HT204264: iCloud Photo Library

Learn about iCloud Photo Library
kennybr2
Level 1 (4 points)
iCloud

Q: How do I restore a Photos Library using iCloud on a MacBook?

I now use iCloud to back up my entire photo library (over 200gb).  How do I restore a Photos Library (including all Photos data like faces, events, etc.) on my MacBook Pro when my MacBook Pro needs to be replaced? 

 

I've historically used Time Machine to back up and restore my Photo Library when migrating my Photo Library to another laptop.  However, I now do not have a comprehensive Time Machine backup of my Photo Library because the library is too large to want to store it locally.  So now I'm opting to store it on Apple's iCloud servers using their "optimize" Photos option.  Now, if I replace my laptop, I'd like to be sure that a restoration solution as seamless as Time Machine exists to obtain and import the Photo Library (i.e., the index of all my photos, events / folders, location tags, face tags, etc.) onto my new laptop directly from iCloud.

 

Appreciate any clarity into iCloud's Photo Library restoration capabilities!

MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2014), OS X El Capitan (10.11.2)

Posted on Apr 9, 2016 8:27 AM

by léonie,Solvedanswer
léonie léonie
Level 10 (105,801 points)
iCloud
A:
I now use iCloud to back up my entire photo library (over 200gb).  How do I restore a Photos Library (including all Photos data like faces, events, etc.) on my MacBook Pro when my MacBook Pro needs to be replaced?

You can create a new, empty Photos Library on your new Mac, and then enable iCloud Photo Library for this new Photos Library.  The library will download from iCloud, and most items will be restored.

But iCloud is not a backup. It is a central storage to keep all libraries updated across all your devices.

 

There are some items that will not be restored from iCloud, for example the Faces albums or your projects.

This document describes how a library will download from iCloud to a different Mac:

  Use Photos and iCloud Photo Library on multiple Mac computers - Apple Support

After you sign in, these items appear in the Photos app on all of your Macs:

  • All original photos and videos
  • All folders and albums
  • Smart Albums
  • Keywords
  • Searchable keywords based on Faces tiles
  • Key photo selections

These items are available only on the Mac where you created them:

  • Books, cards, and calendars
  • Slideshows
  • Keyword shortcuts
  • Unused keywords
  • Last imported album (this album contains photos you most recently imported on a specific Mac)
  • Faces tiles and Faces data

I would not rely entirely on iCloud as a backup for your photos, but occasionally create a copy of your Photos library on an external drive. This way you can restore your library, even if you should have problems with the internet connection, and it will be faster.

Posted on Apr 9, 2016 8:51 AM

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kennybr2

Q: How do I restore a Photos Library using iCloud on a MacBook?

  • All replies
  • Helpful answers

  • by léonie,Solvedanswer

    léonie léonie Apr 9, 2016 8:51 AM in response to kennybr2
    Level 10 (105,801 points)
    iCloud
    Apr 9, 2016 8:51 AM in response to kennybr2
    I now use iCloud to back up my entire photo library (over 200gb).  How do I restore a Photos Library (including all Photos data like faces, events, etc.) on my MacBook Pro when my MacBook Pro needs to be replaced?

    You can create a new, empty Photos Library on your new Mac, and then enable iCloud Photo Library for this new Photos Library.  The library will download from iCloud, and most items will be restored.

    But iCloud is not a backup. It is a central storage to keep all libraries updated across all your devices.

     

    There are some items that will not be restored from iCloud, for example the Faces albums or your projects.

    This document describes how a library will download from iCloud to a different Mac:

      Use Photos and iCloud Photo Library on multiple Mac computers - Apple Support

    After you sign in, these items appear in the Photos app on all of your Macs:

    • All original photos and videos
    • All folders and albums
    • Smart Albums
    • Keywords
    • Searchable keywords based on Faces tiles
    • Key photo selections

    These items are available only on the Mac where you created them:

    • Books, cards, and calendars
    • Slideshows
    • Keyword shortcuts
    • Unused keywords
    • Last imported album (this album contains photos you most recently imported on a specific Mac)
    • Faces tiles and Faces data

    I would not rely entirely on iCloud as a backup for your photos, but occasionally create a copy of your Photos library on an external drive. This way you can restore your library, even if you should have problems with the internet connection, and it will be faster.

  • by kennybr2,

    kennybr2 kennybr2 Apr 9, 2016 8:57 AM in response to léonie
    Level 1 (4 points)
    iCloud
    Apr 9, 2016 8:57 AM in response to léonie

    Thanks - that is very helpful!  One follow-up question:  if I restore a Photos Library from an external hard drive, will iCloud recognize that the "new" images ("new" meaning old photographs previously uploaded to iCloud that will technically be new files on my new laptop), but on my laptop are not "new", and thus not upload the "new" files to iCloud / not erroneously create duplicates?

  • by léonie,Helpful

    léonie léonie Apr 9, 2016 9:08 AM in response to kennybr2
    Level 10 (105,801 points)
    iCloud
    Apr 9, 2016 9:08 AM in response to kennybr2

    Yes and no.

     

    Whenever you restore a library from a backup, or simply open a copy of a library on an external drive and use it as your current iCloud Photo Library, Photos will upload all photos to iCloud and compare them to the image files that are already there. Photos will not create duplicates in iCloud, but this upload to compare the photos can take a long time. It will always happen, when you switch between iCloud Photo Libraries or even, when you repair a Photos Library.

  • by kennybr2,

    kennybr2 kennybr2 Apr 9, 2016 9:10 AM in response to léonie
    Level 1 (4 points)
    iCloud
    Apr 9, 2016 9:10 AM in response to léonie

    Much appreciated - thanks for the quick turn around!

  • by léonie,

    léonie léonie Apr 9, 2016 9:18 AM in response to kennybr2
    Level 10 (105,801 points)
    iCloud
    Apr 9, 2016 9:18 AM in response to kennybr2

    You're welcome