How to Move Your Apple Photos Library to an External Hard Drive
Apple Photos libraries can grow fast — especially if you shoot photos, videos, or use iCloud Photos across multiple devices.
If your Mac is running out of space or you’re migrating to a new computer, moving your Photos library to an external hard drive is a smart move. But there are a few important steps you need to understand first — especially if your library uses iCloud Photos or contains referenced files.
This guide walks through the safe and correct way to move Apple Photos libraries without breaking anything.
🎓 What You’ll Learn
• How to locate Apple Photos libraries on your Mac
• How to rename libraries safely
• Why referenced photos matter before moving libraries
• How to consolidate files into your Photos library
• How to move Photos libraries to an external drive
• How to verify iCloud Photos after moving
• When third-party tools can help
• How to repair a Photos library if needed
📂 Finding Your Apple Photos Library
By default, Apple Photos stores its library in your Pictures folder.
You can locate it by:
• Opening Photos → Preferences → General → Show in Finder
• Searching Finder for .photoslibrary
• Holding Option while launching Photos to view all libraries
This is especially useful if you’ve accidentally created multiple libraries over time.
✏️ Renaming Photo Libraries
Renaming a Photos library is completely safe.
You can:
• Click once on the library file
• Press Return
• Rename it to something more descriptive
Renaming does not affect iCloud syncing, system library status, or photo data.
📦 Why Move a Photos Library
Common reasons include:
• Freeing up storage on your Mac
• Moving to a new Mac
• Keeping large photo libraries on external storage
• Separating work and personal libraries
The process is the same regardless of the reason — but preparation matters.
🔗 Understanding Referenced Photos
Referenced photos are files that live outside the Photos library.
This usually happens when:
• “Copy items to Photos library” is disabled
• Photos are imported from folders without copying
If you move a Photos library without consolidating referenced files, those photos can become missing.
🧭 Finding Referenced Files
You can identify referenced photos in two ways:
• Manually, using File → Show Referenced File in Finder
• Automatically, using a Smart Album
Create a Smart Album with the rule:
• Photo → Is → Referenced
This instantly shows all photos that need consolidation.
📥 Consolidating Photos Before Moving
Once referenced photos are identified:
• Select them
• Choose File → Consolidate
This copies those files into the Photos library so everything is self-contained — critical before moving the library.
💾 Moving the Photos Library to an External Drive
After consolidation:
1. Quit Photos
2. Drag the .photoslibrary file to your external drive
3. Double-click the library from the new location to open it
If you use iCloud Photos, you’ll need to re-designate it as the System Photo Library.
☁️ Verifying iCloud Photos
After moving:
• Open Photos → Preferences → iCloud
• Confirm iCloud Photos is enabled
• Choose Download Originals if storage allows
Sign in to iCloud.com to verify new photos are syncing properly.
🧰 Third-Party Library Tools
Some users prefer third-party apps like PowerPhotos.
These tools can:
• Move libraries
• Merge libraries
• Find duplicates
They’re optional — dragging the library manually works just fine for most users.
🛠️ Repairing a Photos Library
If a library won’t open or behaves oddly:
1. Quit Photos
2. Hold Option + Command
3. Launch Photos
4. Choose Repair Library
This can fix database and indexing issues.