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Finder and Pictures

Within the Pictures folder in Finder is my Photos Library as well. Is it safe and okay to drag my Photos Library out of the Pictures Folder? I want to have the Pictures Folder be automatically synched to a cloud storage program, but do not want to include my Photos Library. If it's safe to drag it out of the folder. where do I move it to?

MacBook Pro Retina

Posted on May 23, 2021 6:10 AM

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Posted on May 23, 2021 9:11 AM

I would not move the library out of the pictures folder. It is the correct location to store the library, and moving it can cause issues.


Further, you should not (must not) sync the library with a cloud storage system - except for iCloud photos which is designed specially for that purpose. You risk damaging your library and losing access to your images if you do.


My suggestion would be to create a different folder - eg called "synced pictures" and put everything out of pictures (except your photos library) into that, then sync that folder with your cloud system.

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

May 23, 2021 9:11 AM in response to dennyup

I would not move the library out of the pictures folder. It is the correct location to store the library, and moving it can cause issues.


Further, you should not (must not) sync the library with a cloud storage system - except for iCloud photos which is designed specially for that purpose. You risk damaging your library and losing access to your images if you do.


My suggestion would be to create a different folder - eg called "synced pictures" and put everything out of pictures (except your photos library) into that, then sync that folder with your cloud system.

May 23, 2021 10:11 AM in response to dennyup

It's OK to move the Photos library out of the Pictures folder. There's no reason you can't put it in the Documents folder.


Tony is right about Photo libraries and online storage (except for iCloud Library). Their servers don't have the correct format to keep the library's complex ecosystem of hard links and permissions intact.


Finder and Pictures

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