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Photos - How can I add faces that the photos app does not recognise?

Shaun Charlesworth

Shaun Charlesworth

macrumors newbie
Original poster
May 16, 2020
7
8
Is there a way to manually add faces in the photos app?

I cannot seem to get on with it - I assume it's Apple intentions to keep things "simple" which at the same time also cause problems
 
Not in iOS/iPadOS.
In macOS's Photos app, yes, and the manually added faces also sync to iOS/iPadOS (as if they would have been detected automatically).
 
BBDDVV said:
Not in iOS/iPadOS.
In macOS's Photos app, yes, and the manually added faces also sync to iOS/iPadOS (as if they would have been detected automatically).
Click to expand...
Thanks - I figured this was the only option. Seems a little crazy to me to have to do that - it's almost like Apple's lost what made them truly great with just having great simple software.
 
BBDDVV said:
Not in iOS/iPadOS.
In macOS's Photos app, yes, and the manually added faces also sync to iOS/iPadOS (as if they would have been detected automatically).
Click to expand...

Of course it is possible via iOS/iPadOS!

Open a Foto of the person in question, tap the "i" at the bottom or scroll up to bring up the photo's details.
Then, all deteced faces appear in the lower left corner. You can tap on them and add a name and so adding this person into your persons-folder.
 
Cobold said:
Of course it is possible via iOS/iPadOS!

Open a Foto of the person in question, tap the "i" at the bottom or scroll up to bring up the photo's details.
Then, all deteced faces appear in the lower left corner. You can tap on them and add a name and so adding this person into your persons-folder.
Click to expand...
That works fine when the software detects a face - but you can't add one in when the software decides it can't find it.
 
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I agree it would be a great addition to add this capability to iOS and iPadOS.

It’s not a very good workaround, but I often type the person’s name into the Caption field just so I can find it when I search.
 
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As much as Apple likes to tout iPads as Mac replacements, it's just not going to happen until they close up gaps like this.
 
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ignatius345 said:
As much as Apple likes to tout iPads as Mac replacements, it's just not going to happen until they close up gaps like this.
Click to expand...
I'm no software engineer - but I'd rather have a basic feature to do something myself manually - than rely on some AI magic that doesn't work 100% and then leaves me with no way to make the change.

Surely Apples concentrating on the 2nd option that is way more complex before doing what I'd think adding a simple feature.

And whilst the 2nd option may ultimately be the better option long term - until its 100% then it shouldn't be my only option
 
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Shaun Charlesworth said:
I'm no software engineer - but I'd rather have a basic feature to do something myself manually - than rely on some AI magic that doesn't work 100% and then leaves me with no way to make the change.

Surely Apples concentrating on the 2nd option that is way more complex before doing what I'd think adding a simple feature.

And whilst the 2nd option may ultimately be the better option long term - until its 100% then it shouldn't be my only option
Click to expand...
Well, to be fair face recognition is a bit of both. You need a manual way to add/edit/remove recognized faces from the database, but the actual recognition is a machine learning exercise -- and one I have found incredibly helpful myself.

I think it's important to draw a distinction between generative AI dreck like Image Playground and things like face recognition that do actual useful work.
 
ignatius345 said:
Well, to be fair face recognition is a bit of both. You need a manual way to add/edit/remove recognized faces from the database, but the actual recognition is a machine learning exercise -- and one I have found incredibly helpful myself.

I think it's important to draw a distinction between generative AI dreck like Image Playground and things like face recognition that do actual useful work.
Click to expand...
Totally agree - was just using AI as an example as all the tech companies have jumped on that

Whatever we think I don't think Apple will be reading these comments though 🤣 - guess I'll just live with it how it is.
And to be fair it does actually do a good job at detecting them and naming them, it's just that last 10% of fine tweaking that's frustrating.
 
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I agree with the OP, let me be in charge.

In that vein, let me ask the opposite question. Hoe can I manually delete faces that the photo App fine? I have about 10 faces that are displayed but they are just miscellaneous faces from scenes.

Same issue as OP but in reverse.

Thx

For example, delete the faces not add them....
IMG_1572.jpeg
 
Last edited:
obviously not after tapping Add People ( ;-) ), but when seeing all people (i.e. Cancel the dialog you're showing), select one person, then in the upper right hand corner tap the ... button and tap the last entry in that menu: Remove this person from People & Pets
 
I did that but it didn't work. My option was to "hide" not "remove" and it still appears on the above screen.
 
hmm, I don't have people to add, only pets. When selecting a pet, then using the ... button and tapping the last entry Remove this pet from People & Pets, and then again tapping it in the confirmation dialog, this pet is no longer showing in the list of people and pets...
IMG_6197.JPEG
 
oh, I think I realize the disconnect (!), you're not looking at the named people and pets list that has some unnamed persons (or pets in my case) at the bottom, but you actually tap the Add People & Pets and in the list it's then showing you'd like to remove some of the suggestions?
 
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