Fat Cat Software

PowerPhotos Help

Release Notes

Version 2.1.7 (released 2/13/2023)

  • Fixed a bug where the "Stats" calculations wouldn't update when manually changing keepers in the duplicate browser.
  • Work around errors reported by Photos trying to fetch images during duplicate analysis.
  • Fixed an issue that could cause a duplicate search or merge to stall part way through its duplicate analysis phase.
  • If manual changes have been made to keepers in the duplicate browser and the user selects a new rule to auto choose keepers, we now present a confirmation dialog before discarding the manual changes in favor of the new auto chosen keepers.
  • Fixed a crash that could occur while analyzing duplicates.
  • Fixed a hang that could occur when dropping photos or folders into the photo browser.

Version 2.1.6 (released 1/28/2023)

  • Fix a crash that could happen in certain cases after reloading a library.
  • Fix crash when selecting File > Add Library.

Version 2.1.5 (released 1/24/2023)

  • Fixed a crash selecting "Migrate iPhoto Libraries" after errors had occurred on previous migration attempts.
  • Fixed a crash after cancelling duplicate photo deletion.
  • Fixed a crash that could occur shortly after deleting a batch of photos.
  • We now show a progress indicator instead of hanging for albums that will take a long time to load and/or sort.

Version 2.1.4 (released 1/11/2023)

  • Fixed a crash that would occur after clicking "Don't Allow" when manually deleting photos from a library.
  • Fixed a bug that would produce errors when trying to export photos.
  • Fixed a bug where a duplicate search or merge could stall part way through.

Version 2.1.3 (released 1/5/2023)

  • When a missing referenced photo is selected, the info pane will now show the last know path for the photo instead of just displaying "Missing".
  • Made some adjustments to improve recognition of certain duplicate photos.
  • Fixed a bug where exported photos would have their modification dates adjusted for time zone when they shouldn't.
  • The Contact Support window now correctly shows an error message when trying to submit a request with missing info.
  • Fixed an issue where too much memory could be taken up during duplicate analysis of certain large libraries.

Version 2.1.2 (released 12/14/2022)

  • Made some performance improvements when merging libraries with a lot of large albums.
  • Added a new page to the documentation describing strategies for backing up your photo libraries.
  • Added a workaround for errors that would be returned by Photos when trying to copy a photo or video that was missing its file extension.
  • Changed the "Copy edited JPGs" preference to say "Copy edited version" since editing can produce HEIC or video files and not just JPGs. (no behavior change, just wording)
  • Fixed an issue that could cause PowerPhotos to take a long time to load a library upon launch.
  • Sorting photos by title now falls back to sort by filename for photos that have no title.

Version 2.1.1 (released 11/18/2022)

  • Removed redundant confirmation dialogs when deleting photos.
  • When dragging photos or albums from a separate library window to the main window, we now bring the main window to the front to show copying progress.
  • Control-clicking on an unselected album in the album list now exports the clicked album instead of the selected album.
  • Fixed a crash selecting the "Migrate iPhoto Libraries" menu item after having certain migration errors occur in a previous migration attempt.
  • You can now choose a new duplicate rule to auto choose keepers without needing to wait until the previous one has finished.
  • Fixed a bug where a spurious error dialog would be displayed after selecting the "Import Photos" menu item.
  • Libraries created on macOS Ventura no longer need to go through a short upgrade process when first opened in Photos.

Version 2.1 (released 10/24/2022)

  • PowerPhotos now officially supports macOS 13.0 Ventura. Check the updated documentation in the Help menu for information on how PowerPhotos interacts with the new iCloud Shared Photo Library feature of Photos.

Version 2.0.8 (released 10/18/2022)

  • Fixed a crash on some systems when choosing the "Migrate iPhoto Libraries" menu item
  • The Preferences window is now titled "Settings" when running on macOS Ventura
  • Fixed a crash when scrolling through the photo browser in certain libraries
  • Fixed a bug on macOS Ventura where the info pane title would read "(null) Library Information" when a library is selected.
  • Fixed a bug where the add library toolbar button would be disabled on macOS Ventura

Version 2.0.7 (released 10/5/2022)

  • Fixed a bug where PowerPhotos would claim that a library was still being used in a merge even after the merge had completed.
  • Removed the option to rename libraries on disk, as it could cause hanging/display issues on macOS Monterey.
  • Fixed a "IPEvaluateDuplicateRulesOperation.Type has not been run yet" error that would be shown when trying to use a "Live Photos is true/false" duplicate rule.
  • Fixed an error that would be displayed try to open a library when the current active Photos library is missing.
  • When merging into a new library, we now select the newly merged library in the library list after the merge finishes.

Version 2.0.6 (released 9/14/2022)

  • Fixed an error that could occur when doing a duplicate search in a library that had an item of unknown type (i.e. neither a photo nor a video)
  • Fixed a bug where some duplicates would not be found when running a new search after a previous search that halted due to a crash.
  • We now show "RAW + JPEG" in the Kind field in the info pane and photo browser for RAW + JPEG photos.
  • Fixed a bug in merge setup where selecting a library then returning to the merge setup screen would cause the destination library to no longer be displayed.
  • Fixed a bug where exporting videos with the "unmodified original" setting would sometimes export the edited video instead.
  • Fixed a bug where the manual ordering of photos would not be preserved when copying some albums.
  • Fixed a "An error occured parsing the provided SQL statement." error that could occur when trying to import photos with metadata comparison options enabled for duplicate matching.
  • When importing from the Finder into PowerPhotos, RAW + JPEG pairs are now combined into a single photo instead of being imported as separate photos.
  • When exporting unmodified originals for RAW + JPG photos, we now export both the RAW and JPG versions.

Version 2.0.5 (released 8/29/2022)

  • Fixed a performance issue where PowerPhotos would sometimes not use its cached duplicate analysis data.
  • When viewing duplicates during a merge preview, the duplicate group headers now read "to skip" instead of "to trash", since no photos actually get deleted during a merge.
  • Simplified logging output during duplicate rule evaluation.
  • Improved progress updating during duplicate searches with one or more metadata comparison options selected.
  • Fixed a bug where the view mode and search toolbar items could get disabled incorrectly.
  • Exporting unmodified originals now always keeps the original file extension intact, e.g. not replacing "jpg" with "jpeg"
  • Fixed a "could not find next result row" error that could occur when perform a duplicate search on certain libraries
  • Fixed a performance issue where PowerPhotos could end up performing redundant searches when matching duplicates.
  • Fixed a bug that could cause an error to occur when using the "Copy edited JPGs" preference setting.
  • Fixed a bug where libraries already in PowerPhotos would be shown in search results when using the "Add Library" menu item from a library group.
  • Fixed a bug where the photo inspector would sometimes show "iCloud" for a photo path when the library was not configured to sync with iCloud.
  • Fixed a crash that could occur after reloading a library after it was modified.

Version 2.0.4 (released 8/4/2022)

  • Fixed a bug that would cause the main window not to display correctly when running on Big Sur.

Version 2.0.3 (released 8/1/2022)

  • Fixed a bug where importing a folder with a period in the name would truncate the created album's name after the period.
  • Improved updates to the progress bar during the early stages of a photo copy/merge so it doesn't appear to be stuck.
  • Added photo dimensions as an option for displaying as a subtitle or list column in the photo and duplicate browsers.
  • The remove library toolbar item is now disabled when something other than a library is not selected in the sidebar
  • We now use the term "Caption" instead of "Description" more consistently throughout the UI to match Apple's terminology.
  • Fixed a crash that could occur when importing photos from the Finder into a library.

Version 2.0.2 (released 7/13/2022)

  • Fixed a bug where dragging an iPhoto library into the library list would still add it even after displaying a message saying that it instead needs to be migrated to Photos.
  • Improved cancellation responsiveness during the latter stages of a duplicate search.
  • Fixed a bug where the support attachments window would not accept files dragged from the Finder
  • Fixed a bug where the same set of duplicate photos would be shown multiple times in the duplicate browser
  • Fixed a bug where Finder creation dates set on export would be offset by the user's time zone
  • Improved progress message while evaluating duplicates during a merge to clarify that photos will merely be skipped, not trashed.

Version 2.0.1 (released 7/7/2022)

  • Fixed a crash that could occur during a long duplicate search.
  • Fixed a crash that would occur when selecting a library after having started a merge.
  • Fixed a crash that could occur for users launching PowerPhotos for the first time if their default Photos was missing.
  • Fixed a progress message that would sometimes say "Downloading from iCloud" when iCloud Photos was not enabled.

Version 2.0 (released 6/30/2022)

New features

  • Full iCloud Photos support: If you use iCloud Photos, PowerPhotos 1.x was only able to see photos in your library that had already been downloaded to your local hard drive. For users with the "Optimize Mac Storage" option enabled, this could mean a significant portion of your iCloud library would not be visible to PowerPhotos. In PowerPhotos 2.0, it can now see and work with any photos in your iCloud photo library, and will automatically download any photos from iCloud as needed.
  • Advanced exporting: Photos has an export command, but it is fairly limited in what it can provide. PowerPhotos 2.0 has a new, more fully featured export function with options such as:
    • Export as a flat folder or as a folder hierarchy in the Finder that mimics your album hierarchy
    • Export unmodified photos, or as JPG, PNG, HEIF, or TIFF of different sizes
    • Include captions, dates, keywords, and titles in EXIF metadata
    • Retain or strip location metadata
    • Optionally include videos from Live Photos and all photos from a burst
    • Set Finder creation/modification dates to the photo's capture/modification date
    • Video export support as MP4 (H.264) or HEVC (H.265)
  • Global menu bar item: Get fast access to your libraries via a global item in your menu bar even when PowerPhotos itself isn't running.
  • Library groups: For those with lots of libraries, you can now organize your libraries into groups in the PowerPhotos sidebar.
  • Multiple windows: You can now open each library in a separate window in PowerPhotos, allowing for easier comparison between libraries, and dragging and dropping photos/albums between libraries.
  • New duplicate search engine: PowerPhotos 2.0 uses a new duplicate comparison algorithm that can find more duplicate photos which are not quite 100% identical, such as scaled down copies of photos, photos that have been resaved in a different format or with different compression, and even photos with minor edits applied to them.
  • Faster library loading: PowerPhotos 2.0 has rewritten a bunch of its internals to load your library much faster than PowerPhotos 1.0.

Improvements

  • When copying edited videos, both the original and edited copies of the video are preserved
  • The app icon now matches the newer Big Sur icon style
  • Updated sidebar and toolbar icons to match the Big Sur style
  • Improved preservation of photo ordering within an album in certain merge setups
  • New metadata options for restricting duplicate matches
  • Added new criteria for choosing keepers in a duplicate search
  • Improved performance when generating the preview for a merge or large photo copy

Version 1.9.11 (released 6/29/2022)

  • Fixed a crash that could occur when viewing certain photos as full size
  • Fixed an error that could occur when trying to import a large batch of photos that contained photo/video pairs for some Live Photos
  • Fixed an issue where some photos with missing time zone info would show the wrong time
  • Fixed a crash that could occur when calculating album sizes

Version 1.9.10 (released 10/25/2021)

  • Fixed a bug where PowerPhotos would think an iPhoto library migration was complete before it had completely finished
  • Minor updates for macOS Monterey compatibility
  • Fixed a “No asset for photo uuid” error message that could occur when importing photos
  • When copying RAW+JPG photos, we no longer copy both photos if the “Copy both” setting isn’t selected in the preferences window.
  • Fix a bug where PowerPhotos would look for the wrong Photos library name after migrating iPhoto/Aperture libraries containing “iPhoto” or “Aperture” in their name

Version 1.9.9 (released 8/3/2021)

  • Fixed a crash that could occur on the macOS Monterey public betas

Version 1.9.8 (released 6/25/2021)

  • Fixed an issue where some Live Photos would not be recognized properly on macOS 11.2 and later
  • Fixed a bug where Photos would hang when using the “Reveal in Photos” menu item
  • Added RAW + JPEG to the formats that can be specified in a duplicate rule
  • Fixed an error that could occur when copying certain edited HEIF Live Photos
  • Fixed a crash that could occur while searching a library
  • Fixed a crash that could occur when browsing photos
  • The default duplicate rule now prefers to keep HEIF photos over JPGs
  • When importing from the Finder, we now recognize and combine photo/video pairs that are part of the same Live Photo

Version 1.9.7 (released 4/23/2021)

  • We now show the number of search results in the toolbar on macOS Big Sur
  • Fixed an issue that could cause the spinning rainbow cursor while searching a large library
  • We now show a progress message during long searches
  • We no longer add the system or active photo library back to the library list on launch if the library has been deleted
  • Fixed an issue where dragging photos wouldn’t work properly if any of them were missing their file extensions

Version 1.9.6 (released 4/5/2021)

  • Fixed a crash that could occur when copying or merging into an existing library

Version 1.9.5 (released 4/2/2021)

  • Fixed a crash that could occur when trying to import a folder of photos that had an iPhoto or Aperture library in it
  • Improved responsiveness of clicking “Cancel” during a large merge, photo copy, or duplicate search
  • Improved performance when dragging a large number of photos
  • Fixed a crash that could occur after performing several photo deletions in a row
  • The Quick Look panel now updates properly when changing selection in the duplicate browser using the arrow keys
  • We now show an error message rather than an empty library when trying to view a Photos library on a read-only disk
  • You can now add photos to existing album in the PowerPhotos photo browser by drag and drop

Version 1.9.4 (released 2/11/2021)

  • Fixed a bug where the “Register Now” link included in your purchase confirmation email wouldn’t properly fill in the registration info after opening PowerPhotos.
  • Fixed an issue where registration wouldn’t be accepted if a newline was pasted in with the serial number
  • Fixed the action button next to each iPhoto library in the iPhoto migration list
  • Fixed a bug where libraries migrated from iPhoto would not be added to the PowerPhotos library list afterwards
  • Minor updates for macOS 11.2
  • Improved duplicate recognition of photos that have fractional seconds in their date/timestamps
  • PowerPhotos no longer shows an error message trying to add libraries on some disk formats that are now accepted by Photos itself

Version 1.9.3 (released 1/22/2021)

  • Improved launch time for users with a lot of libraries
  • Fixed a crash that could occur after dismissing an error at the end of a duplicate search
  • Shift clicking to extend the selection in the duplicate browser now works properly
  • When trying to view a library that’s been moved to the trash, we now show an error message instead of an empty library.
  • Fixed a hang that could occur during a merge preview after hiding PowerPhotos and bringing it back to the the front
  • When a library needs upgrading by Photos to be viewed, we now provide an “Upgrade Library” button that opens the library up for you.
  • Added a “safe mode” which can be enabled by holding the shift key at startup. This clears out the PowerPhotos cache and disables the automatic display of a selected library.
  • Fixed an error that could occur when trying to merge libraries from older versions into a new library
  • We now recognize when a library from macOS 10.15 or later has been restored from Time Machine and display a better error message telling how to complete the restoration process
  • We no longer include additional burst photos in the total number of photos reported at the end of a copy/merge

Version 1.9.2 (released 12/17/2020)

  • Libraries created on macOS 11.1 no longer need to be upgraded before first use
  • Fixed an error that would occur when trying to copy the entire “My Albums” folder to another library
  • The “Hidden” album is now shown in the top group of the album list instead of under “Media Types”, to match Photos
  • If an iPhoto library migration fails, we now restore the previously active Photos library so that Photos doesn’t try to migrate the iPhoto library again when it’s opened again.

Version 1.9.1 (released 11/30/2020)

  • Libraries now display the correct version number when running on macOS 11.0.1
  • The Find Duplicates command will no longer warn about the Optimize Mac Storage option if iCloud Photos has been disabled
  • Improved restoration of grid/list view configuration between launches
  • The Contact Support window now remembers your name, email, and case number between launches
  • Long filenames in the Title column of list view now truncate instead of wrapping
  • When scanning a folder of photos to import, we now skip any application bundles found inside the folder
  • Fixed a bug where the system library wouldn’t be identified correctly on some systems running macOS Big Sur

Version 1.9 (released 11/11/2020)

  • Updated look and feel for macOS Big Sur, including new sidebar style and updated toolbar icons
  • PowerPhotos now runs natively on new Apple Silicon Macs
  • The zoom slider is no longer disabled when performing a multi library search
  • On macOS Big Sur, we now show the number of items in the selected library in the titlebar
  • Improved reliability of sending log files to tech support via the Help > Contact Support window
  • The “Create Album with Selection” command is now much faster, and selects the newly created album in the photo browser afterwards
  • In list view, the “Title” column now displays the photo’s filename if the photo has no custom title
  • Added support for copying RAW+JPG pairs imported from a digital camera

Version 1.8.5 (released 8/26/2020)

  • Improved progress display during long duplicate searches
  • Fixed a bug where excluding the PowerPhotos duplicate trash from a duplicate search wouldn’t work
  • Improved the error message shown when trying to copy a library to a disk without enough free space
  • Fixes a bug where calculating an album’s size would use unnecessary CPU
  • Fixed an issue that could occasionally cause PowerPhotos to crash on launch when iCloud Photos with “Optimize Mac Storage” option is enabled
  • Added a criterion to choose duplicate keepers based on whether the photo is a Live Photo

Version 1.8.4 (released 7/9/2020)

  • iPhoto libraries can now be removed from the migration list
  • Disabled photo titles and favorite badges by default to improve scrolling performance
  • Fixed a bug where disabling “Display Photo Titles” would still show titles on some photos
  • The album list now displays properly on the macOS Big Sur developer seed
  • Work around a Photos error when trying to copy a photo that was migrated from an Aperture library that had previews disabled
  • Fixed a crash that could occur when reloading a library when certain photos were selected in the photo browser
  • For multi library duplicate searches, we now include which library each photo came from in the log file
  • We now display an error message when trying to migrate an iPhoto library stored on a network drive
  • Fixed a crash that could occur when viewing certain photo libraries on macOS 10.15
  • Prevent some unnecessary recalculation of library sizes

Version 1.8.3 (released 5/29/2020)

  • Fixed a crash that could occur when loading some libraries on macOS 10.14

Version 1.8.2 (released 5/28/2020)

  • Fixed some additional cases that would lead to a “could not communicate with helper application” error when trashing duplicates.
  • Improved progress messages while trashing duplicate photos.

Version 1.8.1 (released 5/25/2020)

  • Fixed a bug where trying to delete duplicates in certain libraries would display a “could not communicate with helper application” error message
  • Fixed a bug where the builtin duplicate rules would not appear for some users
  • Fix an error that would be produced when trying to import photos into a library from the Finder
  • When viewing a log in Find Duplicates or Merge Libraries, you can now search the log using command-f
  • Changed the wording of the “Repopulate albums with keepers” checkbox to the more succinct “Keep albums intact”

Version 1.8 (released 5/19/2020)

  • You can now delete photos directly from a library using PowerPhotos by pressing command-delete (macOS Catalina only)
  • Added a new option when deleting duplicates to repopulate any albums that had photos removed with the corresponding keeper photos (macOS Catalina only)
  • Improved the default duplicate keeper rule to include several criteria
  • Added a new duplicate criterion to choose photos based on whether they’ve been edited or not
  • Added a new builtin duplicate rule for keeping RAW photos
  • Added tooltips to the duplicate keeper popup menu items to easily see each rule’s criteria
  • We no longer include a “Keep photos in library X” rule when only searching a single library for duplicates
  • Improve progress bar display during the “Loading Photos” phase of a duplicate search
  • Fixed a few memory leaks in the photo browser
  • Fixed a memory leak when browsing duplicate photos

Version 1.7.13 (released 4/30/2020)

  • Fixed a bug where the “Create New Album with Selection” command could fail with an error
  • Fixed an issue where “Media Types” albums would sometimes not appear when displaying a library on macOS 10.14
  • Fixed an issue where a large merge would sometimes stall and not complete
  • Photos with a .jpg extension are no longer changed to .jpeg when copied to another library
  • Removed the “Quit when closing main window” preference

Version 1.7.12 (released 3/25/2020)

  • Minor updates for macOS 10.15.4
  • When importing a mixed hierarchy of folders and photos, the album created by PowerPhotos to hold a folder’s photos is now created as a child of the corresponding folder in Photos, instead of as a sibling
  • Fixed a hang that could occur when selecting a large number of photos in the photo browser
  • Fixed a crash that could occur loading a library that contains a very large video file

Version 1.7.11 (released 3/12/2020)

  • Fix an error that would be displaying trying to drag photos from the Finder into a newly created library
  • Copying a Live Photo that has been edited now preserves the video component
  • Fixed a crash that could occur loading a library with photos missing certain metadata
  • Smart albums no longer display a 0 KB size on macOS 10.15
  • Fixed a bug where the selected duplicate rule would not be saved between runs if it was one of the built-in rules
  • Fixed a bug where the “Keep photo in any album” duplicate rule wouldn’t work properly on macOS 10.15

Version 1.7.10 (released 2/21/2020)

  • Fixed an error that could occur when merging a library with an album that’s missing its name
  • Fixed a crash that could occur when reloading a library on macOS 10.14

Version 1.7.9 (released 2/11/2020)

  • Fixed a bug where the notification shown after performing a copy would report that 0 photos were copied
  • Photos with missing dates now show a blank date instead of the photo’s modification date
  • Improve responsiveness after making changes in Photos and then bringing PowerPhotos back to the front
  • The selection in the photo browser is now preserved correctly when reloading after detecting the library has been changed
  • Improved loading speed when selecting a different library in the PowerPhotos library list
  • PowerPhotos can no longer display the people identified in a photo due to new privacy restrictions implemented by Apple in macOS Catalina
  • Fixed some cases where a “Could not read edit list” error would prevent copying the edited version of a photo

Version 1.7.8 (released 1/16/2020)

  • Per-library view settings are now retained properly when switching libraries
  • Fixed a bug when merging where some albums within nested folders would not be recreated properly
  • Fixed a crash that could occur when viewing certain libraries in PowerPhotos
  • Fixed an issue on macOS 10.15.2 where PowerPhotos would take a long time to display large libraries
  • Fixed an error message that would be displayed when trying to copy a smart album to another library
  • Fixed an issue where some iCloud libraries with the “Optimize Mac Storage” option enabled would only show some of their locally downloaded photos
  • Disabling copying of photo information in PowerPhotos preferences is now respected properly on macOS 10.15
  • Fixed cases where an incorrect date would be applied to a photo that was imported directly from the Finder into a photo library via PowerPhotos
  • Fixed a crash opening Photos via PowerPhotos when the active library was not in the PowerPhotos library list

Version 1.7.7 (released 12/24/2019)

  • Fixed an issue where some merges would stall on macOS 10.15.2
  • Changed titles in the Image menu to be more clear
  • Improved performance when scrolling in the duplicate browser
  • Improved performance when evaluating duplicate rules

Version 1.7.6 (released 11/21/2019)

  • Fix using return key to toggle duplicates between keeper/trash
  • If PowerPhotos needs to be granted access to Photos in System Preferences, we now show a message explaining that rather than showing the library as being empty
  • When renaming a library, we no longer display the renaming dialog if you haven’t actually changed the library’s name
  • PowerPhotos no longer excludes photos with a “duplicate” keyword from a duplicate search if you had enabled that option before it was removed a few versions ago
  • Libraries created on macOS 10.14 no longer need to be upgraded by Photos when opened for the first time
  • Reenable a workaround on macOS 10.14 for a Photos issue where it will start refusing to import some photos following a long series of imports
  • Fixed a crash when dragging multiple libraries from the Finder into the Source Libraries section of the merge setup screen
  • The “Combine Album Contents” option now works correctly when merging into an existing library on macOS 10.15

Version 1.7.5 (released 11/11/2019)

  • Fixed a crash when loading libraries containing some photos lacking creation dates

Version 1.7.4 (released 11/4/2019)

  • Update version recognition for libraries on 10.15.1
  • Dates with custom time zones now have those time zones preserved when copying between libraries on 10.15
  • Fixed a bug where HDR Live Photos would not have their videos copied
  • You can now drag a Photos library onto the PowerPhotos app icon to add it to the library list
  • Control-clicking a photo in grid view now shows the same contextual menu as right clicking
  • Improved progress display when submitting logs in the Contact Support window

Version 1.7.3 (released 10/21/2019)

  • Fixed a crash that could occur after the currently active library was deleted from disk
  • Fix a crash that could occur when creating a new library in certain setups
  • Fixed a crasher that could occur on launch when PowerPhotos preferences were corrupted in a certain way
  • Fixed a bug where the duplicate browser would not properly display photos on macOS Mojave
  • Fixed a problem where PowerPhotos wouldn’t launch on macOS 10.14.1

Version 1.7.2 (released 10/11/2019)

  • Fixed a bug that could prevent libraries from displaying for some users on macOS 10.14.5
  • Fixed a bug where the duplicate browser would not properly display photos on macOS Mojave

Version 1.7.1 (released 10/8/2019)

  • Fixed a bug that would cause PowerPhotos not to launch on Mojave for some users

Version 1.7 (released 10/7/2019)

  • PowerPhotos now supports macOS 10.15 Catalina
  • Added the ability to copy both the original photo and preserve edits when copying between libraries (10.15 only)
  • Duplicate photos can now be deleted directly instead of having to collect them into an album and delete them manually (10.15 only)
  • Initial display of a library is much faster when running on 10.15
  • Calculating the size of the currently selected album is now done in the background
  • The “Show in Moment” menu item now reads “Show in Photos album” on macOS 10.15 since moments no longer exist on 10.15
  • Added keyboard shortcuts to items in the “Image” menu
  • Improved thumbnail loading performance when scrolling quickly through the photo browser
  • Copying a non-JPEG with the “Copy Edited JPGs” option no longer puts the non-JPEG extension on the filename in the destination library

Version 1.6.4 (released 8/21/2019)

  • Fixed an issue where Photos would be relaunched more often than necessary during a long merge

Version 1.6.3 (released 8/6/2019)

  • Display the correct version number for libraries created on macOS 10.14.6
  • Fixed a bug where, when copying multiple albums from inside a folder, only one album would be recreated in the destination library
  • Fixed an issue where PowerPhotos could hang on startup if the user has a large number of libraries in their library list
  • Fixed an issue where per-library Photos preferences would not be preserved when switching libraries
  • Fixed a bug where clicking the green checkmark next to a library would not always activate that library

Version 1.6.2 (released 5/31/2019)

  • Simplified the duplicate selection process, eliminating some seldom used options and adding a walkthrough screen for deleting the extra duplicates in Photos afterwards
  • Fixed a regression that could cause library indexing to be much slower
  • If all photos in a duplicate group are missing on disk, we now mark one as a keeper rather than recommending to trash all of them
  • Improve duplicate logging to make clear when multiple duplicates are referencing the same master photo
  • The “Select in Photos” command now also selects the current album
  • Added a “Quick Look” item to the “Image” menu

Version 1.6.1 (released 5/16/2019)

  • PowerPhotos now properly recognizes the version of Photos libraries from macOS 10.14.5
  • Grid view now shows the correct duration for trimmed movies
  • Quick Look now shows the correct version of videos that have been trimmed
  • Fixed a bug where incorrect thumbnails could be displayed in a merge preview
  • When merging with the “Copy unedited originals” option, we no longer show thumbnails for the edited version of the photo in the merge preview
  • Hidden photos are no longer treated as hidden in a merge preview, since they will no longer be hidden when they are actually copied across
  • Fixed a bug reading libraries from Photos 1.5 and earlier
  • Fixed a bug that would result in a “Could not determine version of library” error
  • Fixed a bug that would prevent importing photos from the Finder from working properly
  • Fixed a memory leak when browsing photos

Version 1.6 (released 4/2/2019)

  • Added support for copying both the photo and video portion of a Live Photo when copying or merging
  • When copying edited versions of photos, we now preserve the original photo’s filename (e.g. “IMG_0001.JPG” instead of “fullsizeoutput_123.jpeg”)
  • Rewrote grid view using modern APIs, which will allow us to add more nifty new browsing features going forward
  • Favorite photos are now marked with a heart icon in grid view
  • Movies now show their duration in grid view
  • In grid view, we now show filenames underneath photos that don’t have a title set
  • Using Quick Look in the photo browser (e.g. by pressing the space bar) now displays Live Photos including the attached video
  • The photo browser scroll position no longer resets to the top after reloading a library
  • Added a new “Image” menu containing the commands found in the photo browser contextual menu
  • Improved reliability of loading thumbnails in list view and the duplicate browser
  • Fixed a crash that could occur when viewing certain photos with missing metadata
  • Replace usage of “iCloud Photo Library” with Apple’s new “iCloud Photos” terminology
  • When the “Optimize Mac Storage” option is enabled in iCloud Photos, we now show a message above the image browser explaining why not all photos show up in PowerPhotos
  • Fixed a crash that could occur after cancelling a multi-library search

Version 1.5.8 (released 3/18/2019)

  • Fixed an issue where Photos crashing would halt an operation in PowerPhotos with a code 2001 error message
  • Fixed a bug where the complete list of found duplicate groups wouldn’t be logged during a duplicate search
  • Work around a Photos bug on Mojave that could cause photos not to be added to albums located inside a folder when copying/merging
  • Improved loading times for libraries with a large number of moments
  • A library being temporarily unavailable (e.g. on a disconnected external disk) no longer triggers a full reindexing of the library the next time it appears
  • Improved ability for PowerPhotos to display certain libraries that have database corruption

Version 1.5.7 (released 2/12/2019)

  • We now give a more descriptive error message when trying to migrate a library that’s still in a Time Machine backup
  • Worked around an issue where Photos would have trouble migrating an iPhoto library if it was missing its file extension
  • Fixed a crash that could occur when dragging certain photos from PowerPhotos to the Finder
  • Improved library indexing performance
  • Fixed a broken help link in the iCloud warning alert sheet

Version 1.5.6 (released 12/19/2018)

  • Fixed a problem where the PowerPhotos migration screen wouldn’t identify the version of older iPhoto/Aperture libraries properly
  • Fixed an issue that could cause a library to be unnecessarily reindexed, taking a long time to load
  • Fixed a bug where some photos would not appear correctly when viewing the system photo library

Version 1.5.5 (released 12/11/2018)

  • Fixed a bug where albums in a folder that is sorted by name would not be displayed in the correct order
  • Smart albums with a “Photo is referenced” rule now display the correct photos
  • Fixed a bug when merging libraries with certain overlapping folder hierarchies that would cause some albums not to be created
  • Improved drawing performance in grid view for certain libraries with manually rotated photos
  • Cancelling a long operation while loading a library’s data now stops the operation much more quickly
  • Fixed a bug in merge preview where photos from the destination library would be labeled as “Imported” rather than with the name of the library
  • Added a “Quick Tour” window demonstrating PowerPhotos features on first launch

Version 1.5.4 (released 11/20/2018)

  • Fixed a crash when using the “Show in Moment” contextual menu item in the photo browser
  • Cleaned up logging of extraneous duplicate information during photo copying
  • Fixed an issue where no photos would be displayed when selecting a folder in the album list
  • We no longer return a disk full error when duplicating a large library on an APFS disk
  • Fixed an error loading certain libraries, “Attempted to access unknown result column imageDate”
  • Fixed a crash that could occur if one of PowerPhotos’ cache files got corrupted

Version 1.5.3 (released 11/2/2018)

  • Fixed a bug where trying to drag a large number of photos from the photo browser would not work correctly

Version 1.5.2 (released 10/30/2018)

  • Fixed an issue where trying to delete a library after a merge or duplicate search would claim that the library was still in use by that operation
  • Fixed a bug where dragging photos from grid view would not display the images while dragging them
  • Added HEIC as an option when creating a custom duplicate rule for choosing which format of photo you want to keep
  • Double clicking a library in PowerPhotos once again brings Photos to the front if the library was already open
  • Fixed a bug where the contextual menu would show up twice when right clicking in grid view

Version 1.5.1 (released 10/11/2018)

  • Fixed a “journal entry has no modelId” error that could occur indexing certain libraries
  • Fixed an issue where an error transferring a photo could be logged twice
  • Fixed a bug where changes made to custom duplicate rules would not always be saved properly after relaunching PowerPhotos
  • Fixed a “Non-string value for string atom” error that could occur trying to load certain libraries

Version 1.5 (released 9/24/2018)

  • Added support for dark mode on macOS Mojave
  • Added support for Photos 4.0 libraries on macOS Mojave
  • Fixed a bug on macOS Mojave where the photo browser would not initially show any photos until you selected a different album
  • Fixed a “No adjustmentUuid found for version X” error when loading certain libraries
  • Fixed a bug on macOS Mojave where libraries could not be dropped into the Find Duplicates or Merge Libraries setup screens
  • Fixed an error that could occur trying to load the system library that claimed the library was not valid

Version 1.4.2 (released 6/25/2018)

  • We now show the correct photos for smart albums with a “Date is/is not in the last X years” rule
  • Fixed a problem where the in-app store window wouldn’t load on the first try
  • In cases where Photos hangs upon displaying its “What’s New in Photos” screen during a merge, copy, or duplicate search, we detect this and prompt the user to dismiss the screen manually
  • Fixed an issue where PowerPhotos would be unable to relaunch Photos if it crashed during a merge in some cases
  • Fixed a crasher when merging certain libraries with missing file references
  • Fixed an error that could occur when loading a library with photos that have no date assigned to them

Version 1.4.1 (released 5/16/2018)

  • Work around a Photos bug that would cause it to crash when trying to create an album with an empty name
  • Fixed an issue where importing new files into a library via PowerPhotos would return an error for movie files
  • Prevent resetting the image browser’s scroll position when checking for library changes
  • If a photo’s edited version is missing from the library, we now fall back to using the original when viewing the photo in full size and dragging the photo to the Finder
  • Fixed an error that could be displayed when trying to load certain photo libraries
  • Fixed an issue when encountering stray files while indexing a library

Version 1.4 (released 4/23/2018)

  • Added Touch Bar support
  • Added the ability to copy all photos from a burst instead of just the selected photo
  • Added support for preserving manually assigned locations when copying photos
  • Added a menu item to create a new album from a selection of photos in the PowerPhotos image browser
  • Hidden photos can now be copied between libraries
  • When a burst photo is selected, the info pane now shows the number of photos in the burst
  • After collecting duplicate photos into an album, we now select that album in the Photos app
  • When using the “Copy edited JPGs” setting for copying photos, we now fall back to the original if the edited JPG is missing on disk
  • PowerPhotos can now detect and copy the original HEIC versions of photos in the system photo library
  • Handle a new edge case relaunching Photos after it crashes during a merge

Version 1.3.8 (released 3/31/2018)

  • Show correct version number for libraries updated on macOS 10.13.4
  • Smart albums with an “Album is any” rule now display properly in a merge preview
  • Made some performance improvements when loading large libraries

Version 1.3.7 (released 2/22/2018)

  • Importing photos from the Finder into a library no longer creates a set of empty “media type” albums
  • Returning to PowerPhotos after renaming a library in the Finder no longer causes it to hang
  • Fixed an issue that could result in a “database is currently being used by another operation” error when trying to merge or copy photos
  • Fixed an issue where PowerPhotos would get stuck in a loop complaining about the destination library of a merge having changed after doing its initial analysis
  • Fixed a bug where PowerPhotos would not allow copying PDFs between libraries
  • Fixed a bug where PowerPhotos would refuse to open a Photos library if it was missing its file extension

Version 1.3.6 (released 2/2/2018)

  • Fixed an issue in forcing photos to always be copied into the library package even if the “Copy items to Photos library” option is disabled in Photos’ preferences
  • Fix a bug where we would hog a second CPU while indexing a library
  • Fixed a performance issue when selecting an album in a library with a large hierarchy of albums

Version 1.3.5 (released 1/9/2018)

  • Added a work around for issues reading locked libraries
  • When merging, we now add “from [library name]” to the end of the name of each “iPhoto Events” folder copied from one of the source libraries.
  • PowerPhotos now properly finds imported photos if Photos changes the case of the file extension
  • Fixed an issue where PowerPhotos could fail to relaunch Photos after it quit during a merge
  • Updated “Has custom name” duplicate criteria to better match Photos’ naming behavior

Version 1.3.4 (released 12/14/2017)

  • Added a warning when merging/copying to work around a High Sierra hanging bug when no system library is set
  • Improved recovery from certain Photos crashing edge cases
  • Show correct version number for libraries on 10.13.2

Version 1.3.3 (released 11/21/2017)

  • Added a duplicate search option to allow/disallow matching photos of different formats (e.g. RAW vs. JPG)
  • You can now swipe left on a library to remove it from the library list
  • Fix a crash that could occur when trying to view certain libraries
  • Fixed a crash when trying to copy photos or merge into a Photos 1.0 library
  • Added better handling of cases where Photos would start refusing to import additional photos after a long series of imports
  • Improved recovery from certain Photos crashes while copying photos on High Sierra
  • Added a duplicate search option to allow/disallow common filename variations, e.g. “IMG8375.JPG” vs. “IMG8375_1.JPG”

Version 1.3.2 (released 11/1/2017)

  • We now display smart albums containing a “Date Added” rule properly
  • Worked around a bug where Photos would hang when trying to merge into a newly created library
  • We now display a notification when your iPhoto libraries have finished migrating

Version 1.3.1 (released 10/5/2017)

  • Fixed an error that would be displayed trying to load the system library on High Sierra if it was empty
  • When merging the system library into a new library, the various “media type” albums are now populated correctly in the merge preview
  • Fixed a bug that would prevent PowerPhotos from being able to read libraries on network volumes
  • Clicking the “Quit Photos” button when trying to duplicate a currently open library no longer causes PowerPhotos to hang
  • We no longer display the “eventFilterBarAlbum” album found in some libraries migrated from Aperture
  • Fixed a bug that prevented the “Copy the main Photos album from each source library” from working when merging
  • Media type albums are now recreated correctly when copied to another library
  • Fixed a crash that could happen when opening a library while PowerPhotos was still in the process of loading its data for display
  • Fixed a bug where albums would not be created when dragging a nested folder of photos from the Finder into a library

Version 1.3 (released 9/25/2017)

  • PowerPhotos now supports macOS High Sierra, and requires macOS Sierra or later
  • We now log an error message when trying to copy PICT files which are not supported by Photos
  • Improved handling of HEIF images synced to a macOS system that doesn’t support the format, e.g. Sierra
  • Duplicating a library on APFS volumes uses its “cloning” feature to take up less disk space
  • We now log error messages for photos missing file extensions that Photos won’t be able to import
  • Fixed an issue where the “Live Photos” album would not appear for some libraries
  • We now correctly regenerate the merge preview if the destination library was modified since generating the current preview
  • Fixed a bug where the “duplicates skipped” count in the log would be too high
  • Fixed an error that would result from returning from a merge preview to the setup screen then trying to start the merge again
  • Fixed an error that would be displayed after customizing duplicate selections during a merge and trying to return to the preview screen
  • Manually selecting a new duplicate as the one to keep during a merge now correctly unchecks the previous keeper
  • We now show a moving progress bar while loading a library’s data
  • We now add the system photo library to the library list on launch if it’s not there already

Version 1.2.3 (released 4/26/2017)

  • Fixed an error caused by a corrupt album record that could halt a merge operation
  • Fixed a crash that could occur opening the preferences window on El Capitan
  • Fixed a problem where libraries on macOS 10.12.0 would not be read correctly
  • We no longer display an error trying to load libraries on macOS 10.11.0

Version 1.2.2 (released 2/2/2017)

  • Improved recognition of default Photos library on non-English systems
  • Improved recognition of migrated iPhoto libraries on non-English systems
  • Improved recognition of new library when migrating an iPhoto library for a second time
  • Improved recognizing the resulting migrated library when original iPhoto library had no file extension
  • Fixed a bug in the migration assistant where a library could be shown as “In Progress” after quitting and relauching PowerPhotos
  • We now allow choosing an iPhoto library in the “Add Library” window, but explain that it needs to be migrated to Photos first
  • Fixed a crash caused by trying to display certain PICT files in the photo browser
  • Fixed a crash that could occur when trying to view certain libraries
  • Fixed a crash that could occur when trying to copy an album between libraries
  • Fixed an issue displaying some libraries created on macOS 10.2.2 or later
  • Clarified error message shown when a library can’t be displayed because there is ongoing background face/object recognition
  • When renaming a library, we can now present an option to rename it on disk at the same time
  • Fixed an issue that would prevent a log file from being created if its name was too long
  • We now display the correct icon for the new “Depth Effect” special album

Version 1.2.1 (released 10/24/2016)

  • Improve recovery when Photos crashes while restoring photo attributes during a copy/merge
  • Improved loading of large system photo libraries on macOS Sierra
  • Fixed a crash that could occur when trying to import a large number of photos from the Finder
  • Removed unused “Show Tab Bar” menu item on Sierra
  • Fixed an error that could occur when trying to import nested folders of photos into a library
  • We now offer to upgrade a library when necessary before searching it for duplicates

Version 1.2 (released 9/22/2016)

  • Added a preference to customize the background color when browsing photos
  • Fixed an issue where a single photo could be copied to another library twice
  • Fixed a bug where some smart albums with a “Photo is X” criterion would not be populated correctly
  • Fix a crash that could occur during some long running merge operations
  • Added support for Photos 2.0 on macOS Sierra

Version 1.1.9 (released 8/15/2016)

  • Improved error message shown if a library can’t be loaded because Photos still has it open
  • Added troubleshooting information for cases where the system photo library fails to load
  • PowerPhotos now properly recognizes the system photo library when adding it back into the library list
  • Fixed an issue with filename collisions that could occur when copying photos edited in older versions of iPhoto
  • Fixed an issue that would prevent the in-app store from loading properly for some users
  • Removed a spurious “not a valid Photos library” message displayed when another error occurred trying to display a library

Version 1.1.8 (released 5/9/2016)

  • Fixed a bug where a Photos crash could cause PowerPhotos to get stuck in a loop and never finish merging
  • We no longer log error messages for .AAE and ._ files copied during a merge
  • Adjusted library size calculation to better match the Finder
  • Smart albums based on a date range now properly include photos in the final day of the range
  • Fixed an issue where some RAW photos would have a Kind of “JPEG” shown in the PowerPhotos info pane
  • The size shown in the PowerPhotos info pane for an edited photo now always matches what’s shown in the Photos info window
  • Fixed a bug when merging where the warning about iCloud storage optimization would be shown twice
  • Fixed an error that could occur when loading the system library if one or more photos were missing from the library
  • Fixed a crash that could occur when trying to view a library that was completely missing its database files

Version 1.1.7 (released 3/2/2016)

  • Improve handling of Photos crashing while importing photos
  • Fixed a bug where a warning about merging an optimized iCloud library could be displayed even if storage optimization is disabled
  • If Photos crashes while assigning keywords to duplicate photos, we now relaunch Photos and continue
  • We now log relevant preference settings when copying or merging
  • Fixed an issue where the system library would not load properly on some systems
  • Fixed an issue where “Select in Photos” wouldn’t work if the underlying photo file was missing
  • Improved error messages shown when trying to access a library that’s part of a Time Machine backup.
  • “Enter Full Screen” menu item now reads “Exit Full Screen” when already in full screen mode
  • Updated Find Duplicates exclusion rules to reflect new album names
  • Updated Sparkle framework to fix security vulnerability

Version 1.1.6 (released 1/27/2016)

  • Improved display of library version numbers for brand new versions of Photos
  • We now relaunch Photos periodically when merging to work around a bug where Photos would start refusing to import photos after a large number of consecutive imports
  • Fixed a bug when copying a folder that lives inside another folder that would cause the folder and its albums to not be recreated in the destination library
  • If Photos crashes after importing a batch of photos, we now relaunch it and restore the photos’ metadata if possible rather than just moving on to the next batch
  • Fixed a crash that could occur after cancelling a library duplication
  • Fixed a crash that could occur after migrating certain iPhoto libraries to Photos
  • If Photos crashes while adding duplicate photos to an album, we now relaunch Photos and continue adding the rest of the photos
  • Fixed an issue where photo dates could be shown as 1/1/2001 if they were missing time zone info
  • The completion message shown after finishing Find Duplicates now displays correctly
  • Fixed an error that could occur when finding duplicates if a library has an empty name
  • Albums created for duplicate photos are no longer placed in a subfolder, to make them easier to find

Version 1.1.5 (released 12/27/2015)

  • Fixed a crash that could occur when selecting a library that couldn’t be found

Version 1.1.4 (released 12/26/2015)

  • Fixed a crash that could occur on startup in certain cases when a library had moved since PowerPhotos was last opened
  • Fixed an error that could occur when copying albums from the system photo library
  • Fixed a crash that could occur during long merge operations

Version 1.1.3 (released 12/11/2015)

  • Fixed a crash that can occur when merging libraries with the “Combine album contents” option enabled
  • Fixed an issue where the main “Photos” album would not appear at the top of the album list on some systems
  • Display the correct version number for libraries created with Photos 1.3
  • Fixed a bug where importing nested folders would only import a single subfolder

Version 1.1.2 (released 11/28/2015)

  • The info pane now shows how many items are in the selected library
  • We now display a warning when merging or finding duplicates in a library with the “Optimize Mac Storage” option enabled
  • We now display whether the “Optimize Mac Storage” option is enabled for the iCloud library
  • Fixed a crash that could occur when changing the duplicate rule used to determine keepers
  • Improved updating selection after removing a library
  • Fixed an issue on some systems where no photos would appear when viewing the system photo library
  • Fixed a problem where albums would sometimes not be combined properly when merging

Version 1.1.1 (released 11/16/2015)

  • Fixed a bug where trying to view the system photo library would result in a “database locked” error message
  • Fixed a problem with removing attachments in the support window
  • Fixed an error that would be displayed when using the auto-updater

Version 1.1 (released 11/3/2015)

  • Added support for copying photos, albums, and moments between libraries
  • Added support for merging Photos libraries
  • PowerPhotos now requires OS X 10.11 “El Capitan” or later
  • We now recognize the new “Screenshots” and “Selfies” albums added to Photos on El Capitan
  • Added force touch support for viewing full size photos
  • Improved updating of iCloud library status when a disk mounts or unmounts
  • Fixed a bug where renaming a library would sometimes not be allowed
  • Fixed a bug that could cause library switching to fail on certain setups
  • Fixed an issue where the edited version of some photos would not be shown when viewing the photo full size
  • Added option to sort by filename or size in grid view
  • Fixed issue where PowerPhotos would not recognize that an Aperture library had finished migrating
  • We now prevent Photos from coming to the front when migrating iPhoto libraries in the background

Version 1.0.6 (released 7/20/2015)

  • Improved accuracy of “iCloud Library” status display in library list
  • Fixed a bug where an error that occurred while duplicating a library would not be displayed to the user
  • Registration names with smart quotes now work properly
  • Worked around an occasional error that could cause switching libraries to fail
  • Fixed a hang that could occur on startup for users with a large number of libraries

Version 1.0.5 (released 6/3/2015)

  • Fixed a bug that would prevent some users from being able to create or add a library

Version 1.0.4 (released 5/29/2015)

  • Fixed a crash that could occur when analyzing duplicate photos if a photo file couldn’'‘t be read
  • Improved detection of libraries appearing/disappearing, e.g. when a disk is connected
  • Fixed a bug where some duplicate movies would not be identified when the “Compare modified” option was selected
  • Fixed a bug that could lead Photos to crash after switching libraries
  • We now display the contents of Photos libraries on case sensitive drives properly
  • Fixed an issue where selecting an Aperture library manually for migration would not add it to the migration list
  • Fixed a bug where the +/- buttons would not appear in the duplicate rule editor
  • We now display a warning when creating/adding a library in the Dropbox folder
  • Fixed a crash that could occur when loading data for the system photo library

Version 1.0.3 (released 5/7/2015)

  • Keep the duplicate browser from gradually scrolling up while adjusting the photo size
  • When bringing up the QuickLook window to browse photos on Yosemite, navigating using the arrow keys now works again
  • Fixed a hang that could occur on startup if a large number of libraries were inaccessible, e.g. on an unconnected external drive
  • Excluding hidden photos from a duplicate search now works properly with the system photo library
  • Fixed a bug where the “PowerPhotos duplicates” folder would not be created when trying to add duplicates to an album
  • We no longer show an error message when trying to launch Photos via PowerPhotos if Photos has never been launched before
  • On first launch, PowerPhotos now populates its library list with any Photos libraries that have already been migrated from iPhoto Library Manager’s library list
  • Prevent the same library from showing up in the migration list more than once
  • Fixed an issue where some movies from the system photo library would show an empty file size
  • Fixed an issue where the main window would have a slightly larger height after quitting and reopening PowerPhotos

Version 1.0.2 (released 4/27/2015)

  • Fixed instances of duplicate keyword counts not being reported correctly
  • Improved performance and reliability of applying duplicate actions to photos

Version 1.0.1 (released 4/23/2015)

  • Fixed an issue where the editor would disappear after a second when trying to rename a library
  • Added an option to exclude items already in the “PowerPhotos duplicates” folder from a duplicate search
  • Duplicate action icons now update immediately when assigning using a keyboard shortcut
  • Custom duplicate actions added using keyboard shortcuts now work properly
  • Made some changes to try to work around Photos errors when adding duplicate photos to albums or assigning keywords
  • Fixed a crash on startup when an iPhoto library in the library migration list could not be found

Version 1.0 (released 4/16/2015)

Initial release

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