Best app to shrink photos library?

[Gregintosh]

My photos library is about 260GB. I got a lot of videos and pictures in it.

Short of deleting a ton of stuff, is there any app to help shrink the size of the library?

I am thinking about something that would convert all the 4K and 1080p video to 720p.

And maybe down convert all the photos to no more than 8mp (4K resolution).

I have backed up all the original media on external SSDs, but would prefer a small Photos library size since all I would be doing is looking at the pics on my Phone/iPad/Computer/TV. And those resolutions do not need to be big.

This would give me the advantage of being able to store my whole photos library on my MacBook and iPhone. Relying on the cloud library sucks because often I wanna show someone a picture and it has to wait 2 minutes to load (things are slow where I live). During which the momentum of conversation has already shifted.

There used to be an app called iSlimPhoto that converted your Photos library in-place with one click. Would love to see if anyone has anything like this out there today.

 

[Tagbert]

My photos library is about 260GB. I got a lot of videos and pictures in it.

Short of deleting a ton of stuff, is there any app to help shrink the size of the library?

I am thinking about something that would convert all the 4K and 1080p video to 720p.

And maybe down convert all the photos to no more than 8mp (4K resolution).

I have backed up all the original media on external SSDs, but would prefer a small Photos library size since all I would be doing is looking at the pics on my Phone/iPad/Computer/TV. And those resolutions do not need to be big.

This would give me the advantage of being able to store my whole photos library on my MacBook and iPhone. Relying on the cloud library sucks because often I wanna show someone a picture and it has to wait 2 minutes to load (things are slow where I live). During which the momentum of conversation has already shifted.

There used to be an app called iSlimPhoto that converted your Photos library in-place with one click. Would love to see if anyone has anything like this out there today.

Since the videos are probably what is making your library so large, ask yourself if you need those videos in the library? You could select all the videos, export them to external files and then delete the videos from your library. It would be less convenient to access them but if you don’t use them a lot, this would shrink your library size.

I’ve also used the PowerPhotos app to find and remove duplicate photos. I understand that the most recent Photos app does this. I haven’t tried that feature to be able to say how well it works.

Finally, does the size of your library cause problems or is it just something you are worried about? My library is currently 390GB and it works fine. It has everything I need and I can use it without problems on my M1 MBA. It alway works well with my iPhone, though only the laptop has all photos downloaded. I do my backups from the laptop as well (Time Machine and BackBlaze). You should have backups of your photos otherwise you are risking all of those memories.

 

[ovbacon]

My photo library is well over 1TB but I have it on a external ssd. It would be a shame to reduce size and/or quality of your photos and video so I would suggest putting it all on an external drive.

 

[HDFan]

I would suggest putting it all on an external drive.

Agree. Assuming you want to keep the original resolution files keeping two versions of a file (original and reduced size) increases maintenance complexity and increases the chances of errors.

If you know which iCloud items you might want to show others you could download them in advance.

 

[Gregintosh]

My library works fine, it's just really big. My iPhone now is just 256GB and I would love to be able to store it all on my phone. Or failing that, if the files are smaller, they will download from the cloud faster (I live in an area where the internet isn't always reliable or fast).

I exported all my photos and videos in their original quality to an SSD so they are backed up in full quality. I figure if I ever need access to the original file, I can always access that. I have a OneDrive I also use for Cloud backups of the most important photos and videos (like family stuff) in case the SSD ever fails.

Since I posted, I have tried Optimage. It took 35GB of my pictures and turned them into 19GB without changing resolution (compressed them more but in way the app claims is a lossless way, and to be honest I can't tell the difference on my MacBook, so I doubt I will on the iPhone as well).

My plan now is to find something that can do the same for the videos. Handbrake is able to downconvert 4K videos and convert everything to an efficient HEVC format. My test videos were down 75% in file size and still looked great. Not sure if Handbrake can queue up a large number of files. I have 2,000 videos and don't want to drag and drop each one separately at convert one at a time.

Then I will reset my library and reimport all the down converted files.

Still, a more automated solution or good tools would be appreciated. And if there's any developers out there, perhaps this would be something in demand.

Eventually, as people shoot more videos in 4K, etc. a lot more over the next few years will come across the 2-4TB limit that iCloud has so something like this might be very important.

 

[ovbacon]

Well, I absolutely do not store any photos in the cloud.... I have multiple copies of my photos thus having decreased the chance of losing things but I'm not willing to put them in any cloud. And no, I'm not worried about embarrassing nudes but I am worried about all the photos of my kids tec... But I also don't go around showing people photos on my phone.

 

[ignatius345]

My photos library is about 260GB. I got a lot of videos and pictures in it.

Short of deleting a ton of stuff, is there any app to help shrink the size of the library?

I am thinking about something that would convert all the 4K and 1080p video to 720p.

And maybe down convert all the photos to no more than 8mp (4K resolution).

I have backed up all the original media on external SSDs, but would prefer a small Photos library size since all I would be doing is looking at the pics on my Phone/iPad/Computer/TV. And those resolutions do not need to be big.

This would give me the advantage of being able to store my whole photos library on my MacBook and iPhone. Relying on the cloud library sucks because often I wanna show someone a picture and it has to wait 2 minutes to load (things are slow where I live). During which the momentum of conversation has already shifted.

There used to be an app called iSlimPhoto that converted your Photos library in-place with one click. Would love to see if anyone has anything like this out there today.

Maybe 15 years ago I remember I was really low on hard drive space. Among the photos, I had a few hundred little videos off my old Canon ELPH digital camera, and they were taking up too much space. So I found some app or something that compressed videos and let it rip. I don't remember how much space I saved, but I brought my hard drive back from the edge and got some working space back.

Cut forward to now. The videos look like crap. The compression thing I used made them all blocky and awful. They're videos of my kid (now grown up) and just life in general from the early 2000s. Whatever space I saved, it was NOT worth it.

Sounds like you're already doing the smart thing and keeping the originals, but keep them backed up and safe! Tomorrow's connection will be faster, tomorrow's devices will have more storage.

 

[mijail]

I'm also looking into reducing my Photos library, and found that one can easily create a Shortcut to convert JPEGs to HEICs. It doesn't allow you to select the output quality, but in my JPEGs it's anyway shaving 50% off the sizes without any visual problem. It even saves the metadata, so that the GPS location, creation times, etc remain in the recompressed image.

As for videos, I'm also using Handbrake right now, and shaving an amazing 90% (!) off the sizes, still without any visual change that I can notice. It doesn't save metadata though, so I will be using ExifTool to copy it from the originals to the reduced files once that step is finished

The last step will be reintegrating everything into the Photos library; still not sure how to do that. I'd prefer to avoid having to recreate the library from scratch, to avoid having to re-tag faces, etc. I'm half-hoping that importing the reduced files into the current library will cause Photos app to notice the duplicates. Whether it will prefer the big files or reduced ones, we'll see...

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

There's no coming back from compression strategies. For example, you cut resolution of photos and then later have any reason to print a few, low res prints poorly. And it's the same with video: reduce it from high-res to low-res and then it looks low-res out in the future when screens are much higher res (watch some VHS video on modern 4K TVs for example). VHS video takes up very little storage space... but then you watch them and see why.

Yes, you may have original backed up to one SSD (and thus a way to restore full res for any such purposes) but what if you lose that one SSD (fire, flood, theft are 3 very real ways among others)?

You need to think very carefully about what you want to do here... as short-term benefits may not thrill you in the longer-term. You are- in effect- choosing to cut quality in such thinking... and those cuts could be permanent if you lost your one "originals" backups.

Here's a few ideas:

• Duplicate the library and then delete some kinds of content. For example, you could duplicate it and in the duplicate, delete all photos, leaving only a video clip Photos library. Then in the original, delete all videos leaving only a photos library. Is there some natural additional splits of either or both libraries, such as maybe personal vs. work? If so, you could further split those libraries accordingly. This won't change total storage requirements but then you could potentially move the splits you don't need with you at all times to external(S- that's at least 2 for safer backup protection, with one fresh backup stored offsite).
• Prune your libraries. If as it is in many that get so large, you are basically a selfie maniac, you may have sets of 40-70 shots that are all basically the SAME shot. Pound through them and delete 39-69, leaving only the best selfies. Similarly, is every video you've shot a keeper? If not, dump the junk you don't care if you ever see again.
• Make FAVS-type photo albums and then sync only the albums to your iDevices. In almost every situation, there is no need at all for just about anyone to have access to every photo they've ever shot (the ALL "library"). So make a few FAVS and smart albums and only synch those to your iDevices. You'll have access to your favorites with you at all times and you can always get to "the rest" when you get back to your Mac. If some of "the rest" keep turning out to be desirable to have at all times, add them to your albums. Eventually, the albums have good representation of the entire library so you can always pull up a photo of whatever you want to see or show someone else... you just won't have every single photo you possess on there. I have many tens of thousands of photos in may main Photos library but probably only sync maybe 800-1200 of them to my iDevices doing exactly this. I pretty much never feel like I'm missing something by not having "the rest" immediately available.
• If you are the very rare exception that does- in fact- need ready access to every photo & video you've ever shot at all times, roll your OWN cloud with NAS like Synology. Store it all in your own cloud and then bill yourself only $0/month for cloud access to it all instead of paying one of the corp clouds over & over each month, FOREVER, for the same.
• As already offered, you can put up to all of it on externals that you can then carry along in the bag for access to it all by connecting the drive to the iDevice or MB. This is physical "cloud" vs. virtual... but same basic benefit (though likely higher risk of loss). Direct access like this would likely be FASTER than leaning on any cloud option, including your own.
• Raw video captures that land in Photos are typically a mix of good video and stuff you might prefer to edit out. For example, sometimes we start a video for a while, then shoot what we wanted to shoot and then there some time at the end where we would have rather cut the video sooner. One classic example is "whale watching." To catch the whale you may have to shoot a lot of video showing no whale. And then the whale finally pops up. 10-30 minutes of shooting water eats a LOT of space but is not anything anyone will want to watch again. But the whale itself is the "keeper" piece of all that. So, learn to do basic video editing, draw in raw clips of events where you may have shot several video clips, edit them down and together to perfection and then render an ideal edited video of that event/vacation/trip. Since this usually involves cutting clips down to the main stuff you want to see again in a final video (like the whale instead of 30 minutes of water), the end result will preserve the highest quality (vs. reducing it to lower resolution) while taking up less space. You can then move these edited (together) clips back into a Photos library or- probably better- index them in the TV or iTunes app and let that app "own" management of your video collection. Such videos could be stored externally to not take up any internal space. And again, you can create video "playlists" like photos albums to easily sync SOME of them to your iDevices so you have some favorite videos with you at all times too.
• And be sure you have a solid backup system in place such as Time Machine/Super Duper/Carbon Copy Cloner backing all of this up to at least TWO drives with one of those being a fresh backup stored OFFSITE. Else, a single fire-flood-theft can take out both Macs/iDevice copies as well as anything backed on drives sitting nearby your Mac. One fresh backup safely offsite adds tremendous protection against losing what will be viewed as increasingly valuable personal media over your lifetime (and beyond).

Taking advantage of up to all of this can preserve the highest quality as captured while resolving the bulk of the problem of limited space on mobile devices and laptops in 2025. 2035 or 2045 you may curse you for cutting quality back in 2025 that now looks like **** on future, higher-res screens.

And that last bullet is tremendously important for media like personal photos & videos. Look at what is happening in California right now. Such events can happen anywhere at anytime. Be sure your precious memories are safely backed up in more than just a single location.

I hope this helps you.

 

[960design]

This one?

 

[mijail]

For whatever reason, some people keep thinking that recompressing necessarily means losing "quality" [1] or resolution, that this will affect your future viewing, etc. In the meantime, they keep paying extra for storage, either locally or in the cloud.

Paying extra is a valid approach I guess, but you could also try to just download Handbrake (free), recompress some test clip with x265-10bit CR 28, notice that it reduced way over 50% of the file size without noticeable quality loss, and start saving money.

Comparing to VHS and similar is misguided in multiple levels. Digital vs analog, etc. Plus, every streaming service on Earth recompresses their stuff for every new stream. As new compression formats appear, they update their encoders/decoders. The stuff just works - only, they have commercial and practical pressures (like streaming bandwidth, compatibility, decoding speed) that we users don't have for our backups. So we can be more conservative and careful than they are - while still saving a lot.

On the Apple ecosystem we still have it relatively good given that they moved from MP3 to AAC, JPEG to HEIF, MP4 to HEVC. But I get pics and videos from Android devices that still are JPEGs and older MP4s, easily over 2x the size of current base iOS formats. Recompressing those is a must for me. And then you realize that even iOS's ones can be squeezed a good bit.

The only problem is what the original post by @Gregintosh asked: how to do this all automatically, without having to turn it into a multiple-weekend project with many risks. And as he said I hope some app, or even some functionality in Photos.app, will appear. It will only get more necessary with time.

[1]: If anyone thinks "lossy compression", they should read about "perceptually lossless" usage.

 

[HDFan]

it reduced way over 50% of the file size without noticeable quality loss,

but it also throws away picture data. You may not see it today, but in the future when you try to make a large print, move to an 8K or 16 K monitor ....

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

For whatever reason, some people keep thinking that recompressing necessarily means losing "quality" [1] or resolution,

OP is the one suggesting cutting all 4K or 1080p to 720p to save space. OP will literally "lose resolution" if they do that.

And if they only re-compress same resolution, how compression works is throwing out detail in the name of yielding a smaller file. That is literally sacrificing quality (detail) for smaller files.

that this will affect your future viewing, etc. In the meantime, they keep paying extra for storage, either locally or in the cloud.

One big fat, relatively cheap HDD can hold a ton of media. OP is describing the collection now as totaling only 260GB. 5000GB externals can be had for about $100 and one can get 15000-20000GBs for only about 2.5 times that. If OP didn’t sent already have any such storage, a one-time purchase along such lines probably covers all needs for the next 7-12 years.

Paying extra is a valid approach I guess, but you could also try to just download Handbrake (free), recompress some test clip with x265-10bit CR 28, notice that it reduced way over 50% of the file size without noticeable quality loss, and start saving money.

HB IS a great way to reduce video size while preserving a good picture and not necessarily cutting resolution. If OP would choose to maintain what he has in 4K and 1080p vs. cutting both to 720p and choose good quality settings, I'd get behind this suggestion too.

However, if I'm OP, I would take that raw video and first edit it into finalized video, cropping off bits that I don't care if I ever see again so that I end up with a quality video(s) that is exactly what I want to remember. THEN I run that edited "masterpiece" through HB at good quality settings to get ideal content and optimized file sizes.

Comparing to VHS and similar is misguided in multiple levels. Digital vs analog, etc.

Not at all. The point was VHS converted to a digital file vs. OPs 1080p or 4K videos as a digital file. Take a look at those relatively small VHS digital file sizes on a 4K screen and it immediately makes the intended point... which is a cautionary one about cutting OPs 4K or 1080p to 720p to save space in 2025. OP may wish they hadn't done that in 2035 or 2045... just as I wish I could have all family videos shot in VHS re-captured at 4K now.

The only problem is what the original post by @Gregintosh asked: how to do this all automatically, without having to turn it into a multiple-weekend project with many risks. And as he said I hope some app, or even some functionality in Photos.app, will appear. It will only get more necessary with time.

That's NOT the "only" problem. OP is letting an immediate objective potentially cloud his long-term enjoyment with ideas like converting much higher resolution down to 720p to "save space." OP needs to give that careful thought as he can certainly do that and it will save a lot of space. But unless OP keeps the original or a quality re-rerender of the original, there's no getting to 2035 or 2045 and converting that 720p to 1080 or 4K or 8K or 16K by then... just as there's no converting VHS quality shot 20-40 years ago into 4K now.

You make several good points but several others seem to miss other good points.

 

[mijail]

Maybe I should clarify that if I had a professional photographer taking pictures in my wedding then surely I would be more careful with the resulting library. But that's not the same as storing the random, shaken, poorly lit pics and videos I took yesterday on my phone while having a beer with friends.

My library is of the 2nd kind - mostly.

And if they only re-compress same resolution, how compression works is throwing out detail in the name of yielding a smaller file. That is literally sacrificing quality (detail) for smaller files.

As I already said,
> If anyone thinks "lossy compression", they should read about "perceptually lossless" usage.

Remember that new codecs are typically targeted to give "same quality with X% less space". iOS transitioned from H.264 and JPEG to H.265 and HEIC back in iOS 11 and saved about 50% with each. You can just go through your old JPEGs and convert them to HEICs yourself to get that ~50% freed.

And as I already mentioned, I'm saving much more in the videos. Do I really need a 4K 30fps 48kHz stereo Blu-Ray-quality video of my friend trying to tell a joke in the pub? Or the shaky ones recording a roadtrip from the car window? No, I'm more than happy to reduce the resolution.

One big fat, relatively cheap HDD can hold a ton of media.

I want to keep my library in my laptop drive if at all possible. And I want all my drives to be backed up to an encrypted cloud. Both points benefit from having a smaller media library.

I know some people prefer to have external drives and multiple local backups to avoid "the cloud". I was one of them, went through my externals phase, then my networked NAS phase, dealt with the RAID and SMART mess.
Eventually I got better. I'm happier now.

However, if I'm OP, I would take that raw video and first edit it into finalized video, cropping off bits that I don't care if I ever see again so that I end up with a quality video(s) that is exactly what I want to remember. THEN I run that edited "masterpiece" through HB at good quality settings to get ideal content and optimized file sizes.

So if I get that correctly, in your case you shoot raw video with your phone, deal with the huge files, and then take the extra time to edit them and turn them into a "masterpiece".

To me, that is bonkers, absolute overkill. I like to take pics and videos carelessly. And when I go on holidays with my friends, we all end up with a ton of pics and short videos in different formats. I delete those clearly uninteresting, and store the rest.

just as I wish I could have all family videos shot in VHS re-captured at 4K now.

What kind of magic "re-capture" would turn the approx 480×320 of VHS into 4K??😅

but it also throws away picture data. You may not see it today, but in the future when you try to make a large print, move to an 8K or 16 K monitor ....

1. Even if one cared for printing pics, that doesn't change the fact that videos are the ones taking up the most space.
2. When you display your stuff on a 16K monitor but your phone captures at 4K, where do you think those extra pixels came from?
3. How many pics do you have in your library, and how many of them merit "large prints"?
4. When you see a "large print", is it in a wall to be seen from a few steps away, or do you get closer to pixel-peek?
5. Somehow people used to live with large prints made from analog pics taken with throwaway cameras.

Finally, let's remember that people tend to overrate resolution, maybe because it's easier to compare numbers than "quality". Remember the megapixel wars? But having more detail isn't necessarily better - which is why grain, noise or blurriness are sometimes added on purpose: it can look better.

Myself, I printed 3.2 MPixel pics in the early 2000s and it was hard to find a difference to analog, standard-sized prints. I don't remember printing pics since then, and I don't expect that to change.

Part of my library is in 3.2 MP, 5MP sizes - those were the camera qualities at the time. We all lived with that. My current iPhone's minimum seems to be 12MP - bonkers, again. I bet I'll be OK.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

Unless you are also gregintosh, this is not about you (or me). Do your storage, compressing, file managing, etc however you like. Others like me are trying to help OP. You don’t seem to need help because you believe you have it all figured out. If so, good for you. And if OP agrees, your ways can be applied by him too.

OP started a thread looking for help. Several are trying to give it. He’s now seen your approach and mine and others. Hopefully OP chooses whatever makes most sense to him.

 

[mijail]

Of course it's not about you or me; it's about what the OP asked, which is literally downconverting his Photos.app library.

Instead of helping with that, you wrote 1000+ words about why he shouldn't do it. So I don't see how you helped.
And that's why I tried explaining why of course downconverting makes sense, and how I am doing exactly what OP wanted.

I'm sure OP will do whatever he wants. Why wouldn't he?

 

[960design]

One big fat, relatively cheap HDD can hold a ton of media. OP is describing the collection now as totaling only 260GB. 5000GB externals can be had for about $100 and one can get 15000-20000GBs for only about 2.5 times that.

I have two local servers, micro 7090s for storage and many other things. You can pick them up for about $100 each, then throw in another couple hundred to get the ram up to 16-32GB and storage up to 2-8TB.
I also have several 2TB samsung usb-c drives in various drawers and one in my backpack for quick transfers.

 

[HDFan]

How many pics do you have in your library,

~ 220K in my main library

how many of them merit "large prints"?

I never print any picture. I do, however, zoom in on them on my Vision Pro Virtual display looking for details. When expanded to 7 feet x 4 feet lower quality photos are unwatchable.