How to Move Your Photos Library to a New Mac

A precise guide to migrating your Photos library to a new Mac using an external drive or network transfer to ensure all metadata and edits remain intact.

  1. Quit the Photos application. Ensure the Photos app is completely closed on your source Mac. Click Photos in the menu bar and select Quit Photos, or press Command-Q.
  2. Find the Photos library file. Open Finder and navigate to your Pictures folder in the sidebar. Locate the file named Photos Library.photoslibrary.
  3. Copy the library to the external drive. Connect your external drive to the source Mac. Drag the Photos Library.photoslibrary file from your Pictures folder to the external drive icon in Finder. Wait for the copy process to complete entirely before disconnecting the drive.
  4. Move the library to the new Mac. Disconnect the drive from the source Mac and connect it to your new Mac. Open a new Finder window and drag the Photos Library.photoslibrary file from the external drive to the Pictures folder on your new Mac.
  5. Open the library in Photos. Hold the Option key and click the Photos icon in the Dock. When prompted, select Choose Library, navigate to the Pictures folder on the new Mac, and select the Photos Library.photoslibrary file you just moved.

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