Photos Library On Mac Using Too Much Space

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Apple's online service, iCloud Photo Library, lets you seamlessly access, manage, edit, and share pictures and video from your iPhone, iPad, and your Mac. It's free to use — though if you want to store any real amount of data, you're going to have to pony up for a paid iCloud plan. I've had a lot of people over the years ask me whether they should turn on iCloud Photo Library: Is it safe? Is it secure? Is the cost of an iCloud plan worth it?

Nov 05, 2015  This is a short tutorial on how to free up space on your mac's hard drive. Find hidden files that are taking up a ton of space and you didn't even know! HOW TO MOVE APPLE PHOTOS LIBRARY.

What is iCloud Photo Library?

Essentially, iCloud Photo Library is an optional feature of Apple's iCloud service that can automatically back up and sync any images and video you take to iCloud. It works with Photos for iPhone, iPad, and Mac, and also provides sync services for devices like Apple TV.

When you enable iCloud Photo Library, it uses your iCloud storage space to upload all images and video you've either taken, screenshot, saved, or imported on any of your iOS devices or Macs.

Apple supports a number of file types in iCloud Photo Library, including:

  • HEIF (Apple's high-efficiency image codec that saves disk space)
  • JPEG (most web-based image files)
  • RAW (image files that haven't been processed, usually from a high-end camera or third-party iPhone app)
  • PNG (images with transparent backgrounds; screenshots)
  • GIF (animations)
  • TIFF (often high-end graphics projects or photographs)
  • HEVC (Apple's high-efficiency video codec that saves disk space)
  • MP4 (video)
  • Apple-only specialty formats like slo-mo, time-lapse, and Live Photos

You don't need to use iCloud Photo Library to use Apple's Photos app on your Mac, iPhone, or iPad; the app works without any cloud service involvement. But if you pass on using iCloud, we highly recommend finding a different way to back up your photos, lest you lose them accidentally.

If you do choose to use iCloud Photo Library, you'll likely need to pay for iCloud storage space to properly save all your images without clogging up your iPhone, iPad, or Mac. Once you do, you'll have access to all its backup benefits along with its automatic sync across devices and sharing service.

The pros

After several years with iCloud Photo Library and the Photos apps on Mac and iPhone/iPad, I'm pretty familiar with the service's ups and downs. Thankfully, there are far more ups than downs — at least in my experience.

It just works — really!

Perhaps the biggest bullet point in iCloud Photo Library's 'pro' column for me is that Apple's iCloud team has a rock-solid 'it just works' sync product. Even during the earliest beta-testing days, I had no issues with iCloud losing or dropping images from my library.

I had only one sync error, which came from accidentally turning iCloud off on my MacBook before it had finished syncing up that library; as a result, those half-uploaded photos disappeared from my other devices. But they remained on my MacBook and repopulated on my iPhone and other Macs as soon as I re-enabled iCloud sync.

You really can access your photos from anywhere — and manage them, too

With iCloud Photo Library, my images are accessible everywhere — even on iCloud.com if I don't have one of my devices handy — and when I'm offline, I can still view low-resolution thumbnails of any pictures I haven't downloaded locally to my machine. I can even manage that library while offline: Delete an image while you're away from internet access, or add it to an album, and all of that syncs when you pop back online.

In addition, iCloud Photo Library solved one of my oldest iPhone photo management irritations: I can manage albums on my Mac and have them sync to my iPhone, and vice versa. That includes the People album, which automatically finds faces in images of your friends; this data now syncs across your iPhone, iPad, and Mac, too.

Your edits also sync across your devices

Forget having to make multiple copies of your images to edit them: iCloud Photo Library syncs non-destructive image edits across your devices, meaning that you can start editing an image on your iPhone, finish the touchup on your Mac, or undo it all on your iPad.

All hail optimized storage

iCloud Photo Library's Optimize Storage option automatically and smartly takes a percentage of your device's storage space for high-resolution versions of your most recent photos; any images or video that can't fit in that space are stored as low-resolution thumbnails. This space is variable, too — it doesn't take up every speck of free space you have, and instead appropriates a portion to photo storage, adjusting smartly on the fly.

Find Photo Library On Mac

If you need to download an older image or video that's been offloaded from your device and stored in iCloud, you need only tap it while on Wi-Fi; the Photos app will automatically remove the oldest images and video you've viewed in order to make room for the most-recently downloaded ones.

This is awesome not only for small-storage iOS devices but also for laptops: I love being able to carry around my 'entire' library on my Mac without also having to lug a 500GB external drive to view full-resolution Raw photos.

Secure, strong backups

While iCloud Photo Library's primary goal may be to provide you with the same library on all your devices, it also keeps a copy of that library safe and secure in iCloud using Apple's CloudKit framework. In the unlikely event of a hard drive malfunction, waterlogged iPhone, or other hardware disasters, your images will be safe and sound and ready to re-download.

The cons

For everything I love about iCloud Photo Library, it still has its flaws. For me, they aren't deal breakers, but they might be depending on your needs.

The iCloud storage cost

The cost of Apple's iCloud storage offerings has improved greatly over time, with $10 per month now netting you 2TB of iCloud storage space. However, while Apple's $10 a month plan now outdoes Dropbox, it still hasn't been able to match Google's 15GB free storage tier (not to mention the company's 'unlimited' free storage in the Google Photos app, which lets you save an endless number of mid-resolution photos at 16 megapixels or under).

While 2TB and the lesser-priced tiers should be enough for most people, that's still up to $10 each month, and Google's offer can look awfully tempting — especially when most photos taken on an iPhone come in below 16MP.

There is an Apple-based alternative out there for those who don't want to pay for an iCloud storage plan: Photo Stream. While the older sync service has largely been supplanted by iCloud Photo Library, it still offers a quick way to sync the most recent images to your other devices and back them up to your local hard drive.

Photos Library On Mac Using Too Much Space Windows 10

You can't exclude certain photos from syncing

CloudKit is incredibly secure, but even so, there may be some images you'd prefer stay offline — whether for professional or personal reasons. Unfortunately, iCloud Photo Library is an all-or-nothing affair: If you want those photos offline, you'll have to move them out of Photos for Mac or iOS to do so.

It's (largely) tied into Photos for Mac and iOS

If you're a die-hard Lightroom user, iCloud Photo Library won't really help you — it's dependent on Photos for iOS and Photos for Mac. Photos for Mac does support external image editors like Photoshop and Pixelmator, and you can set up automation workflows to move your favorite Lightroom snaps to Photos. You can even upload images straight to iCloud.com, if you don't mind the workflow. But these alternate solutions aren't as easy as the default iCloud Photo Library checkbox that you get inside the Photos app.

There's also the question of reference libraries: Officially, iCloud Photo Library doesn't support syncing with an additional referenced Photos for Mac library (one held on an external drive), because of the potential for sync conflicts. There is a (cumbersome) workaround that involves multiple libraries and turning iCloud Photo Library on and off, but it may not be worth it for those who regularly need access to referenced images.

Bottom line

For me, iCloud Photo Library is an excellent way to bring my images and video to all my devices. It boasts impressive sync capabilities, offline photo access, and easy management and backup, even for gigantic libraries. But it also has a few caveats that, while not deal-breakers for me, might be for others. For those unsure what camp they're in, I'm hoping that I've cleared up iCloud Photo Library's pros and cons to help you make the decision that's right for your workflow.

Updated January 2020: Information is up-to-date through iOS 13 and macOS Catalina.

Serenity Caldwell contributed to a previous version of this article.

iCloud Photo Library: The Ultimate Guide

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For all your USB-C needs

The HybridDrive is a USB-C dock with an SSD built in

You need more ports, right? And you probably need more storage, right? What you really need is the HybridDrive.

As we use desktop and laptop computers, we tend to fill up our hard drives with stuff we've collected over the years. It's like an attic, basement, or garage that slowly fills up over time. Some stuff gets used often, other stuff sits in a box and gets forgotten about. Eventually, though, the clutter becomes too much and you have to start getting rid of things. But how do you sort the import stuff from the trash? That's where Optimized Storage comes in.

Optimized Storage takes files you've been storing in iCloud and moves them off of your computer if your local storage gets too full. It also leaves behind an icon of the item that has been removed so that, when you finally do want to access it again, you don't have to go somewhere different to find it. You can just click on the file and it will download back onto your computer when it's online.

There are four features to Optimized Storage that you can enable separately or all together. You can use Store in iCloud, Optimize Storage, Empty Trash Automatically, and Reduce Clutter.

How to access Optimized Storage

There are two ways to access Optimized Storage. The first is easy. Do nothing until your storage gets full. When it does, you'll get a notification asking if you want to optimize your storage. Click Yes to be directly taken to the Optimized Storage tool window.

Photos

To access Optimized Storage manually:

  1. Click on the Apple icon in the upper left corner of your screen.
  2. Select About this Mac from the drop-down menu.

    Source: iMore

  3. Click on the Storage tab in the System Information window.
  4. Click on Manage.

    Source: iMore

This opens up the four Optimized Storage tools, which are on the right side of the window.

How to use Store in iCloud

Photos library on mac using too much space iphone

Store in iCloud allows you to store older photos, files, and messages in the cloud, freeing up space on your hard drive. Messages stay on your hard drive until your hard drive starts to get full. When you're running out of room, photos, files, and messages will automatically be stored in iCloud and only recent attachments will stay on your Mac for quick and easy access.

  1. Click on the Apple icon in the upper left corner of your screen.
  2. Select About this Mac from the drop-down menu.

    Source: iMore

  3. Click on the Storage tab in the System Information window.
  4. Click on Manage.

    Source: iMore

  5. Click on Store in iCloud in the Store in iCloud section of the window.

  6. Click on Store in iCloud again to confirm that you want to enable the feature to automatically store photos, files, and messages in iCloud when your hard drive gets full.

    Source: iMore

How to stop syncing Desktop and Documents folders in iCloud on your Mac

If you've tried out Desktop and Documents folder syncing in iCloud but decided you don't like it, you can stop syncing. If you disable syncing, Desktop files will no longer appear on a secondary Mac computer's desktop, but they will still be in a file in iCloud Drive, which you can move them out of. Your Documents folder will also still be visible in iCloud Drive, which you can also move.

  1. Click the Apple icon in the upper left corner of your Mac's screen.
  2. Click System Preferences in the drop-down menu.

    Source: iMore

  3. Click on Apple ID.
  4. Click on Options next to iCloud Drive.
  5. Untick the Desktop & Documents Folders box.

    Source: iMore

How to use Optimize Storage

Optimize Storage relates to storing media in the cloud that is not necessarily already in your iCloud storage, specifically movies and TV shows you have already watched on iTunes. When you select Optimize Storage, it will remove these files from your computer. If you want to watch them again, you can redownload them from iTunes.

It also gives you the option to store your email attachments. You can set it up so that recent email attachments are stored on your Mac, or you can store all of your email attachments in the cloud and download files that you need when you need them.

  1. Click on Optimize... in the Optimize Storage section of the window.
  2. Click on Optimize again to confirm that you want to enable the feature to automatically remove iTunes movies and TV shows that you've already watched.

    Source: iMore

How to disable Optimize Storage on your Mac

Optimize Storage automatically removes iTunes movies and TV shows that you've already watched from your Mac. It also only keeps recent email attachments on your Mac when your hard drive starts to run out of room. If you want to keep your movies and TV shows on your hard drive so you don't have to re-download them every time you want to watch them, you can disable the feature.

  1. Click the Apple icon in the upper left corner of your Mac's screen.
  2. Select System Preferences from the drop-down menu.

    Source: iMore

  3. Click on Apple ID.
  4. Click to uncheck the checkbox at the bottom of the window for Optimize Mac Storage.

    Source: iMore

How to use Empty Trash Automatically

It is pretty common for the average computer user to forget to empty the trash bin regularly. Just like a real garbage can, trash can start to add up. Unfortunately, unlike a garbage can, your Mac's trash bin doesn't get full, so you don't realize you've been stocking up digital waste for months and months. Empty Trash Automatically will enable a tool that will erase items that have been in the Trash for more than 30 days. You don't even have to think about it anymore.

  1. Click on Turn On in the Empty Trash Automatically section of the Optimized Storage window.
  2. Click Turn On again to confirm that you want to enable the feature to automatically erase files that have been in the Trash for more than 30 days.

    Source: iMore

How to disable Empty Trash Automatically on your Mac

If you worry that you are going to delete something from your Mac and need it back more than 30 days later, you can disable the feature and go back to manually emptying the trash.

  1. Open a Finder window.
  2. Click on Finder in the upper left corner of your Mac's screen.
  3. Click Preferences in the drop-down menu.

    Source: iMore

  4. Click on Advanced in the Finder Preferences window.
  5. Click to uncheck the checkbox for Remove items from the Trash after 30 days.

    Source: iMore

How to use Reduce Clutter

Reduce Clutter is the one feature in Optimized Storage that requires you to manually clean files on your Mac.

Photos Library On Mac Using Too Much Space Computer

The list of categories on the left side of the Optimized Storage window represents the folders that tend to store files that are older and can be removed from your Mac.

You can either click on Review Files in the Reduce Clutter section of the Optimized Storage window or select a category from the list on the left side of the window.

You can then go through the files individually and decide whether you want to keep or remove them from your Mac.

For example, in the Applications folder, you can view apps on your Mac by type. Older versions of apps you are currently using can sometimes take up dozens of GB of space. You can delete the files right from the Optimized Storage window.

How to optimize your photo storage if you have iCloud Photo Library

Photos Library On Mac Using Too Much Space Ipad

Photos on the Mac optimizes storage by letting you store full-resolution photos and videos in iCloud instead of on your internal hard drive. Even if you don't want to store all of your files and documents in iCloud, you can keep your photos safe, while freeing up space on your hard drive.

Your photos will also remain on your Mac's hard drive until it starts to get full, at which point, photos and videos — starting with the oldest — will be removed from your Mac and only stored in iCloud.

Photos and videos tend to take up a lot of space. You may find you don't have enough iCloud storage to keep your entire photo library in iCloud. You can upgrade your iCloud storage to a larger plan if you are running out.

Any questions?

Do you have any questions about what Optimized Storage is or how to use the tools? Let me know and I'll help you out.

Updated December 2019: Updated for macOS Catalina.

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Photos Library On Mac Using Too Much Space Windows 10

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