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Photos 7.0 is missing "Library" icon in sidebar

The marketing for Photos shows a "Library" icon in the left sidebar, example here:

macOS - Photos - Apple


However, on my system (Monterey), there is no "Library" icon, just Memories, People, Places, Recents, Imports, and Recently Deleted (plus the other sections called Albums and Projects)



Is there a way to get the "Library" view back?


Thanks in advance for any advice.

Posted on Oct 7, 2022 4:27 PM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Oct 11, 2022 3:02 PM

Thanks everyone. It is fixed now.


If anyone else finds this, I'm running a 2012 Mac Mini with Open Core Legacy Patcher. After installing the most recent release of the patcher, plus the "Post Install Root Patch" and restarting, the "Library" icon is back, so the problem is resolved.

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Oct 11, 2022 3:02 PM in response to djz2004

Thanks everyone. It is fixed now.


If anyone else finds this, I'm running a 2012 Mac Mini with Open Core Legacy Patcher. After installing the most recent release of the patcher, plus the "Post Install Root Patch" and restarting, the "Library" icon is back, so the problem is resolved.

Oct 9, 2022 10:58 AM in response to djz2004

Which Mac model are you using? Is it it an older iMac?


The "Library" item will be missing, if the Mac has been launched in Safe Mode, when starting up the Mac. Safe Mode is disabling the advanced features of the Graphics Card, and then Library views are not available. See: Photos on Catalina: If the Photos View vanishes from the sidebar, check if the Mac is in Safe Mode - Apple Community


You can try two things:

If the Mac is not in Safe Mode, but the Photos item is still missing, try to reset the NVRAM. It helped in a similar case as pointed out by user travellerva:

Viewing 'Photos' by year on Catalina - Apple Community



If the problem persists, there might be a problem with the graphics card of your Mac.







Oct 9, 2022 9:51 AM in response to djz2004

Hello djz2004,


Thanks for posting in the Apple Support Communities.


We see you're looking to have Library appear as shown in the link provided, right?


If you haven't checked for a macOS update, let's confirm the most recent version is installed to see if that may bring this option up. If an update is available, be sure to back up your Mac. For assistance with these steps, take a look here: Update macOS on Mac - Apple Support


1. Before continuing, it's a good idea to back up your Mac.

2. From the Apple menu  in the corner of your screen, choose System Preferences.

3. Click Software Update in the System Preferences window. Can't find Software Update?

4. Software Update now checks for new software.

• If Software Update finds new software, click Update Now or Upgrade Now to install. You might be asked to restart or enter an administrator password.

• If Software Update says that your Mac is up to date, then no new software is currently available for your Mac model.


If you have the latest version of macOS Monterey installed, let us know if you use different libraries with the Photos app. In addition, let us know if you use iCloud Photos on your Mac, or if you sync the photos a different way. Try a restart if you haven't as well. While this may seem like a simple step, it can clear up unexpected occurrences, so let us know if that changes anything.


Have a great day!

Photos 7.0 is missing "Library" icon in sidebar

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