Change preferences in Photos on Mac

To change preferences in the Photos app on your Mac, choose Photos > Preferences, then click the General or iCloud button at the top of the preferences window. Learn how to use Photos.

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General preferences

In the General pane, you can change basic Photos preferences. For example, you can have videos and Live Photos play automatically, select whether imported items are copied into your library, select whether GPS information is included with photos and more.

Option				Description
Library Location				Show in Finder: View the location of your Photos library in the Finder. Use as System Photo Library: Use the currently open library as your System Photo Library (which allows you to use it with iCloud Photos). See System Photo Library overview and Create additional photo libraries.
Photos				Autoplay Video and Live Photos: Set videos and Live Photos to play automatically when opened or when the pointer is placed over them.
Memories				Show Holiday Events: Include groups of holiday photos as memories. Show Memories Notification: Display a notification when a new memory is available. Reset Suggested Memories: Reset all types of memories to appear if you have set Photos to show fewer memories of certain types. Reset Suggested People: Reset people suggestions to show all people if you have chosen to show fewer photos of certain people.
Importing				Copy items to the Photos library: Allow Photos to store all imported photo and video files in the Photos library. To leave imported items in their current location outside of the library, deselect this tickbox. If photos are stored outside the library, they aren’t automatically uploaded to iCloud Photos and available on all your devices. You must manually back them up to safe storage locations.
Sharing				Include location information: Include location information that’s embedded in photos taken by a GPS-enabled camera (including iPhone) when sharing or exporting the photos. Memories: Choose an orientation and aspect ratio for your shared memories.
HDR				Use the HDR capability of your display: Show the full dynamic range of your photos on an Apple Pro Display XDR. This option appears only when an Apple Pro Display XDR is connected to your Mac.

iCloud preferences

Use iCloud preferences to turn on iCloud Photos and choose storage options. Learn how to use iCloud Photos.

Option	Description
iCloud Photos	Select to allow photos and videos to be uploaded to iCloud and transferred to your other Mac computers and devices where iCloud Photos is turned on and you’re signed in with the same Apple ID. Download Originals to this Mac: Store the original, full-resolution photos both on your Mac and in iCloud. Optimise Mac Storage: Save space on your Mac by storing full-resolution originals in iCloud and keeping smaller versions on the computer when needed. Note: If Optimize Mac Storage is selected and you’re running low on storage space, Live Photos are stored on your computer as still images. However, when you open a Live Photo, the entire photo plays as usual. See Use iCloud Photos to store photos.
Shared Albums	Share albums with others and subscribe to albums that others share with you. You can select photos and share them with friends and family; people you share with can view the photos, make comments and even add photos of their own. See What are shared albums in Photos on Mac?

Option

Description

iCloud Photos

Select to allow photos and videos to be uploaded to iCloud and transferred to your other Mac computers and devices where iCloud Photos is turned on and you’re signed in with the same Apple ID.

Download Originals to this Mac: Store the original, full-resolution photos both on your Mac and in iCloud.
Optimise Mac Storage: Save space on your Mac by storing full-resolution originals in iCloud and keeping smaller versions on the computer when needed.

Note: If Optimize Mac Storage is selected and you’re running low on storage space, Live Photos are stored on your computer as still images. However, when you open a Live Photo, the entire photo plays as usual.

See Use iCloud Photos to store photos.

Shared Albums

Share albums with others and subscribe to albums that others share with you. You can select photos and share them with friends and family; people you share with can view the photos, make comments and even add photos of their own. See What are shared albums in Photos on Mac?

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Photos User Guide

Change preferences in Photos on Mac

General preferences

iCloud preferences