how to move photos from DOWNLOADS to PHOTOS

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rshalf Author

Level 1

23 points

how to move photos from DOWNLOADS to PHOTOS

It should be a simple select and drag and drop, but it won't work. What am I doing wrong?

MacBook Pro 13", macOS 10.15

Posted on Apr 20, 2020 9:38 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

rshalf Author

Level 1

23 points

Apr 20, 2020 11:07 AM in response to Old Toad

Yes, that is what I was doing that didn't work. But then I got the bright idea to restart the computer. Guess What. It all worked as it should.

I cannot find My Photo Stream. I searched in photos, on desktop, in this mac. Doesn't show up. It sounds like if I can find it, it will be the best solution.

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Answer 2

Old Toad

Level 10

210,591 points

Apr 20, 2020 9:43 AM in response to rshalf

What system and Photos versions are you running?

How are you trying to import the image files from the Downloads folder into your Photos library? What is your workflow?

Where are they being downloaded from?

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Answer 3

rshalf Author

Level 1

23 points

Apr 20, 2020 9:54 AM in response to rshalf

I am using MacOs 10.15.3.

Photos Version 5.0 (131.17.170)

I took the photos with my iPhone 7. Then I used airdrop to transfer them to my MacBook Pro 2019. They did not end up in my photos library; they went to my download folder, which is annoying. So I selected them all and tried to drag and drop them into photos. If they are in photos library based on when I took them, and that sometimes happens, I took them in the past 3 days, so they should show up, and they don't.

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Answer 4

léonie

Level 10

197,291 points

Apr 20, 2020 10:13 AM in response to rshalf

it will depend on how you drag the photos to Photos. If you drag a photo into the open Photos window, while the Recently Deleted Album is selected in the sidebar, the import will not work. But when you drag the photos into an open album you created yourself, the photos will be imported and added to the album. You can also drag directly into the sidebar, below "My Albums" and Photos will create a new album.

You should be seeing the dragged photos also in the "Imports" albums, independent of the date, when you took them.

As a test, open the "Photos > All Photos" album, then type the filename of one of the dragged photos into the search field. Can photos find the photo for you?

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Answer 5

Old Toad

Level 10

210,591 points

Apr 20, 2020 10:29 AM in response to rshalf

If you want to automatically have photos taken on your iPhone imported into your Photos library on your MBP turn on "My Photo Stream" on both devices. Then when you take new photos on the iPhone and then next time both devices are on WiFi the photos will be imported into the MBP's library and show up in the Import view as well as the My Photo Stream view.

Are you dragging the image files from the Downloads folder onto the Photos icon in the Dock?

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Answer 6

rshalf Author

Level 1

23 points

Apr 20, 2020 11:21 AM in response to rshalf

I looked online. I followed directions. Go to photos, view albums, look for My Photo Stream. There is nothing called My Photo Stream on my MacBook Pro! There is My Photo Stream on my iPhone 7. Odd. Maybe I need to restart my computer again....

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Answer 7

rshalf Author

Level 1

23 points

Apr 20, 2020 1:57 PM in response to Old Toad

Aha!! I have to tell you, I HATE iCloud. It jumbles stuff on both of our computers, so I just don't use it anymore. I know it is Neanderthal but that's the ways I deal with such things. I will live without my photo stream and just do the other stuff you told me about. It works fine that way. Thanks so much for your help!

Rosie

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Answer 8

Old Toad

Level 10

210,591 points

Apr 20, 2020 2:17 PM in response to rshalf

My Photo Stream only works for those devices that are signed in to the same Apple ID. Do you and your wife have separate Apple IDs for your iPhones and user accounts on the Mac? Or do you both use the same user account and library on the Mac?

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Answer 9

Old Toad

Level 10

210,591 points

Apr 20, 2020 11:25 AM in response to rshalf

You have to enable My Photo Stream in the Photos/iCloud preference pane.

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Answer 10

rshalf Author

Level 1

23 points

Apr 20, 2020 9:55 AM in response to rshalf

Did I reply to Old Toad correctly? Did he get this?

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Answer 11

rshalf Author

Level 1

23 points

Apr 20, 2020 11:09 AM in response to rshalf

found My photo stream on my iPhone.

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Answer 12

rshalf Author

Level 1

23 points

Apr 20, 2020 11:11 AM in response to rshalf

Cannot find My Photo Stream on my MacBook Pro. Where do I look?

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Answer 13

rshalf Author

Level 1

23 points

Apr 20, 2020 11:13 AM in response to léonie

I did drag from downloads to photos app in the dock and it didn't work UNTIL I restarted my computer. Then it all worked as it was supposed to. Lesson learned.

Thanks

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how to move photos from DOWNLOADS to PHOTOS

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