How do you rename JPG within the Photos app?

WC, file names are used in Photos. When I do a search for files with given word, any filename that has that word shows up. Searches do use filenames.

But you can select the search results by filename or title. Just click the search result you want in the drop-down menu - title or filename, keyword or category. For example, when I search for "Bear", the search resut will show several groups to choose from: So it should suffice to batch change the titles, descriptions, or keywords. My screenshot is from Photos 3.0 on High Sierra. The search has been improved on Photos since Yosemite.

Apple does not

and it is very unlikely that they will implement a way to modify the files in the Photos database since the entier SQLite database depends on nothing being changed - if you want to tell Apple then do it - Product Feedback - Apple

LN

As clearly answered in this thread that is not possible with Photos (and was not possible with iPhoto either) - you can export the photos with a different file name using the export options and use the exported photo

and you can set your cameras to use different fiel names so you can separate the photos by their file names - read your Canon manuals for specific capabilities and directions for your cameras

LN

Yes - I did read that it can't be done.

I was trying to give an example why you might need this capability and am hoping Apple maybe monitors forums and thinks adding a feature to accomplish what we need. Maybe even two features - one option to give you the ability to rename files being imported into photos and a second to rename them after being imported. Or a third option to auto-rename photo file names so they're all unique within Photos.

Our Canon cameras don't have any useful options for creating unique file names between the two cameras.

http://www.dummies.com/photography/cameras/canon-camera/canon-eos-70d-setup-menu -1-options/

Ideal would be to be able to change the prefix from IMG_ to CAM1_ and CAM2_ or something like that but Canon doesn't have that option.

It does look like I can export all these imported files from Photos with unique names using the File -> Export and choosing sequential numbering and a new prefix so that works so I could import into Photos, Export, Delete from Photos and then re-import.... Looks like my only option at this point.

In reading this and other threads about the same issue, I did find out that in Finder, you can batch rename files.

http://osxdaily.com/2015/05/28/batch-rename-files-mac-os-x-finder/

So - that's a pretty sweet option. I think I will start renaming images in Finder to have unique names prior to import into Photos, but again, sure wish you could do file name changes within Photos or have an option for it to make names unique on import. :-)

Thanks!

Brad

Photos will not and t is not stupid at all - it is required by the database structure -

It is not really required by the database structure, Larry, as long as the photo application is doing the renaming, and safely. Apple has shown that in Aperture, where we had many file naming presets. It was easy to batch rename the originals, when importing them to Aperture, or later, using the batch change commands. Aperture could keep track of the changed filenames, since it did the renaming itself.

Now we have to import the photos twice - first, to export them with new filenames, and then to import them again with the new filenames. This is very wasteful with an iCloud photo library, where Photos will start the upload to iCloud immediately after import and we have to wait, until all traces of the first import will have been removed from iCloud, before we can reimport the renamed image files.

Being able to change the filenames is necessary for the share options in Photos, for the simple reason that Photos is letting us only share the filenames with the photos, if we are using Photos's built-in share commands, not the other mutate data. The titles and descriptions, the keywords will be stripped, when we are adding photos to a Shared album or mailing it. all the recipient will see is the filename. So we have to take care, that the filename carries as much information as possible.

Photos will not and t is not stupid at all - it is required by the database structure -

It is not really required by the database structure, Larry, as long as the photo application is doing the renaming, and safely. Apple has shown that in Aperture, where we had many file naming presets. It was easy to batch rename the originals, when importing them to Aperture, or later, using the batch change commands. Aperture could keep track of the changed filenames, since it did the renaming itself.

Now we have to import the photos twice - first, to export them with new filenames, and then to import them again with the new filenames. This is very wasteful with an iCloud photo library, where Photos will start the upload to iCloud immediately after import and we have to wait, until all traces of the first import will have been removed from iCloud, before we can reimport the renamed image files.

Being able to change the filenames is necessary for the share options in Photos, for the simple reason that Photos is letting us only share the filenames with the photos, if we are using Photos's built-in share commands, not the other user added meta data. The titles and descriptions, the keywords will be stripped, when we are adding photos to a Shared album or are mailing it. All the recipient will see is the filename. So we have to take care, that the filename carries as much information as possible, if we ever want to use the building-in Share commands. Apple could make sharing from Photos easier by providing tools to change the filenames or by providing other ways to share photos with user defined metadata - captions, titles, keywords.

WC, file names are used in Photos. When I do a search for files with given word, any filename that has that word shows up. Searches do use filenames. My thousands of photos before my switch to MAC 5 years ago all had readable filenames. But, some were incorrect and they keep showing up in my searches. It is annoying enough that I would like to batch change some of them.

It may not be easy but there has to be a way to change the file names. If I export the files, rename them, then import, will they still have their location, faces, notes, date, time data intact? Will the old versions be there as well?

Thanks for any detailed help in this.

Nia

Most of the people on this thread do not seem to understand that the Photos app seems to lack the option to rename the file name of the image file upon export in the way that iPhoto made so simple... ie, that if you imported a file name of "IMG_0001" and want to export it with a file name of "Eiffel_Tower" the Photos app does not allow you to do so in the way that iPhoto did so easily in the exporting function dialog box. In iPhotos, one simply entered a new file name in and simply exported the renamed "Eiffel_Tower" to whatever location (desktop, file folder etc) while leaving the original "IMG_0001" as is. I have lots of reasons why I would want to rename that exported file (ie, so that I would KNOW it's a photo of the Eiffel Tower) but now must export the file name as is and then rename the file after it has been exported. That is a terribly clunky and very 1990's way of dealing with a file name and I find it very disappointing that the Photos app lacks this feature... UNLESS we many confused users are missing something; so far, the closest I can come to in the Photos app is to use the serial file naming option and end up with a single serial file, which is frankly not convenient or acceptable. — So please, Apple community, do not speak of how the Photos app sorts this stuff in process, or say "this has been explained, it is simple" — but tell us how to export the image file with a file name of one's choosing. That's all. It's "simple!"

You cannot enter the new filename in the export dialog. The best you can do is setting the title of the photo to the filename you want and the use the preset "Filename > Use Title".

Are you referring to the title under the thumbnail? If so go to the View ➙ Metadata menu and check Titles. Then you'll be able to click under the thumbnail and enter a Title.

If you want to batch rename titles use one of the Applescripts/Automator workflows listed in the Photos for Mac User Tips.

Click on the title and change it. The title is positioned immediately below the photo in moments view or at the top of the info window if you open it from the menus.

what are you calling "renaming"? Photos have file names (these can not be changed in either photos or iPhoto), titles, and other metadata - most of this you change by right clicking on the photo and get info - make the change in the info window

LN