Mac Photos App Stuck Downloading Pictures
- 1. Photos Transfer
- 2. Music Transfer
- 3. Contacts Transfer
Oct 06, 2018 Recently, after using my Mac’s Photos app and uploading some photos, I wasn’t able to close Photos. I saw a pop-up message that Photos was “Closing the Library.” I left it “as is” for hours only to see that same message still there–it was still stuck on “Closing the Library” message. My Photos app is exhibiting the same problem: stuck at 'Downloading 23,619 Originals'. I've logged out and back into iCloud on the Mac and even created a new Photos library. Nothing seems to work.
by Jenefey AaronUpdated on 2020-03-29 / Update for iOS File Transfer
“I can’t import photos from my iPhone to my Mac on Catalina. They just won’t appear on the preview. Why can't import Photos from iPhone to Mac. Anyone else having this issue?”
iPhone camera allows us to capture the memorable moments and save the tracks of our life. Sometimes we transfer pictures from iPhone to Mac to make backups and iPhoto/Photos app can be the best choice. Many people have upgraded their iPhone to iOS 13/12/11/10 to get away from the crank calls or to gain more fluent experience of watching videos. However, some users may encounter several annoying problems after iOS update, cannot import photos from iPhone to Mac is the one I came across on Apple Support Community.
Part 1: How to Fix Cannot Import Photos from iPhone to Mac
If you cannot import photos from iPhone to Mac after iOS update, below are some possible fixes for you:
Now trying to download approx 26,000 photos from my iCloud Photo library. I want to keep all my original photos on my iMac. Photos has been stuck on 'Downloading 23,544 Originals' for days, the number doesn't not change. The Mac is connected to my router via ethernet cable and machine has been left awake. Apple Photos on Mac OS - iCloud download stuck on 'Updating' Issue Macbook Air (MacOS 10.11 - El Capitan) with empty Photos library cannot download photos from iCloud (previously uploaded by another Macbook). ICloud Photo Library status in Photos Preferences iCloud stuck on ' Updating ' for over 24 hours.
- Disconnect your iPhone and plug it back to try again.
- Reset Location & Privacy on iPhone Setting
- Import A Few Photos at One Time
- Turn off iCloud Photo Library
- Restart iPhone and Mac
- Reinstall macOS Catalina
On your iPhone, go to “Setting” application > General > Reset > Reset Location & Privacy. After setting, re-connect your iPhone to your macbook and tap “Trust on iPhone” when it prompts.
Sometimes, if you are importing lots of photos from iPhone to Mac at one time, it will easily cause the photos app get stuck, so you can try to import a small fraction of photos when you can’t import photos from iPhone to Mac.
On iPhone setting, go to Apple ID > iCloud > Photos, turn off the “iCloud Photos Library”.
Part 2: How to Import Photos from iPhone to Mac
Solution 1: Get Photos from iPhone to Mac with Preview
Preview allows you to view anything on the Mac and pictures are included. Thus this is an easy way for importing iPhone photos to Mac. /hue-disco-mac-app.html.
- Connect your iPhone to Mac via a USB cable and then launch “Preview”.
- Click File on the left of your screen and choose Import from your iPhone.
- Select the photos you need to transfer and then click Import or Import All.
Solution 2: Transfer iPhone Photos to Mac Wirelessly

If you want to upload several pictures to your Mac and the iPhoto won’t work, Email will be the easiest way.
Podcast desktop app mac. Open the Photos app on your iPhone and go to album, tap an album to choose the target one. Select the picture you want and tap on Share, Email. Type your Email address and hit Send. You can download the photos from your email on Mac with ease.
Solution 3: Get Photos from iPhone to Mac with Tenorshare iCareFone
To import photos from iPhone to mac successfully, we highly recommend you Tenorshare iCareFone Mac, best alternative to iPhoto to upload all your iPhone pictures, music, call history as well as other data to computer without using iTunes.
Tenorshare iCareFone now fully supports iOS 13/12/11/10 and iPhone 11/Xs/Xs Max/XR/X/8/8 Plus/7/6/SE/5.
Step 1: Run the software after free downloading and installation, connect iPhone to computer and then choose “File Manager” on the main interface.
Step 2: Choose the “Photos” icon to preview all of the photos in your iPhone.
Step 3: Select the one you need and click “Export” button to save the photos in your computer.
Now you have imported all your photos to computer successfully. If you still have any questions or you got any better ideas, don’t forget to leave us a message!
Video Guide
Photos in macOS Catalina has an immersive, dynamic look that showcases your best photos. Find the shots you’re looking for with powerful search options. Organize your collection into albums, or keep your photos organized automatically with smart albums. Perfect your images with intuitive built-in editing tools, or use your favorite photos apps. And with iCloud Photos, you can keep all your photos and videos stored in iCloud and up to date on your Mac, Apple TV, iPhone, iPad, and even your PC.
A smarter way to find your favorites.
Photos in macOS Catalina intelligently declutters and curates your photos and videos — so you can easily see your best memories.
Focus on your best shots.
Photos emphasizes the best shots in your library, hiding duplicates, receipts, and screenshots. Days, Months, and Years views organize your photos by when they were taken. Your best shots are highlighted with larger previews, and Live Photos and videos play automatically, bringing your library to life. Photos also highlights important moments like birthdays, anniversaries, and trips in the Months and Years views.
Your memories. Now playing.
Memories finds your best photos and videos and weaves them together into a memorable movie — complete with theme music, titles, and cinematic transitions — that you can personalize and share. So you can enjoy a curated collection of your trips, holidays, friends, family, pets, and more. And when you use iCloud Photos, all edits automatically sync to your other devices.
The moment you’re looking for, always at hand.
With Search, you can look for photos based on who’s in them or what’s in them — like strawberries or sunsets. Or combine search terms, like “beach 2017.” If you’re looking for photos you imported a couple of months ago, use the expanded import history to look back at each batch in chronological order. And in the My Albums tab, you’ll find your videos, selfies, panoramas, and other media types automatically organized into separate albums.
Fill your library, not your device.
iCloud Photos can help you make the most of the space on your Mac. When you choose “Optimize Mac Storage,” all your full‑resolution photos and videos are stored in iCloud in their original formats, with storage-saving versions kept on your Mac as space is needed. You can also optimize storage on your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch, so you can access more photos and videos than ever before. You get 5GB of free storage in iCloud — and as your library grows, you have the option to choose a plan for up to 2TB.
Make an edit here, see it there. When you make changes on your Mac like editing a photo, marking a Favorite, or adding to an album, they’re kept up to date on your iPhone, your iPad, and iCloud.com. And vice versa — any changes made on your iOS or iPadOS devices are automatically reflected on your Mac.

All your photos on all your devices. iCloud Photos gives you access to your entire Mac photo and video library from all your devices. If you shoot a snapshot, slo-mo, or selfie on your iPhone, it’s automatically added to iCloud Photos — so it appears on your Mac, iOS and iPadOS devices, Apple TV, iCloud.com, and your PC. Even the photos and videos imported from your DSLR, GoPro, or drone to your Mac appear on all your iCloud Photos–enabled devices. And since your collection is organized the same way across your Apple devices, navigating your library always feels familiar.
Resize. Crop. Collage. Zoom. Warp. GIF. And more.
Create standout photos with a comprehensive set of powerful but easy-to-use editing tools. Instantly transform photos taken in Portrait mode with five different studio-quality lighting effects. Choose Enhance to improve your photo with just a click. Then use a filter to give it a new look. Or use Smart Sliders to quickly edit like a pro even if you’re a beginner. Markup lets you add text, shapes, sketches, or a signature to your images. And you can turn Live Photos into fun, short video loops to share. You can also make edits to photos using third-party app extensions like Pixelmator, or edit a photo in an app like Photoshop and save your changes to your Photos library.
- LightBrilliance, a slider in Light, automatically brightens dark areas and pulls in highlights to reveal hidden details and make your photo look richer and more vibrant.
- ColorMake your photo stand out by adjusting saturation, color contrast, and color cast.
- Black & WhiteAdd some drama by taking the color out. Fine-tune intensity and tone, or add grain for a film-quality black-and-white effect.
- White BalanceChoose between Neutral Gray, Skin Tone, and Temperature/Tint options to make colors in your photo warmer or cooler.
- CurvesMake fine-tuned contrast and color adjustments to your photos.
- LevelsAdjust midtones, highlights, and shadows to perfect the tonal balance in your photo.
- DefinitionIncrease image clarity by adjusting the definition slider.
- Selective ColorWant to make blues bluer or greens greener? Use Selective Color to bring out specific colors in your image.
- VignetteAdd shading to the edges of your photo to highlight a powerful moment.
- Editing ExtensionsDownload third-party editing extensions from the Mac App Store to add filters and texture effects, use retouching tools, reduce noise, and more.
- Reset AdjustmentsWhen you’ve made an edit, you can judge it against the original by clicking Compare. If you don’t like how it looks, you can reset your adjustments or revert to your original shot.
Bring even more life to your Live Photos. When you edit a Live Photo, the Loop effect can turn it into a continuous looping video that you can experience again and again. Try Bounce to play the action forward and backward. Or choose Long Exposure for a beautiful DSLR‑like effect to blur water or extend light trails. You can also trim, mute, and select a key photo for each Live Photo.
Add some fun filters.
With just a click, you can apply one of nine photo filters inspired by classic photography styles to your photos.
Mac Photos Stuck Downloading
Share here, there, and everywhere.
Photo Downloading App
Use the Share menu to easily share photos via Shared Albums and AirDrop. Or send photos to your favorite photo sharing destinations, such as Facebook and Twitter. You can also customize the menu and share directly to other compatible sites that offer sharing extensions.
Turn your pictures into projects.
Making high-quality projects and special gifts for loved ones is easier than ever with Photos. Create everything from gorgeous photo books to professionally framed gallery prints to stunning websites using third-party project extensions like Motif, Mimeo Photos, Shutterfly, ifolor, WhiteWall, Mpix, Fujifilm, and Wix.