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Photos won´t launch recognizing faces (Macbook pro/Catalina)

I keep my photos library on an external HD. I have never spent much time with the app on ( just sync / backup) and then the HD out. I have noticed recently that there is no face recognition in m library at all (" 0 photos scanned"); if I click on the show album/faces he just shows 3 pictures I marked myself on manually.


For the last few days I have been trying to keep the external HD connected, with the Mac on, Photos app on (and off). I did repair the library too, which took like 3 days ( 270 Gb of pics and videos).

Nothing seems to change anything.

In the Mac activity tracking there is a certain activity of photoanalysisd ( I guess it means the library is working somehow).


The date of the last change of the photos library file seems to be stuck too, even though I have opened it since (slow as always, but works) , normally sync it with my Iphone pictures ( even today), but the date the file was last changed stays stuck on a date 2 months ago. Not sure if it is of any significance.


My photos app on the Iphone ( XS, last iOS update) seems ok with 15 recognized people but won´t launch recognizing the 16th one, not sure if it´s normal or not.


Do you have any suggestions how can I "kick" my photos on Myc or Iphone to launch recognizing faces ? Connect the external HD with the photos app off (or on ?) and wait for weeks ?


Thanks in advance, P



MacBook Pro 13″, macOS 10.15

Posted on Nov 27, 2020 7:16 AM

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Posted on Nov 27, 2020 10:58 AM

Photos on Catalina is rarely updating the "Date modified" for the Photos Library. That is normal.


The face recognition may hang, if you are having videos or photos in your library, that are not compatible with Catalina. Do you have itwéms in your library that have been imported a long time ago, when macOS X supported different video codecs or image formats? Such older "legacy" items may now be blocking the image analysis. Check, if you are having items in your library, that are listed as legacy items here: About legacy media in iMovie for macOS - Apple Support



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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Nov 27, 2020 10:58 AM in response to pawel268

Photos on Catalina is rarely updating the "Date modified" for the Photos Library. That is normal.


The face recognition may hang, if you are having videos or photos in your library, that are not compatible with Catalina. Do you have itwéms in your library that have been imported a long time ago, when macOS X supported different video codecs or image formats? Such older "legacy" items may now be blocking the image analysis. Check, if you are having items in your library, that are listed as legacy items here: About legacy media in iMovie for macOS - Apple Support



Photos won´t launch recognizing faces (Macbook pro/Catalina)

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