How can I merge photos libraries?

For the record, and apologies if it has already been mentioned but I used this method for merging my libraries and all metadata and editing was retained, including full resolutions etc. Just incase, like me, any has worries about losing this data.

If you are referring to the suggestion my macYeluru on April 20th 2015 then it is quite impossible to have done what you did and not lose data - specifically you will have lost the masters of any edited file. Other material will also be lost, including Faces, Places, Albums and so on. Just a warning to other folks who might consider it as an option.

There may be a way do a merge using iCloud Photo Library -- but it may be quite expensive...

"If you want to get all of your photos and videos in iCloud, however, you can designate another library as your System Photo Library and then enable iCloud Photo Library. The Photos app will then upload the new library's photos to iCloud Photo Library, merging them with the photos that are already there from your first System Photo Library."

http://www.cnet.com/how-to/how-to-use-multiple-photo-libraries-with-photos-for-m ac/

and

Designate a System Photo Library in Photos - Apple Support

Much cheaper to use PowerPhotos.

https://www.fatcatsoftware.com/powerphotos/

This thread is more than a year old, and things have changed since then.

PowerPhotos still has quite a few limitations: https://www.fatcatsoftware.com/powerphotos/Help/copying%20limitations.html

For merging Photos libraries check Power Photos from Fat Cat Software!!! That is a great solution that is worth every penny that you spend on it. The software shows you how the library is gong to look before merging. It also detects duplicates. It is just AWSOME!! I just merged several libraries with no issues.

Then you can not really merge them totally

You can upload all of them to iCloud Photo library and merge most things (no face albums or projects) or you can usePowerPhotos and merge them locally keeping either the original or edited versions and all metadata but again no face albums or projects

LN

Can you please explain how you merge libraries in iCloud photo?

Thanks!

The answer above is 100% WRONG.

You CAN very easily merge as many libraries as you want to and this is how you do it.

My favorite method to merge two different Photos libraries is as follows:

1. Pick the "main" library you want to drop the content into. You'll lose information such as your albums and other data besides the photos from the other library. I'll refer to the other library as "second library" from here on.
2. Right click (or control click) the Second Photos Library (located in your Pictures folder on the other computer). Choose "Show Package Contents"
3. Browse inside that folder for "Masters". You will want to copy the Masters folder to the other computer in some way, whether it's over on a USB flash drive or hard drive, or using AirDrop, or through filesharing.
4. Open Photos on the "main" library and drag the Masters folder onto the window that's open. It will take some time but will copy the information into your "main" library. If it detects duplicate photos, check the box "apply to all duplicates" and choose "don't import".
5. Give it time to finish -- you'll see a progress circle in the upper left of the photos. Once it's done you'll have a "main" library that has all the content of both libraries.

You CAN very easily merge as many libraries as you want to and this is how you do it.

A library is not just the Masters. It's the Photographs plus all the work you've done with them and on them - edits, added metadata, organisation.

This is not merging libraries. This is just adding the Masters of one library to another one.

So warning to anyone reading this: the suggestion above involves massive dataloss.

Great post except it is is not the answer to the thread as it does not merge libraries and certainly does not have all the content of the library you added - it simply imports the unmodified originals from one library into another library - that is not even close to merging libraries - the only way to mostly merge libraries is using iCloud Photo Library or PowerPhotos

and even those do not completely merge libraries but come much closer than importing the unmodified originals from one library into another

LN

I have two photo libraries. One is ~77 GB and the other is about ~100 GB. To merge them together, I went to all photos from my secondary library, selected all the files, then dragged them into a folder on the desktop. I then switched libraries and dragged the contents of the folder into my primary library. This obviously causes me to lose my albums I might have setup but Im just over it.

Afterwards, I ran Gemini 2 (searches and replaces duplicates) on the libraries and freed up some space there too.

This obviously causes me to lose my albums I might have setup but Im just over it.

And you also lost the masters of any images you had edited along with much metadata as well. This is not merging libraries.

I have two libraries one is 180GB and second one is 250GB with more than 60k photos and videos. I would like to have one click solution in Photos app.