Does the new Photo App replace my IPhoto Library?

You do not need to migrate to photos if you do not want to, at least, if you have a compatible Iphto version.

If you have iPhoto 9.6.1 installed,just launch iPhoto and continue working with iPhoto. If you have an earlier version of iPhoto 9. try to update from the updates tab of the AppStore. Updating does not work well right now, the update is not always available, but try it, till you are lucky.

Photos is the new main Photos.app, but iPhoto 9.6.1 works well with Yosemite and you vcan still use it. Only, apple will no longer develop it further and not sell it any longer.

My question is, should I import my IPhotos Library to Photos? If so, I will then have two big photos libraries with over 15,000 photos each. So do I then delete the iPhoto Library? I am surprised Apple did not give a little more direction on this.

If you decide to migrate your iPhoto Library, Photos will create a migrated version. Your iPhoto Library will be renamed to "migrated...", but you can still use it. Both libraries will have about the same size, but will not require additional storage for the second library, since the photos library will use links to the original library, the media files will be shared.

See: Photos saves disk space by sharing images with your iPhoto or Aperture libraries - Apple Support

So you do not need to delete the iPhoto Library- keep i, until you know, which version you want to use, and have tested everything thoroughly.

I allowed it to proceed and what it does is migrates your photos from iPhoto into the new Photo. While the iPhoto icon is removed from the dock, the application still exists if you look in your applications folder.

The pertinent information that you're looking for however is that the database is migrated. iPhoto can still view the library, but if you make changes via iPhoto, they are not saved. I didn't think to take a screen cap of the warning message as it only came up the first time that I launched iPhoto after the 'upgrade'.

All that said, so far I am enjoying photo overall (after taking some time to figure it out. The layout and feel is very different after spending years in iPhoto. I suspect that if you'd never used iPhoto, Photo would feel fairly intuitive). There are some issues that I have with it, most notably that the 'faces' feature, while receiving many cool updates and facial recognition improvements, inexplicably doesn't list faces in alphabetical order. It's truly mind-numbingly stupid. Yes, there is a 'search' feature, but it's too restrictive.

iPhoto can still view the library, but if you make changes via iPhoto, they are not saved.

That is not quite accurate. Any edits you make using iPhoto, will be visible, when you open the library in iPhoto and are saved in the library. Only Photos will not see them, since Photos will be using the migrated copy.

But, unless I am misunderstanding you, when I started the Photos process it did not automatically migrate my iPhotos pictures. Was it supposed to? I remember a Screen asking for a name for my Photos library.

Photos is supposed to migrate the iPhoto Library automatically - the last you opened, unless it cannot access it, or does not know where it is. Is your iphoto Library on an external driveß

its been touted as automatically importing but the truth is it doesnt... Had to manually pull it over by pointing it at my Iphoto Library (deleted its default one first from my Pictures directory though...

Where was your iPhoto Library?

After reading your post, I thought I would wait to migrate, as the reviews for Photos are not that good. But after updating Yosemite, I realized that my iPhoto app in the finder (not the dock) is replaced by an icon indicating it's not there. When I double-click it, it tells me that I need the latest version of iPhoto (downloadable from the app store) because the current version is not compatible with my updated Yosemite, but it's not available in my country (Canada)!

I wasn't even given the chance to choose! Now I have no choice but to open Photos and migrate, and I'm really worried my saved albums and books will be gone. I was working on some of them and was going to print a bunch of them for an event.

What are my options?

No need to panic:

Go to the App Store and check out the Purchases List. If iPhoto is there then it will be v9.6.1

If it is there, then drag your existing iPhoto app (not the library, just the app) to the trash

Install the App from the App Store.

Sometimes iPhoto is not visible on the Purchases List. it may be hidden. See this article for details on how to unhide it.

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4928

One question often asked: Will I lose my Photos if I reinstall?

iPhoto the application and the iPhoto Library are two different parts of the iPhoto programme. So, reinstalling the app should not affect the Library. BUT you should always have a back up before doing this kind of work. Always.

Thanks Terenc! I'll definitely try!

Terence Devlin wrote:

Go to the App Store and check out the Purchases List. If iPhoto is there then it will be v9.6.1

Unfortunately, it seems that even if you can get iPhoto to show up in purchases, if you try to download it, you will most likely get this:

Well lots of other folks have reported success with it. I'd suggest contacting Store support.

Terence Devlin wrote:

Well lots of other folks have reported success with it. I'd suggest contacting Store support.

But how recently? See for example this MacRumors article, which states that about a day after Photos for OS X was released, Apple pulled iPhoto from the Mac App Store. Several other sites are reporting the same thing, for instance Apple Insider.

Like a lot of others it was on an external HDD , attached through firewire ...