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Applying tags to multiple images in Photos

If one is image tagged with the correct tags, but you wish to apply those tags to several images, how does one do this?


I have tried selecting multiple items and getting the info panel. The info panel shows as if ALL images are tagged, but actually only the original one is. Because of this, it appears you cannot add those tags to multiple images.


The first screenshot shows the single image that does actually have tags. The second screenshot shows multiple images and it appears they all have tags, but they do not, nor is it clear how to add them.

User uploaded fileUser uploaded file

Posted on May 14, 2018 8:36 AM

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Posted on May 14, 2018 9:53 AM

By tags you're referring to Keywords in this case, correct?


Select all of the photos you want to put a keyword on and use the key combination of ⌘-K to bring up the Keyword pane. If all photos have a particular keyword associated with it that Keyword will be solid blue.

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If any of the photos doesn't have that keyword the keyword will be solid blue with a small dash (minus sign) in the upper right hand corner:

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To assign the keyword to all of the photos click on it until the keyword turns blue without the minus sign.


User uploaded file

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May 14, 2018 9:53 AM in response to Nathan Jones2

By tags you're referring to Keywords in this case, correct?


Select all of the photos you want to put a keyword on and use the key combination of ⌘-K to bring up the Keyword pane. If all photos have a particular keyword associated with it that Keyword will be solid blue.

User uploaded file

If any of the photos doesn't have that keyword the keyword will be solid blue with a small dash (minus sign) in the upper right hand corner:

User uploaded file


To assign the keyword to all of the photos click on it until the keyword turns blue without the minus sign.


User uploaded file

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May 14, 2018 11:15 AM in response to Nathan Jones2

Your second screenshot is showing that not all photos are having the same keywords, because they are showing in a pale grey.

Simply type the keyword a second time into the keyword section of the Info panel.

It then will be added to all photos and appear in black, after you close the Info panel and open it again. It might be quicker than using the Keyword manager, if you do not have already the Keyword Manager open.


Which version of Photos are you using?

I would not batch change keywords in the early versions of Photos. It has been buggy and may change more photos than intended, unless you collect all photos in an album. The bug, described by Larry here (Photos Bug causing multiple photos to have their description changes when you change one) also applies to keywords in Photos on El Capitan and Sierra.

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May 14, 2018 11:48 AM in response to léonie

I have Photos 3.0.


Hmm… the fact that not all photos have those keywords is not clear. I can't see how pale grey is indicative of this in any way. The grey to grey, and even to the black (thanks for that comment, I can see that now, although it is a total; fudge adding the keywords again) fails basic W3C accessibility standards.


There is yet another UI anomaly: If you re-add the keyword by your method, all keywords are then back highlighted in blue. There is no functional reason for this. It further appears to indicate that all photos are keywords correctly.


When the info panel is reopened, all the keywords are, inexplicably, pale grey again.


What is the pale blue for? I can't find anything in the Photos documentation that explains this.

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May 14, 2018 11:52 AM in response to Old Toad

Thanks for this. There is familiarity With the iPhoto interface that used this method as standard in the info pane. The only issue is with the info and other panels is that they are no longer connected to the main app panel. This makes Photos very clunky on a laptop as there is not enough screen real estate to use the panels effectively. I think Photos must have been designed on, and for a very large screen! A side comment would also be that one has to now remember to open not one, but two separate panels that float around in front of the main interface. It's cumbersome in real world use moving mischievous floating panels around.


Thanks for pointing out the keywords panel though, appreciated!

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Applying tags to multiple images in Photos

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