Photos from Photos app not accessible in iMovie 10.0.8

Thanks a lot - that really helped.🙂

Any ideas on what to try if this doesn't work? I followed the steps you outlined, and was able to get to the point where I could select 'Use As System Photo Library' but iMovie still won't allow Photos as an option within the app (it doesn't show up in Libraries and won't allow me to access it using the import button).

Good grief- I've spent an hour trying to figure this out! Thanks for posting the actual solution! Worked like a charm!

Thanks for the info. Unfortunately I followed all the steps and Photo still won't populate in the Library in iMovie. However, I did find a temporary work around so I could finish my current project. I created a desktop folder and then dragged the pics I need from Photo into that. iMovie did allow me to import them from the desktop folder. Not ideal, but it works!!

I tried all the "work arounds" and ultimately ended up putting my pictures and videos into a folder on the desktop and accessing them that way. Thanks for all your suggestions!

Hi Lawrence, thanks a lot for your support. With your instructions at least now I know how the libraries works on my mac and how to set up each of them as System library. Unfortunately, even if I followed your guidelines still my iMovie doesn't show the Photos library. I'm thinking to remove it and return back to the traditional iPhoto. Why indeed to get to somewhere if it is reducing functionalities without to get real value added?

If in the meantime you got other reasons why iMovie does not show Photos library, I appreciate.

Regards,

Daniele

I too was unsuccessful, but I then realised you do not need to go to 'Import' within iMovie to navigate to your photos (because if you do, it is greyed out), it is simply in the 'Libraries' bit on the left of the main iMovie screen, staring us in the face....'Photos Library'!

Assuming you have version 10.0.7 of iMovie, I suspect yours will be there too.

This does not solve my problem, but I found a dialog box that told me out that you can only use a Photo Library if you are also connected to iCloud. Since this library exceeds my iCloud storage (and I'm doing this for a friend with her work computer) it turns out by upgrading to Photos from iPhoto, my movie making chore has become A NIGHTMARE as I have to drag every photo I want to use first to the desktop instead of having them accessible in iMovie automatically.

I hate Apple since Jobs has died. This kind of behavior seems to thwart me regularly now. Usability is plummeting.

Arg.....

Just noticed "Years" tab to right of "Photos Library"...

I am posting this as a reply to some of the other posters, who seem to have gone through the same issues as I have right now. Strangely enough the "solution" was an easy click, hinted at in the post before mine, but since the post was only a hint and didn't spell out the solution completely, I prefer to write this down.

1. My photos library wouldn't show any content in iMovie. I could see the tab on the left, but in the window next to it, no content would show.

2. After reading the posts in this thread, I looked up the Preferences section in the photos app, and indeed the "Set up as System Library" tab was greyed out. I went through the suggestions made by lawrence, but that didn't change anything on the iMovie side... in the process I figured out WHY the "Set up as System Library" was greyed out: because the active library WAS the system library ALREADY. When opening photos with option click, the choice window confirmed that as well. So there was actually no problem at all with the System Library setting. I was looking at the wrong place (mislead by the posts).

3. I had overread the last post in the thread by Andrewid, stating that he just noticed "Years" tab to the right of "Photos Library"... when reading it first I had thought "so what", but then it dawned on me that the solution to all my problems was actually right there, with only a click. The "years" tab was indeed there and to its right it said "all years", i believe... when clicking on "all years", I suddenly got the choice to choose a year and all my photo library was available (again) ... I say again, because it had been available in iphoto, before upgrading. Alternatively, you could also click on "years" itself, and choose between "My Albums", "Albums", "Years", "Collections', 'Moments', 'Places', 'Faces' and 'Shared'... either way, i finally got access to all my photos library again.

Hope this helps the other posters.

OMG Finally the correct answer Thank you Lukeoo

People disregard all the other incorrect answers this one is correct.:

go to 'Import' within iMovie and look on the left hand column it is simply in the Photos Library' on the left of the main iMovie screen, staring us in the face....'Photos Library'!

I have the newest upgrade to 10.1 v iMovie, I suspect yours will be there too.

I have no idea what you mean. To the right of where? I have nothing that says either photos library, or years. In libraries I simply have All Events, and iMovie Library

me either... thought i was the only one. Been using iMovie for many years. This is crazy! I have imovie 11, vs 9.0.4