Cleaning up Photo Library

I want to move photos from my library into different Albums and then delete the photos from the Library ONLY. Is this possible? My Library is getting impossible to manage.

Windows, Windows 10

Posted on Apr 13, 2024 7:31 PM

Reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Apr 14, 2024 1:24 AM

It is not possible in Photos, in any version on any device. We cannot remove items from the Library items without deleting them, and then they will vanish from the albums as well.


  • Some background information, on how the library is to be used: Your Photos Library is a relational database. All media files are stored only once, and the Library albums are the place where you are always seeing all photos, while the albums are using the photos stored in the library and referencing them there. This way we can add a photo to as many albums as you want without creating duplicates.
  • A work-around: Consider the library view as a the foundations to build your own views on top of it with folders and albums. With our own albums we are free to remove and add photos without removing them from the other albums as well. If you want to have an album where you can remove photos from after you organised them in other albums, create a new album and name it e.g. "My recents". Add all recent photos to this new album "my Recents" and select the photos you want to add to other albums in this album, then remove them from "My Recents" when done.
  • A historic remark: In the older versions of Photos we could use the "Hide" command to remove photos temporary from the Library, while the photos remained visible in the albums. This is unfortunately no longer possible in the recent versions of Photos. Apple has changed the "Hide" tool from a tool to manage the Library view by leaving out items into a tool to keep confidential photos completely secret, and now the hidden photos are hidden in the albums as well.
  • A work-around for users of iCloud Photos: Are you using iCloud Photos and have at least iOS 16.1, iPadOS 16.1 or macOS 13 Ventura installed? There is an easy way to remove photo from the Library, If you are using iCloud Photos to sync your devices and do not need the Shared iCloud Photos Library for sharing your photos with your family.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/118229


Enabling the Shared iCloud Photos Library will give you two separate sets of library items, your Personal Library and the Shared library. And we can easily move photos between these two sets of photos, or see them together.

I am moving all organized photos to my Shared Library and are leaving the "clutter", that needs editing organising in the personal library, it is very convenient and currently the only way to have two libraries on an iPhone or iPad.

Here is a user tip how to use the Shared iCloud Photos Library to split the Library View:

Using the Shared iCloud Photos Library to have two separate libraries on all devices - Apple Community

And some things to consider, before trying it:

Things to consider when setting up the Shared iCloud Photos Library in Photo 8 on Ventura


I am using the Shared iCloud iPhotos Library successfully to bhave two libraries on my iPhone and iPad, so I can switch between two different sets of photos.




3 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Apr 14, 2024 1:24 AM in response to Gmaoftwins

It is not possible in Photos, in any version on any device. We cannot remove items from the Library items without deleting them, and then they will vanish from the albums as well.


  • Some background information, on how the library is to be used: Your Photos Library is a relational database. All media files are stored only once, and the Library albums are the place where you are always seeing all photos, while the albums are using the photos stored in the library and referencing them there. This way we can add a photo to as many albums as you want without creating duplicates.
  • A work-around: Consider the library view as a the foundations to build your own views on top of it with folders and albums. With our own albums we are free to remove and add photos without removing them from the other albums as well. If you want to have an album where you can remove photos from after you organised them in other albums, create a new album and name it e.g. "My recents". Add all recent photos to this new album "my Recents" and select the photos you want to add to other albums in this album, then remove them from "My Recents" when done.
  • A historic remark: In the older versions of Photos we could use the "Hide" command to remove photos temporary from the Library, while the photos remained visible in the albums. This is unfortunately no longer possible in the recent versions of Photos. Apple has changed the "Hide" tool from a tool to manage the Library view by leaving out items into a tool to keep confidential photos completely secret, and now the hidden photos are hidden in the albums as well.
  • A work-around for users of iCloud Photos: Are you using iCloud Photos and have at least iOS 16.1, iPadOS 16.1 or macOS 13 Ventura installed? There is an easy way to remove photo from the Library, If you are using iCloud Photos to sync your devices and do not need the Shared iCloud Photos Library for sharing your photos with your family.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/118229


Enabling the Shared iCloud Photos Library will give you two separate sets of library items, your Personal Library and the Shared library. And we can easily move photos between these two sets of photos, or see them together.

I am moving all organized photos to my Shared Library and are leaving the "clutter", that needs editing organising in the personal library, it is very convenient and currently the only way to have two libraries on an iPhone or iPad.

Here is a user tip how to use the Shared iCloud Photos Library to split the Library View:

Using the Shared iCloud Photos Library to have two separate libraries on all devices - Apple Community

And some things to consider, before trying it:

Things to consider when setting up the Shared iCloud Photos Library in Photo 8 on Ventura


I am using the Shared iCloud iPhotos Library successfully to bhave two libraries on my iPhone and iPad, so I can switch between two different sets of photos.




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Cleaning up Photo Library

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