I got my iPhone 14 pro after my macbook pro 13" with M1 chip. Photos will not work with iCloud. I have tried everything and it will not let me sync or get rid of the an old photos library. Please help as I want to chuck this into the river!!!
MacBook Pro 13″, macOS 13.2
Photos must have a Photos Library. It can't be on a memory card or flash drive. Most people keep their Photos Library in the Pictures folder on their Mac. (iPhones and iPads have Libraries that are hidden.)
iCloud is a synchronization service (not, as some think, a backup service!) iCloud makes sure that your iPhone, your iPad, and your Mac all have synchronized libraries so that you see exactly the same pictures on all your devices. This means that when you delete a picture on your iPhone, for instance, it is also deleted on your iPad, on your Mac, and on iCloud. (Of course, it goes to the "Recently Deleted" folder where you have 30 days to restore it.) So keep in mind, iCloud synchronizes, it doesn't backup pictures.
So, create a new library for Photos on your Mac-->Close Photos, then option-click on the Photos icon. You will get a dialog asking you what library you want to use-- just create a new one. Name it what you like.
In Settings>General, make this your System Library, and make sure "Copy items" is checked.
In Settings>iCloud, check "iCloud Photos" and check "Download Originals."
Then wait for several days. The pictures from iCloud will gradually fill your new Library.
Double check with this for reference:
Set up iCloud Photos on all your devices - Apple Support
Let us know how it goes...
Photos must have a Photos Library. It can't be on a memory card or flash drive. Most people keep their Photos Library in the Pictures folder on their Mac. (iPhones and iPads have Libraries that are hidden.)
iCloud is a synchronization service (not, as some think, a backup service!) iCloud makes sure that your iPhone, your iPad, and your Mac all have synchronized libraries so that you see exactly the same pictures on all your devices. This means that when you delete a picture on your iPhone, for instance, it is also deleted on your iPad, on your Mac, and on iCloud. (Of course, it goes to the "Recently Deleted" folder where you have 30 days to restore it.) So keep in mind, iCloud synchronizes, it doesn't backup pictures.
So, create a new library for Photos on your Mac-->Close Photos, then option-click on the Photos icon. You will get a dialog asking you what library you want to use-- just create a new one. Name it what you like.
In Settings>General, make this your System Library, and make sure "Copy items" is checked.
In Settings>iCloud, check "iCloud Photos" and check "Download Originals."
Then wait for several days. The pictures from iCloud will gradually fill your new Library.
Double check with this for reference:
Set up iCloud Photos on all your devices - Apple Support
Let us know how it goes...
That certainly sounds frustrating! I'm pretty sure chucking it into the river won't make it work any better!
Unfortunately, "I tried everything" doesn't help us much. We need some details to help out. Try going through this document and telling us just which things don't seem to be doing what you think they should:
Set up iCloud Photos on all your devices - Apple Support
I'm not sure I understand "get rid of the an old Photos library." Photos on the Mac must have a Photos Library to work, and it will create one if it doesn't find any. What are you trying to do?
Hola Richard!
long time MacBook user currently on a 13” M1. I just switched to iPhone 14 pro after many years on android.
i noticed that my photos from the iPhone where showing up on photos on the iPad Air 4th gen but not on the photos app on the MacBook.
When I try to turn on the sync photos in icloud settings on the Mac it shows an old photos library with only one picture from when we connected my wife’s Nikon Z50. It will not let me delete this old file even when I reconnected the camera.
watched every YouTube video on it and I’m at the point of taking it in to the Genius Bar.
Howdy! iCloud works with the System Library. There can only be one System Library on a Mac. If you open Photos and check Settings>General, does your preferred Library have "Use as System Library" grayed out? If it does, that means it is the System Library. If it is not grayed out, then you need to click it to make it the System Library. Then you can turn iCloud on.
Thank you for your time and help!
Photos won’t even open!
i hey a window with photos cannot find
“NikonZ50.photos library”
it informs that this library was last found on the the memory card I just mentioned.
found the card and connected it! And photos opened. I have navigated to the menu you mentioned and ‘ use as system photo library’ is not grayed out!
i do not want to use this photo library I want it to use iCloud.
what should I do next?
thank you again Richard!
It worked! thank you so very much for your time and attention!
Great!
Photos will not sync with iCloud images from iPhone
