What Happens If I Delete Photo Library On Mac

What Happens If I Delete Photo Library On Mac 4,3/5 1578 votes

Feb 21, 2020  Mostly, according to Apple's support community, when you delete the iPhoto Library from Mac, the chance to restore photos from the Trash is very small. Here are two methods that you can follow and restore deleted iPhoto Library with photos on Mac. Recover deleted iPhoto Library photos on Mac without Time Machine. Added: After you delete the Photos Library from your Mac you can only access the photos in iCloud using the web interface and the Photos.app on the www.icloud.com page. You cannot access iCloud Photo Library using Photos on your Mac, unless you make a photos library on an external drive your System Photos Lib.

Apple’s Photos is a neat built-in application that lets you do more than just view photos on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac. With the Apple-exclusive app, you can organize, share, and edit your photos. It can also be integrated into your iCloud photo library, so you can access your photos on any of your other Apple devices as long as you have an Internet connection.

Despite being pretty straightforward and user-friendly, the Photos app has one known issue that leaves a lot of iOS users baffled (and you probably encountered it, too, that is probably why you’re here), that is the greyed out Trash icon. If you’ve been trying to delete a photo or video from the Photos app but the Trash icon is greyed out and cannot be tapped, the only solution you have is to go to a longer route and the problem typically happens when a user syncs their device to the iTunes.

But First, Back Up

Export pictures to external drive. To be able to delete photos and videos on your iOS device, you’ll need to erase the contents of your iOS Photos library, but not without backing up first. Follow the steps and learn how to delete photos on your Mac to get rid of this iOS-specific problem.

The most common way of backing up photos in your Mac device is by syncing it with your iTunes. You can even do it on a Windows PC, too. However, if your iTunes is updated and you are encountering the problem, the sync might actually be the very reason why the Trash icon is greyed out. This is because something might have gotten stuck in the process. What you need to do is use the iPhoto or the Image Capture to back up all of your multimedia items.

Deleting iOS Photos Through iTunes in Mac

In this method, you will replace the library on your iOS device with iTunes. Essentially, you will delete photos from Mac that is why you must back up in case something happens in the process resulting in a loss.

Once you are sure you have backed up every photo or video you hold dearly, do the following steps:

  1. Connect your iOS device to iTunes on your Mac by plugging it in via USB.
  2. Authorize your mobile device when prompted.
  3. Select your mobile device from iTunes.
  4. Go to the Settings navigation bar.
  5. Click on Photos.
  6. Tick off “Sync Photos”, then click Apply.
  7. You’ll be told that the library on your mobile device will be replaced. Click on Agree.

To prevent the Trash icon from greying out, it’s best if you stop iTunes from automatically syncing your photos. To do this, uncheck Sync Photos and then click Apply. You can now check if the Trash icon is back on your iOS Photos app.

Apple has drastically upgraded their camera capabilities over the years, and they're now able to shoot in high-definition. So, that means users are able to capture all of their memories in the very best quality; memories that people would never, ever want to lose. That's why we're going to teach you how to turn off iCloud Photo Library without risking your images. Go on with the article to find what can help you.

Turn off iCloud Photo Library without Deleting Photos iPhone

Firstly, you want to head to your Settings app, and then click through 'Your Name > iCloud > Photos' and then tap 'iCloud Photo Library' to switch it off. You'll then receive a prompt along with a short explanation and two options – Remove from iPhone or Download Photos & Video. You'll need to select Download Photos & Video.

If you do select Download Photos & Video, you need to be aware that everything within your iCloud Photo Library will be downloaded to your local iPhone storage. That means you need to check whether you have adequate storage space beforehand, otherwise the download will fail due to insufficient storage.

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Turn off iCloud Photo Library without Deleting Photos Mac

Now, if you're a Mac user, the process is slightly different. So, if you've already been storing all of your images on your Mac, you'll just need to make sure everything is synced.

What Happens If I Delete Photo Library On Mac Desktop

  • Hop into Photos on your Mac, select Photos, hit Preferences and then click on the iCloud tab.
  • Make sure the iCloud Photo Library and the Download Originals to this Mac are selected, then all your photos will appear on your Mac.

Alternatively, if you previously had Optimize Mac Store selected, you'll need to make changes:

What Happens If I Delete Photos Library Mac

  • Uncheck Optimize Mac Store, and select Download Originals to this Mac, then wait for the procedure to complete.
  • Once everything is synced, uncheck iCloud Photo Library in preferences to finish.

Whether you opt to turn iCloud Photo Library off on your iPhone or your Mac, it's suggested you export photos or make a backup first, to protect yourself against any potential data loss. Don't worry, though, it's extremely easy.

Export iPhone Photos before Turning off iCloud Photo Library

You'll need an external software, and the one we highly recommend is iMyFone D-Port. Why? Well, because it allows you to export all of your iPhone photos to computer as a backup. Plus, it has some other distinct advantages:

Key Features:

  • Besides photos, it can export 18+ types of files from your iPhone, such as notes, voice memos, videos and more.
  • It can back up all data on your device or selectively backup various types of data from your iPhone, For Free.
  • You can edit the files from the export for future use. For example you can print your text messages.
  • It is compatible with all iPhone models and iOS versions, including iPhone X running iOS 11.4.

How to Export iPhone Photos before Turning Off iCloud Photo Library?

Here's how simple it is to operate:

  • Enter the software and connect your iPhone with it, and on the left you'll see 'Back Up & Export from Device'. Hit that, then select 'Export Data'.

What Happens If I Delete Photo Library On Mac Download

  • On the next screen, you can select which type of data you want to export. Photos or any other types of data? It depends on your need.
  • Once the scan has been complete, you can choose which files you want, then just click 'Export'.

These photos will be stored on your computer safely and you can turn off iCloud Photo Library without deleting photos. You can also back up all your iPhone data with the program in case you need the data in future.

There you have it; multiple ways to deal with the iCloud Photo Library situation without losing any of your valuable photos. Don't forget that to export your photos or back up your iPhone data with iMyFone D-Port in case any data loss.

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