Export Photos, Videos, Slideshows, And Memories From Photos On Mac

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macOS Tahoe 26 macOS Sequoia 15 macOS Sonoma 14 macOS Ventura 13 macOS Monterey 12 macOS Big Sur 11.0 macOS Catalina 10.15 macOS Mojave 10.14 Select version: macOS Tahoe 26 macOS Sequoia 15 macOS Sonoma 14 macOS Ventura 13 macOS Monterey 12 macOS Big Sur 11.0 macOS Catalina 10.15 macOS Mojave 10.14 Modifying this control will update this page automatically Search this guide Clear Search Table of Contents

Photos User Guide

• Welcome
• Get started
• Import photos and videos
  • Overview of importing
  • Use iCloud Photos
  • Import from a camera or phone
  • Import from storage devices
  • Import from Mail, Safari and other apps
  • Import from another photo library
  • Where are the items I imported?
• View and find photos
  • Browse your photo library
  • Browse photo collections
  • View photos and videos
  • View photo bursts
  • See photo and video information
  • Find photos and videos
    • Find photos and videos by date
    • Find and name people and pets
    • Find group photos and videos
    • Find photos and videos by location
    • View photos and videos you recently saved
    • Find your travel photos and videos
    • Find receipts, documents, recently edited photos and more
    • Find screenshots, Live Photos and more by media type
  • Filter and search for photos
    • Filter your photo library
    • Search for photos and videos
  • Use Live Text to interact with text in a photo
  • Use Visual Look Up to learn more about a photo
  • Isolate and share a photo’s subject
  • Delete photos and videos or recover deleted ones
  • Remove duplicates
  • Hide photos and videos from view
  • Add titles, captions and more
  • Add keywords
• Enjoy your photos in albums and memories
  • Organise photos in albums
    • Create and work with albums
    • Group albums in folders
    • Create Smart Albums
  • View memories
    • Watch memories
    • Personalise memories
    • Feature certain people and content less
• Edit photos and videos
  • Editing basics
  • Crop and straighten photos and videos.
  • Adjust the look of a photo
    • Add filters
    • Adjust light, exposure and colour
    • Remove distractions and imperfections
    • Remove red-eye
    • Adjust white balance
    • Apply curves adjustments
    • Apply levels adjustments
    • Adjust definition
    • Adjust specific colours
    • Reduce noise
    • Sharpen a photo
    • Apply a vignette
    • Change Photographic Styles
    • Change a Portrait mode photo
  • Write or draw on a photo
  • Use other apps when editing in Photos
  • Change a Live Photo
  • Change a video
  • Edit a Cinematic mode video
• Share photos and videos
  • Share photos and videos
  • Shared albums
    • Turn on Shared Albums
    • Create or join shared albums
    • Add, remove and edit photos and videos in a shared album
    • Add and remove people in a shared album
  • iCloud Shared Photo Library
    • What is iCloud Shared Photo Library?
    • Set up or join a shared library
    • View a shared library
    • Add photos to a shared library
    • Remove photos from a shared library
  • Export photos, videos, slideshows and memories
  • Export a Live Photo as an animated GIF
  • Export a still photo from a video
• Create slideshows and projects
  • Create slideshows
  • Create projects using third-party apps
• Print your photos
  • Print your own photos
  • Order professional prints
• Manage your photo library
  • Photo library overview
  • Create additional libraries
  • Back up your library
  • Restore from Time Machine
  • Repair your photo library
  • Change where photos and videos are stored
• Photos settings
• Keyboard shortcuts and gestures
• Copyright and trademarks

You can export photos, videos, slideshows and memories so you can import them into another app to view and work with them.

Export photos in a selected format

The easiest way to export photos is to drag them to a location in the Finder. You can also use the Export command, which allows you to specify file format, filename and subfolder organisation settings. You can choose the size and format for the exported photos. You can also export a Live Photo as a still image.

Open Photos for me

1. Go to the Photos app on your Mac.

2. Select the item you want to export.

3. Choose File > Export > Export [number] Photos.

4. Click the Photo Kind pop-up menu and choose the file type for the exported photos.

   • JPEG creates small files suitable for use with websites and other photo apps.

   • HEIC is the default image format for Apple devices, offers a more efficient way to store images without compromising image quality.

   • TIFF is a lossless file format that works well for transferring photos between computers and apps.

   • PNG is another lossless file format popular for web images and image editing.

5. To specify the size, quality and other export options for a specific file type, click beside the Photo Kind pop-menu, then select the options you want:

   • JPEG Quality pop-up menu (JPEG files only): Choose a resolution (the number of pixels in the exported image), which affects display and printing quality.

   • 16-Bit tickbox (TIFF files only): Select to export an image compatible with older 16-bit computer devices.

   • Colour Profile pop-up menu: Choose a colour profile to maintain similar display or printing quality on monitors or printers different from your devices.

   • Size pop-up menu: Choose the size of the exported image.

6. Click the File Name pop-up menu and choose how to name the exported files (this step is optional).

   You can name your exported files using the titles you’ve given them in Photos, their filenames, or a filename numbered sequentially. If you choose Sequential, you can specify text to appear before each number (for example, Birthday - 1, Birthday - 2, and so on).

7. Click the Subfolder Format pop-up menu and choose how to divide the exported files into folders.

   For example, if you export photos from several different memories, you can have Photos export the photos in each memory as a subfolder. Choose None to export the photos as individual files without subfolders.

8. Click Export.

9. Choose where to save the exported photo files, then click Export.

Tip: If you’re signed in with your Apple Account and have iCloud Drive turned on, you can export photo files to iCloud Drive, then access them from any Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Vision Pro or Windows PC set up to use iCloud Drive. See Store files in iCloud Drive.

Export photos in their original format

You can export photos in the original file format in which they were imported into your Photos library. A Live Photo is exported as two separate files: a still-image file and a video file.

1. Go to the Photos app on your Mac.

2. Select the items you want to export.

3. Choose File > Export > Export Unmodified Original.

4. If you want to export IPTC information (assigned IPTC metadata and keywords) as a sidecar XMP file, select the Export IPTC as XMP tickbox.

   

5. Click the File Name pop-up menu and choose how to name the exported files (this step is optional).

   You can name your exported files using the titles you’ve given them in Photos, their filenames, or a filename numbered sequentially. If you choose Sequential, you can specify text to appear before each number (for example, Birthday - 1, Birthday - 2, and so on).

6. Click the Subfolder Format pop-up menu and choose how to divide the exported files into folders.

   For example, if you export photos from several different memories, you can have Photos export the photos from each memory as a subfolder. Choose None to export the photos as individual files without subfolders.

7. Click Export.

8. Choose where to save the exported photo files, then click Export Originals.

Export videos

When you export a video, you can choose the movie quality and whether metadata such as a title or caption is included with the exported file.

1. Go to the Photos app on your Mac.

2. Select the videos you want to export.

3. Choose File > Export > Export [number] Videos.

4. Click the Movie Quality pop-up menu and choose the video format for the exported video.

   

   Standard definition (480p) is good for standard-definition TV. If the video will play on a high-definition TV or display, choose one of the high-definition formats: 720p or 1080p. 4K is used for ultra-high-definition TVs and displays.

5. Click the File Name pop-up menu and choose how to name the exported files (this step is optional).

   You can name your exported files using the titles you’ve given them in Photos, their filenames, or a filename numbered sequentially. If you choose Sequential, you can specify text to appear before each number (for example, Birthday - 1, Birthday - 2, and so on).

6. Click the Subfolder Format pop-up menu and choose how to divide the exported files into folders.

   For example, if you export videos from several different days, you can have Photos export each day as a subfolder named after the day. Choose None to export the videos as individual files without subfolders.

7. Click Export.

8. Choose where to save the exported video files, then click Export.

Tip: If you’re signed in with your Apple Account and have iCloud Drive turned on, you can export video files to iCloud Drive, then access them from any Mac, iPhone, iPad or Windows PC set up to use iCloud Drive. See Store files in iCloud Drive.

Export slideshows

You can export slideshows to share with others. When you export a slideshow, Photos creates a video file with the format that you select.

1. Go to the Photos app on your Mac.

2. Click a slideshow below Projects in the sidebar.

3. Click Export in the toolbar, or choose File > Export > Export Slideshow.

4. Enter a filename for your slideshow video in the Save As field.

5. Click the Format pop-up menu and choose a file type for the exported video.

   Standard definition (480p) is good for standard-definition TV. If the slideshow will play on a high-definition TV or display, choose one of the high-definition formats: 720p or 1080p.

6. Choose where to save the exported slideshow video, then click Save.

Export memory videos

You can export memories to share with others. When you export a memory, Photos creates a video file with the video format you select.

1. Go to the Photos app on your Mac.

2. Click Memories in the sidebar, then double-click the memory that you want to export.

   To stop playing a memory, press the Space bar.

3. Choose File > Export > Export Memory Video.

4. Enter a filename for your memory in the Save As field.

5. Click the Where pop-up menu and choose a location for the exported memory.

6. Click the Orientation pop-up menu and choose Landscape, Portrait or Square orientation.

7. Click the Aspect pop-up menu and choose an aspect ratio (16:9, 4:3 or Original).

8. Click Save.

See alsoExport a Live Photo as an animated GIF in Photos on MacExport a still photo from a video on MacShare photos and videos on Mac Helpful? Yes No Character limit: 250 Please don’t include any personal information in your comment. Maximum character limit is 250. Submit Thanks for your feedback.