Organising the library

Create, rename, move and delete Photos albums and folders from Browse’s collection tree.

These actions change Apple Photos and can sync to other devices. Deleting an album leaves its photographs in the library. Structural changes cannot be undone with ⌘Z.

Create or rename. Right-click a collection for New Album Here, New Folder Here, Rename or Delete. Right-click COLLECTION to create at the top level. Creating beside an album places the new collection in its parent. Type the name in the row, press ⏎ to save or esc to cancel. The destination folder opens automatically.

Move a collection. Drag its row onto a folder, or onto empty space below the tree to move it to the top level. Dropping on the current parent does nothing. A folder cannot move inside its own subtree.

Add photographs. Select photographs in Grid and drag them onto an album. Alternatively, right-click the selection and use Add 3 Photographs to Album ▸, whose count follows the selection. When an album is selected, Remove from “‹album›” removes membership without deleting photographs.

Only missing memberships are added. For example, adding ten photographs when three already belong to the album adds seven. Existing members are not duplicated.

Album menu. The menu includes albums in closed folders and ignores the sidebar’s text filter. It follows the tree’s order and hidden-collection settings. Folders without any available albums are omitted. Only albums can be selected.

Organising commands are available in Browse. Choose’s grid context menu omits them.

Folder sources. Disk folders cannot be renamed, moved or deleted here, and their rows cannot be dragged. On a mounted source, New Folder Here… creates an empty directory and Show in Finder opens it. Hide in Frames remains available. Disk folders are excluded from Add to Album.

Limited Photos access. Organising controls are hidden when Frames has access only to selected photographs. Change access in System Settings › Privacy & Security › Photos, then relaunch Frames. Permission changes are not watched during a session. If permission changes while a menu is open, the action displays an explanation instead of changing the library.

Delete confirmation. Deleting a collection requires Frames’ confirmation, which lists affected albums and confirms that photographs remain. Photos does not display another confirmation for collection deletion.

Sync and errors. Frames updates its catalogue only after Photos confirms a change. Failed changes leave it unchanged and show That change was refused. The sidebar is refreshed after either result. Changes made in Photos or on another device are also detected and refresh the tree.

See The collection tree.