User profile for user: Rosina Lippi-Green
Rosina Lippi-Green Author
User level: Level 1
59 points

System Photo Library and iCloud syncing confusion

On my MacBook Pro (running Sequoia) I have a photo library of about 3,000 photos. I recently spent a lot of time getting things organized, and making sure I had the folder/album relationship correctly set up.


Then I check Photos on my iCloud account, and nothing is synced. So I searched in the help files and it seems I forgot to save my library as the System Photo Library. When I try to do that, I get this message. Problem: Because the accounts haven't synced, there are photos in iCloud that aren't yet downloaded and I don't want to lose them. So should I choose a new library as the System Photo Library, and will that cause everything to sync? Please let me know if I've forgot to mention something crucial. Any help much appreciated. Also a Problem: Will the albums/folders I set up for the newly merged library sync, or will I lose them?

MacBook Pro 16″, macOS 15.4

Posted on May 10, 2025 9:37 PM

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User profile for user: léonie
léonie
User level: Level 10
202,215 points

Posted on May 11, 2025 1:57 AM

All photos that are already in iCloud Photos will remain in iCloud Photos. I recommend to make a backup copy of your current Photos library on an external drive, before you start to use iCloud Photosfor this library.


All photos you are currently seeing in your Photos Library, that you want to make your System Photos Library will remain on your Mac when you make it your system photos library. The warning you are seeing would only apply, if you had already a different system photos library syncing with iCloud Photos.

  • Enable "Use as System Photos Library" for your current Photos Library.
  • Then turn on iCloud Photos in the Photos> Settings > iCloud. Photos will now upload the photos into iCloud Photos and merge them into your existing iCloud Photos Library, while tying to resolve conflicts between duplicates. The albums will also be uploaded, but only once the photos have been uploaded. It will take a while, until you will be seeing the albums in iCloud. The merged library will sync from iCloud back to your Mac.



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User profile for user: léonie
léonie
User level: Level 10
202,215 points

May 11, 2025 1:57 AM in response to Rosina Lippi-Green

All photos that are already in iCloud Photos will remain in iCloud Photos. I recommend to make a backup copy of your current Photos library on an external drive, before you start to use iCloud Photosfor this library.


All photos you are currently seeing in your Photos Library, that you want to make your System Photos Library will remain on your Mac when you make it your system photos library. The warning you are seeing would only apply, if you had already a different system photos library syncing with iCloud Photos.

  • Enable "Use as System Photos Library" for your current Photos Library.
  • Then turn on iCloud Photos in the Photos> Settings > iCloud. Photos will now upload the photos into iCloud Photos and merge them into your existing iCloud Photos Library, while tying to resolve conflicts between duplicates. The albums will also be uploaded, but only once the photos have been uploaded. It will take a while, until you will be seeing the albums in iCloud. The merged library will sync from iCloud back to your Mac.



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System Photo Library and iCloud syncing confusion

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