How can I selectively upload photos from a local drive to iCloud?

I have over 4 TB of photos on a drive attached to my desktop which is connected to my photo app on desktop. I would like to use the cloud. Is there a way to only upload part of my photos? I don't want to sync or upload 2/3 of the photos. they are just fine stored on my drive.


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Mac Pro, macOS 12.7

Posted on May 1, 2025 10:42 AM

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Posted on May 1, 2025 10:44 AM

Syncing is all or nothing. You can create a separate library with just the photos you intend to sync. Hold down the option key when opening photos to create a new library it will need to be the system library and have iCloud enabled.

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May 2, 2025 10:29 AM in response to Daniel Mcabee1

As muguy suggests, many of us have multiple Libraries-- I have a Favorites Library and an Archive Library, for instance. Only one Library, the System Library, can be connected to iCloud, and for me, that's the smaller Favorites Library. I use the trusted 3rd party app PowerPhotos ($30) to help copy pictures, albums, and folders between libraries.

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How can I selectively upload photos from a local drive to iCloud?

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