Photos disappeared from Change Background

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Level 1

9 points

Photos disappeared from Change Background

Hello,

I upgraded my Mac from Sierra (latest version) to Mojave. Only several photos (from my collection/library on iCloud) appear in "change the desktop background." Additionally, since the upgrade I cannot share photos from Photos. When I try to do it the tab (is that the correct word - I lack vocabulary for all things Apple) labeled "More" just disappears. Otherwise, Photos appears to be acting normally on my iPhone SE and Mac, as far as I can tell.

I'm not interested in the intricacies of syncing, sharing, etc. and do not use these devices with any confidence, knowledge, or interest. I would like to have access to my own photos. This does not seem to be asking too much. I hope there's an easy fix to this **** frustrating, time-consuming, idiotic "problem" courtesy of Apple that has already taken up many more hours of my life than I care to admit. I also lack any facility to "repair the library" as I have seen mentioned here and there on the WWW.

Thanks for your time and energy to solve this non-problem should you choose to address my frustrating question.

MacBook Air (13-inch, Early 2015), OS X Yosemite (10.10.5), Pages 5.6.2

Posted on Nov 21, 2018 10:49 PM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

léonie

Level 10

200,537 points

Nov 21, 2018 11:03 PM in response to Fernerz

Additionally, since the upgrade I cannot share photos from Photos.

Where are you trying to share your photos to? Photos 4.0 in Mojave does no longer support to share photos to Facebook, Flickr, Twitter. Is that what you have been looking for?

To set the Desktop Picture using photos from your Photos Library, the library you are using needs to be your System Photo Library. You may check the preferencess in Photos, if your Photos Library is still your System Photo Library.

Photos > Preferences > General. Click "Use as System photo library", if this option is not graded out, as it should be.

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Answer 2

léonie

Level 10

200,537 points

Nov 22, 2018 1:14 AM in response to Fernerz

if this option is not graded out

I meant to write "grayed out", but the spell checker would not allow it. The option should be slightly dimmed and inactive. If that is the case, your Photos Library is your current system Photo Library. And you should be able to use the photos in the library as your Desktop picture, but it may take some time, before the Photos Library will become available in the "Desktop&Screensaver" System Preferences.

Wait, until the Photo Library is shown in the list of sources.
Click the disclosure triangle to the left of the Photos Library to reveal the Moments, Albums, etc.

If not all photos are shown in the albums, check, if the upgrade to Mojave enabled the Photos > Preferences > iCloud > iCloud Photos, and also "Optimise Mac Storage".

This may have become enabled by default, without you noticing it. The "optimise Mac Storage" option may remove original image files from your Mac, and the optimised photos may not be available in other applications. Then the Media Browser will not show all photos.

If you want to use "Optimize Storage" to save storage on your Mac, ensure that all photos in the album, that you want to use for the Desktop and Screensaver, have been downloaded to your Mac.

Ctrl-click or right-click the album in the sidebar in Photos. Then enable "Download to this Mac" for that particular album only.

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Answer 3

léonie

Level 10

200,537 points

Dec 1, 2018 3:43 AM in response to Fernerz

My pleasure, Jennifer, you're welcome.

This is a user-to-user forum. We are not Apple employees, just users helping each other. I got a lot of help from these forums, when I started to use a Mac, and now I try to help others in turn.

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