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why am I seeing the pictures I have stored using another account appearing in this laptop having a different account?

I was using this laptop with my personal account. Recently I created a work account and this laptop (MacBook Pro - running on M1 chip) has only one account at the moment - yet my earlier personal account pictures that I had linked with my iPhone and iPad are appearing in this laptops Photos App. If I delete them here, will they get deleted in my personal account as well? What do I need to do to remove my personal pictures from this laptop?

Posted on Nov 24, 2024 9:38 PM

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4 replies

Nov 25, 2024 8:59 AM in response to sraodlv

Where is your Photos Library located? If you're not sure, you can find out by closing Photos and then option-clicking the Photos icon. That should open a "Choose Library" dialog. This is mine:

I have a bunch of Libraries; the one I'm currently using is first in the list. That one is listed as the System Library (the one connected to iCloud,) and its location is shown to be in the Pictures Folder in my User's folder.


Things in my User's folder are private, and they can't be accessed by another user. But a Library that's on an external drive, for instance, can be accessed by others.


By work account and personal account, are you referring to computer users, or do you mean Apple IDs (now called Apple Accounts,) or something else?


Do you use iCloud Photos? If so, what do you see at iCloud.com?

Nov 25, 2024 9:02 AM in response to sraodlv

I recall something similar happening to me. I have an appleid for work and one for personal. After 18 update some pictures from my personal account appeared in photos on my work account. I don’t ever recall sending photos from one to the other. I just deleted them off work phone. Hasn’t happened since but was strange to say the least

Nov 25, 2024 7:45 PM in response to Richard.Taylor

Hi Richard,


Thank you for your detailed explanation. I was referring to my Apple ID. I was using my MacBook for personal and official - both mixed together. Later, I thought it better to separate them. In that process, I removed all my personal stuff from work laptop to my other MacBook which is running in my personal Apple ID.


I created a separate work Apple ID and I logged out of my personal Apple ID in the older laptop. I thought by doing all the stuff would have disappeared from my laptop. I cleared up the hard disk of all my personal stuff too. Then upon checking the photos app, which is linked to iCloud, I thought that would also go away on its own since the Apple ID is changed. On the work laptop, I continued with the same computer user ID.


I tried to follow your advise to check where the photos are stored on the work laptop. I could not reach the portion where it asks the user to choose the library. I checked the iCloud.com using the work Apple ID. There were no photos but the laptop had. I simply went ahead and deleted all the photos manually.


I think allowing the users to choose the place of storage of photos is cool. Will try to look for some help on that separately.


Thank you once again for your help.


Regards

Sanjay

why am I seeing the pictures I have stored using another account appearing in this laptop having a different account?

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