is have two libraries. One, the system library is synced with iCloud and my other devices. It contains the most recent 2 years or so of photos.


I have an archive library containing older pictures. This is not the system library, so doesn't sync.


Best way to set this up is to take a copy of your library, then from the copy delete everything except the photos you only want on your mac. In your usual library delete everything you have kept in the second library (these will then be deleted also from your phone.


You can't have both libraries open at once, you switch between them by holding the option key down as you start photos.


Also (BEFORE STARTING) - please make sure you have a robust backup process in place for both libraries (EG time machine)

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User profile for user: TonyCollinet
TonyCollinet
User level: Level 7
23,972 points

Oct 24, 2021 11:33 PM in response to jmcdermon

Hi


What I do is have two libraries. One, the system library is synced with iCloud and my other devices. It contains the most recent 2 years or so of photos.


I have an archive library containing older pictures. This is not the system library, so doesn't sync.


Best way to set this up is to take a copy of your library, then from the copy delete everything except the photos you only want on your mac. In your usual library delete everything you have kept in the second library (these will then be deleted also from your phone.


You can't have both libraries open at once, you switch between them by holding the option key down as you start photos.


Also (BEFORE STARTING) - please make sure you have a robust backup process in place for both libraries (EG time machine)

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How do I keep some photos only on my mac and not on my iPhone

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