Naming people in photos in the photos app

The named people will sync with iCloud Photos between the devices. I would only name them on one device, to avoid conflicts, preferably on a Mac, where it is easier.

To save my work, I am always adding the names of the recognized people as a keyword to the photo, so a search for the name of a person will find the photos, even if the name field has reverted to "unnamed". This way I can easily find photos with erased names with a smart album, for example:

• New smart album
• Match all:
• Person is not Mickey Mouse
• Keyword is Mickey Mouse

Which system version do you have installed? Did you just install a system upgrade? Or are you syncing more than one Apple device with iCloud Photos?

I have seen vanishing names occasionally after system update that improved the face detection, or when there have been conflicts between differently named faces on two devices with iCloud Photos.

After a system upgrade there may be a new scan for faces, if the face recognition algorithms has been updated. It helps to wait until the new face detection has been completed. Otherwise we may add a faces circle, because there is not yet one, and later Photos will add a new Faces circle, unnamed, if it could detect the face later.