Photos - "This Library isn't searchable in Spotlight due to its location" for a library on an APFS volume

Question

Level 1

4 points

Photos - "This Library isn't searchable in Spotlight due to its location" for a library on an APFS volume

I've moved my PhotoLibrary to an APFS volume to save space on my baseline Macbook Air M1. It seems that broke the spotlight indexing of photos.

The Photo app's setting display a message "This Library isn't searchable in Spotlight due to its location".

I've read that it doesn't work with external drives but in this case it's on the same internal drive but on a separate volume (that size constrained).

Any solutions anyone?

MacBook Air Apple Silicon

Posted on Mar 6, 2023 1:39 PM

Reply

Answer 1

léonie

Level 10

195,151 points

Mar 11, 2023 11:36 AM in response to mpalka

You can keep a library on external volumes. Apple even recommends it, if you are low on storage on the internal drive, see: Move your Photos library to save space on your Mac - Apple Support

Only, Photos will only show your System Photos Library in the Media Browser. You would have to make the library on the external volume your System Photos Library. And do not move the library to a volume used by Time Machine.

Reply

Answer 2

mpalka Author

Level 1

4 points

Mar 10, 2023 12:49 PM in response to Yer_Man

Thanks for the reply. That's a pity. I understand that external drives may pose a risk of compromising search performance, battery life, and so on. However, there are no such risks with an APFS volume on an internal drive. I hope it gets fixed in time.

Reply

Answer 3

Yer_Man

Level 10

162,438 points

Mar 6, 2023 2:27 PM in response to mpalka

There aren't any. It needs to be in the default location: the user's Pictures Folder.

Reply

Photos - "This Library isn't searchable in Spotlight due to its location" for a library on an APFS volume

Similar questions