Resolved How To Create A New Photos Library?

[jparker402]

Would like to create a new Photos Library on my MacBook Air running Monterey 12.2. Found Apple Support article and YouTube videos explaining to hold Option and select Photos Library in dock. That gives me options, but opening a new Photos Library is not one of them. Never tried this before, so don't know if 12.2 update goofed something up or not. Thanks!

 

[DeltaMac]

If you hold Option, then click on the Photos app icon in the Dock, you should get a window allowing to to both choose a different Photos library from a list, and the choice to "Create New..." by clicking the "Create New..." button. There's also a button for "Other Library"
I'm using Monterey 12.3 beta, but it's no different in Monterey than in Mojave. I don't actually keep a Photos icon in my Dock, so I have to Option-doubleclick the Photos app - same exact result.
If that is not what you see, how about a screen shot of what YOU get?

 

[jparker402]

I get this.

 

[chown33]

View attachment 1952498
I get this.

The Photos app isn't running in your screenshot. After it's been opened (launched), an app's Dock menu will often present different options. A simple example of this is Mail.app.

 

[jparker402]

I thought what I had originally read said that Photos was suppose to be turned off to start. But here I went ahead and turned it on first. Still do not see anything about a new Library option. Clearly, since others seem to find that option, I am doing something wrong. But I do not know what.

 

[chown33]

I misread the directions posted by DeltaMac. He's saying to hold down the OPTION key, then open the Photos app. He's NOT saying that a list of options will appear in the Dock icon, but that when the Photos app launches with OPTION key held down, it presents a window and one of the choices there is to create a new library.

Be sure to hold the OPTION key down until after Photos has launched. It needs to see that key pressed, otherwise it won't be able to see anything different.

 

[jparker402]

I misread the directions posted by DeltaMac. He's saying to hold down the OPTION key, then open the Photos app. He's NOT saying that a list of options will appear in the Dock icon, but that when the Photos app launches with OPTION key held down, it presents a window and one of the choices there is to create a new library.

Be sure to hold the OPTION key down until after Photos has launched. It needs to see that key pressed, otherwise it won't be able to see anything different.

That works!!! Thank you, thank you! The "trick" apparently is to hold down the Option key and keep it held down all the way through Photos launching.