7 Apple Photos Features on Mac You Should Be Using

Sometimes new features appear in our most-used apps, and we simply miss them. In Apple Photos on Mac, you can do everything from viewing duplicates to locking hidden photos to removing a background from an image. Let's take a look at several features of this useful Mac app that you should be using.

1. Manage duplicate photos

with macOS is comingApple has introduced a feature that lets you locate duplicate photos. This is convenient for freeing up storage space. You may have ended up with duplicate photos after taking a series of photos, manually capturing multiple photos, or having different file formats. Follow the steps below to manage duplicate photos.

1. Open the photos and select "Repetitions" In the sidebar on the left. If you don't see this option, it means the images didn't detect any duplicates.
   
2. Duplicate photos will appear on the right, sorted by date. You can use the drop-down arrow. Filter by Top left to view photos or videos only if you want.
   
3. You can view the size, file name, and file format for each image. This can be helpful when deciding which one to keep. Again, duplicates don't have to be exact copies—they can also include images that look similar but have slight differences.
   
4. Photos also gives you the option to merge photos instead of manually deleting the ones you don't want. When you merge duplicates, the Photos app keeps one version. “Combines the highest levels of quality and relevant data.”.Select “Merge X items” In blue over a set of duplicates.
   
5. Confirm this action in the pop-up window by clicking Merge X elements Or Merge X duplicates.Then the duplicates you merge disappear from this section, and you can view the saved image in its original location.
   
6. If you prefer, you can also delete a duplicate manually. Right-click on the image, select “Delete one photo” , then confirm by choosing "delete".
   

FYI: If this is Duplicate files on Mac Which you are trying to find and eliminate, this guide can help you.

2. Copy and paste the modifications.

Another useful feature in the Photos app is the ability to copy edits from one image and paste them into another. This is useful when you have multiple images where you want the same brightness, contrast, or noise reduction.

Note: You cannot copy and paste edits for third-party extensions, retouching tools, red eye, or cropping.

1. Double-click the image you want to edit and select "Release" in the upper right.
   
2. Make your changes using the editing tools in the photo editor on the right side. When you're finished, select "It was completed".
   
3. With the entire image still displayed in the Photos window, right-click on “Copy modifications” or select “Image -> Copy Edits” From the menu bar.
   
4. Select the image you want to apply the same adjustments to and double-click to open it in full view mode.
   
5. Right click and select “Paste the changes” or select Image -> Paste Edits From the menu bar. You'll see the same adjustments on the second image.
   

3. Remove background image

You may have a blurry background or a distracting background. With Apple's macOS Ventura update, you can remove the background from an image in the Photos app on your Mac, then paste the subject of your image into another app, such as Notes, Mail, or Messages. Remove the background with the instructions below.

1. Double click on Image So that it is in full view mode in the Photos app window.
   
2. Right click on the image and click "Copy the topic." You will see a subtle white outline moving around the subject in your image.
   
3. Go to the location where you want to paste the image. Use Command + V , Locate Edit -> Paste In the menu bar, or use the app's Paste option. You'll see your image's subject pasted into that location.
   

4. Lock hidden or deleted photos

You may have some Photos you want to keep safe And hidden away from other photos on your computer. Additionally, you may want to keep your deleted photos private. You can lock both and then access them only with a password or Touch ID.

1. To enable the feature, open Photos and select “Photos -> Settings” in the menu bar.
   
2. Go to the tab "general" Check the box in the Privacy section for Use Touch ID or password , then close Settings.
   
3. From now on, when you select "hidden" Or “Recently deleted” In the Photos app sidebar, you'll be prompted to enter your password or use Touch ID to view the folder.
   
4. Folders remain open until you close and reopen the Photos app. You can also select the unlocked lock icon next to one or both folders to lock them again.
   

5. Create a smart album

Smart albums in the Photos app work like smart folders in the Finder and smart playlists in Music. You can set criteria, and whenever a photo's conditions are met, it appears in a smart album for easy access.

1. With the images open, select “File -> New Smart Album” From the menu bar.
   
2. In the pop-up window, enter a name for your album, and then click "OK".
   
3. Set the first condition, starting with the item type in the first drop-down box. This can be an image, a person, the date added, a camera model, etc.
   
4. To the right, complete the additional fields that appear, to complete the sequence of what you are searching for. For example, you can choose "picture" و "Do" و "selfie" As shown below.
   
5. You'll see the number of items that match your status in the bottom left. Select "OK" To save the smart album, use the plus sign on the right to add another condition, then select "OK" When you finish.
   

You can find the new Smart Album in the Albums section of the sidebar. Any time photos that meet your criteria are added to the app, they'll automatically be added to the Smart Album. It's a great way to keep track of photos taken in a specific location, by specific people, and more.

Tip: Learn how to use Live Text with photos and videos on your Mac.

6. Recognize people in photos

If you like using the People album in Photos to quickly view photos of your family or friends, you may notice that some photos are missing. While Photos does a good job of identifying people in your photos, it's not perfect. Fortunately, you can manually assign names to people so they appear in the People album.

1. Double-click on a photo with someone you want to tag, then select “View -> Show Face Names” in the menu bar.
   
2. Hover the pointer over a person's face in the photo, and you'll see a circle appear around their face.
3. Locate "Without a name" Below that circle, enter the person's name, and then tap "Back". If it's already in your People album, you should see a suggestion below that you can simply tap to assign the name.

By manually naming people in the Photos app, you can ensure that you never miss a photo of them in your People album.

7. Benefit from research

You may not realize it, but the Photos app offers a powerful search feature. When you're trying to find a photo, you don't have to know the exact details or metadata to find it. Using dates, locations, or categories, you can search and narrow down your results to find what you need.

1. Start by entering a search term or keyword into the search bar at the top of the images window.
   
2. Use the suggestions that appear to narrow down your results.
   
3. With each suggestion you select, you'll see fewer images that match your keywords. To remove a suggestion you've added, press the Delete key.
   
4. Eventually, you should be able to find the image you were looking for from just a few results.
   

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. Where are the photo preferences located on Mac?
answer. Until macOS Ventura, photo settings were found in “Photo Preferences”The name has been changed to . “Photo Settings” , similar to System Preferences and change it to "System settings".

To access the Photos app settings on your Mac, open the app, choose "Pictures" From the menu bar, select "Settings".

Q2. How do I find the photos I downloaded to my Mac?
answer. When you download an image from the internet, it doesn't automatically appear in the Photos app. You can find these images in your Downloads folder.

While the Finder is active, select Go -> Downloads From the menu bar. You will then see all the images you have downloaded to this folder.

Note: If you changed the default downloads folder, you'll need to open it instead.

Q3. Are these features available in the Photos app on iPhone?
answer. All of the above features are also available for Apple Photos on Mac in the iPhone app, except for Smart Albums. While the steps for performing other tasks are slightly different due to mobile versus desktop, you can still use them for the same purpose.