Does anyone know how to prevent incorrect face names from being suggested when tagging new photos in the Photos app?
Example:
When tagging a new face, I incorrectly spell “Tom” as “Ton” and press Return by mistake. The incorrect record “Ton” is written to the Person.db database file in the Photos library package. From now on, every time I start typing “To…”, Photos suggests “Tom” and “Ton” in the menu dropping down from the Faces data entry field.
Hold down the Option + Command keys when you launch Photos.
I rebuilt the library and re-tried your suggestion, still no luck for me...
Indeed, deleting records without understanding all the dependencies in the various database tables is asking for big trouble... thanks for highlighting this!
Dragging over the incorrect face name over the correct one was the first thing I tried, followed by a full reboot. It didn't work for me; the incorrect face name continued to appear as a suggestion. I don't use the iCloud Photo Library.
DB Browser for SQLite (http://sqlitebrowser.org/). Please consider Rysz's warning about deleting records records in system databases without understanding the dependencies!
I opened the library package, copied the Person.db to a different location on my hard drive (to avoid messing up the original) and opened the copy with the SQLite browser. Scroll through the various tables in the database and you'll find the incorrect face names.
Just to add to the discussion...There was mention that Apple Support suggested rebuilding the data base. That did not work for me. I deleted all the photos in my library and then deleted them again from the "Show Recently Deleted" file. I then re-checked my iCloud.com account to ensure there were no photos remaining. I rebooted my computer and then checked my photo library again to ensure there were no photos remaining. I then deleted the actual .photoslibrary file from my computer, rebooted, and then created a new .photoslibrary file. At this point, I should have a "start from scratch" photos library. I then imported one photo into the new library. When I attempted to add a new name to this one photo, I noticed that all the names from my previously deleted library (correct and incorrect) were still being suggested in the drop-down list. I am not a Mac expert, but it is possible the incorrect names are being kept in another file outside of the photos application, particularly since they are grouped with the contact list names in the drop-down list. I suppose one could remove the Photos App and reinstall it to see if the incorrect names disappeared from the drop-down list, but that is a step I am not going to take.
I figured out a way to get rid of them but proceed at your own risk if you decide to try it for yourself. Make sure you have a backup....
I opened the file person.db in database folder of the packaged pictures library using sqlite browser. Found the unwanted names in the RK person table and changed the name to "null." I tried to delete the entry but could't so I chose to change the name to null. It worked and I have not experienced any issues with my photos library!
I Should also add that I had to reboot my machine to see the changes
Bold move and happy to hear it worked! 😎
I'll give it a try on my machine.
Your method seems to be spot on! I removed 2 incorrect suggestions, by over-writing "null" in the name field of the RKPerson table of the Person.db database file, located in the database folder of the Photos library package.
I think there is a simpler method than some of the drastic measures posted here. I have been able to select a page of named photos, linked to the incorrect name, then click on the name in the upper left corner and you can edit it. If you spell it like it is on other, correctly named, photos, it will merge these photos into the correctly named list, and the incorrect name will no longer appear in the drop down of suggested names (usually).
It usually works, but in a couple of instances the incorrect name still appeared as a suggestion from a file name, not from the faces database.
The only problem with this approach is that not all methods of getting to the faces page reveal the name in the upper left corner. I think that using search to find the name usually does not work, but clicking on the name in an identified circle will open the window of named photos with the name as an editable entity in the upper left.
I hadn't tried your suggestion before, so I tested it after reading your post. In my case it didn’t work.
For the avoidance of doubt, I wanted to eliminate misspelled/incorrect name suggestions from the box dropping down from this menu,
in the default Faces Album of Photos
.
Merging incorrectly tagged photos with correct records never presented a problem.
UPDATE:
When I wrote my earlier posts, what I described worked as I explained. The next date I updated my Mac to a beta version of OS X and now dragging one face group circle over another no longer works. The current behavior is to rename the "wrong" face group name to the "correct" one and both groups will be combined automatically and all individual "wrong" faces will be rekabeled with the "correct" one.
The suggested name list still works the same way. Please check your Contacts list. If, by chance, you have that "incorrect" name in Contacts, it will continue to be suggested in Faces.
This method didn't work for me. It did rename the photos but the old name still appears as an auto suggestion.
Sorry to resurrect the post, but @Syfaka do you have an person "null" after editing the Person.db?
Delete incorrect face suggestions
