How do I update a 2021 iMac running Monterey 12.0.1 from Photos Version 7.0 to whatever the latest version is? I try doing System Updates, but Photos doesn't go to a newer version. I think the Photos version that was on the previous very old iMac ported over and I can't get it to update. Please help. Thanks.
iMac 21.5″, macOS 10.13
Upon further review, Photos on the new iMac is up to date at Version 7. Another Mac user tried to send two shared albums on Photos, but when we click on the notice to subscribe, we get the following message:
Shared albums are not available for this device.
To subscribe to Lorraine Piligian’s “Sarah Piligian Celebration” shared album on your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or Mac, open your invitation in the Mail app, and click the Subscribe button in the message.
To subscribe you need to be signed in to iCloud on:
We get this message even when this iMac is signed on to iCloud.
Any further insight as to what the problem might be? Thanks!
Your iMac running Monterey 12.0.1 from Photos Version 7.0 has the lastest versions.
This line in the warning message is a bit misleading and naming very old versions from 2012, the first system version OSX Mountain Lion and the first applications to support shared albums at all: "A Mac with macOS 10.8.2 or later and iPhoto 9.4 or Aperture 3.4 or later". Aperture and iPhoto are no longer developed by Apple. You can neither run a full version of iPhoto nor Aperture any longer on a Mac with macOS 12 Monterey.
There are two places, where you need to sign into iCloud - the System Preferences > AppleID > iCloud > Photos and as pointed out by Tony the Photos > Preferences > iCloud > Shared Albums.
You may not be able to enable "Shared Albums" in the Photos Preferences > iCloud, if your current Photos Library is not your System Photos Library and is stored on an unsupported volume. Where are you keeping your Photos Library? It should be in your Pictures folder or on an external volume prepared like this:
Move your Photos library to save space on your Mac - Apple Support
I tried what you suggested. To be more specific, the problem is when we try to subscribe to Shared Albums being sent by another Mac user. We get the following message:
Shared albums are not available for this device.
To subscribe to Lorraine Piligian’s “Sarah Piligian Celebration” shared album on your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or Mac, open your invitation in the Mail app, and click the Subscribe button in the message.
To subscribe you need to be signed in to iCloud on:
We get this message even when this iMac is signed on to iCloud.
We signed into iCloud as noted above, in both locations. It appears that the Photos Library is in the right spot, see below, but we still can't get the Shared Album subscription to turn on (same "error" message). Any other guidance?
When Photos is running, look again at thePhotos > Preferences. Tap the "General" tab.
Is "use as System Photos Library" greyed out, as it should be? If not, click it. Does the "library Location" point to the library in your Pictures folder?
Are you trying to open an iPhoto library from an old mac - or the iphoto app itself, (Which is now not usable since catalina).
Tell us exactly what you are doing (including filename and extension of any library) and exactly what error messages you get.
You may have an outdated link to an older version of Photos in the Dock or on your Desktop. To launch the current version installed by the system, open the Applications folder, then double click the Photos icon in Applications. Can Photos launch this way?
The current version is 7.0. Photos is updated as part of the MacOS.
Go to photos preferences, and double check that is the library that is open:
Have you turned on shared albums in preferences>iCloud tab?
Yes, see additional comments to le'onie below.
Yes, "use as System Photo Library" shows as grayed out. Still having same issue with subscriptions.
Yes, the Photos Library is open, but we are still unable to get new Shared Album invites to open.
That library? (The one in your screenshot in finder is the same as the one (as circled) in preferences?)
Yes, confirming that is the set up.
Photos is at Version 7.0; appears there are later versions, but will not update
