Photos OUT of Apple - is this even Possible?

Question

Level 1

17 points

Photos OUT of Apple - is this even Possible?

Photos has always been one of the worst osx apps... file formats, trying to export albums, images, etc.

Is it even possible to export an Album to a desktop folder? The only options for any 'export' seems to be 'Social shares'.

Sure, you can drag them to the desktop - but even with my boat anchor Studio Mac (the fastest computer in the history of the world, according to apple bla bla) ... it brings the machine to it's knees for a measly 30 images and 9x one minute videos.

Rather than one image at a time and waiting for Studio to catch up, is there not a way to crush the file size and export? Can anyone point to a better way, or better photo app that is designed to JUST work, like apple once was?

Excuse the sour attitude. Thanks.

Posted on Mar 20, 2025 5:23 PM

Reply

Answer 1

Yer_Man

Level 10

166,224 points

Mar 21, 2025 1:31 AM in response to Chizzer

Exporting continues to work the same as it ever has:

File -> Export.

Choose what you want to export - Unmodified Originals? You'll see the command. Edited versions? Make your choices of format and quality, metadata etc in the dialogue and then send them to a folder on the desktop.

Reply

Answer 2

Mar 20, 2025 10:51 PM in response to Chizzer

Photos File > Export Originals. Choose some local (not iCloud or network) target folder for the output so slow network is out of the equation. Should be very fast. If not, maybe some 3rd party add-on like an unneeded anti-virus app intervenes.

An EtreCheck report would eliminate much guesswork:

Using EtreCheck to Troubleshoot Potential… - Apple Community

Reply

Answer 3

markwmsn

Level 6

16,887 points

Mar 21, 2025 10:01 AM in response to Chizzer

If your exports from Photos are running slow, you might check for potential sources of delay, such as:

Is your Photos library on an external hard drive that is slow and/or poorly formatted?

Is your Photos library on any storage-constrained volume and in Optimize Mac Storage mode (only applicable if iCloud Photos is active)?

That's in addition to the systemic issues that EtreCheck might help you find.

Reply

Answer 4

Yer_Man

Level 10

166,224 points

Mar 21, 2025 12:08 PM in response to Chizzer

Fear not, anyone answering here has had their share of red faces, and some of us even more than our share. Just as a matter of record that's been there since the first iteration of iPhoto 20 years ago...

Reply

Answer 5

Chizzer Author

Level 1

17 points

Mar 21, 2025 10:34 AM in response to Matti Haveri

Well... I am pretty certain that was not here before. Or perhaps I am confused and elderly.... whatever the case, what color is my red face.

Thanks All.

EtreCheck - thanks.

Reply

Photos OUT of Apple - is this even Possible?

Similar questions