Photo Booth Image File Location on Mac OS X
Your Photo Booth images and videos are stored in a hidden folder inside your home directory: ~/Pictures/Photo Booth Library/. To see them, open Finder, press Command+Shift+G, paste ~/Pictures/Photo Booth Library, and press Return. This works on macOS versions from Snow Leopard through Sonoma.
Why the Folder Is Hidden
Apple hides the Photo Booth Library folder to prevent you from accidentally moving or deleting individual images, which would break the app’s internal organization. The folder is marked as hidden with the hidden flag, so it doesn’t appear in the Pictures folder by default. Finder’s Command+Shift+G shortcut bypasses this by letting you type the path directly.
Inside, you’ll find:
- Pictures – a folder containing all still photos as
.jpgfiles, named with a timestamp (e.g.,Photo on 4-15-24 at 10.30 AM.jpg). - Movies – a folder containing video recordings as
.movfiles, named similarly. - Thumbnails – a folder with small preview images used by the app’s filmstrip view.
- Recent – a folder that tracks the last-used items for the app’s interface.
How Photo Booth Organizes Files
When you take a photo or record a video, Photo Booth saves the file immediately to the appropriate subfolder. The app uses a flat structure—no subfolders by date or album—so all images are in one place. The filename includes the date and time, but if you take multiple shots in the same minute, it appends a number (e.g., Photo on 4-15-24 at 10.30 AM 2.jpg).
The Photos app on macOS can import these files, but Photo Booth does not sync with iCloud automatically. If you use iCloud Photos, your Photo Booth images may appear in the Photos library if you have “My Photo Stream” enabled, but the original files remain in the local folder.
How to Access the Folder
There are three reliable ways to get to your Photo Booth files:
- Finder’s Go to Folder: Open Finder, press Command+Shift+G, type
~/Pictures/Photo Booth Library, and press Return. - Terminal: Open Terminal and type
open ~/Pictures/Photo Booth Library/to open the folder in Finder. - Make it visible permanently: In Terminal, run
chflags nohidden ~/Pictures/Photo Booth Libraryto unhide it. Then it will appear in the Pictures folder like any other folder.
If you prefer a graphical method, you can also right-click the Photo Booth app icon in the Dock, hold Option, and select “Library”—but that opens the app’s support folder, not your images. The steps above are the direct route.
Common Problems and Fixes
If you can’t find the folder, it may be because your Pictures folder is also hidden or because you’re looking in the wrong user account. Each user has their own Photo Booth Library inside their own Pictures folder. If you’re logged in as a different user, you won’t see the other user’s images unless you have administrator access and navigate to their home folder.
Another common issue: after upgrading macOS, the folder may be renamed or relocated. In older versions (pre-Lion), Photo Booth stored images inside ~/Pictures/Photo Booth/ directly, not in a Library subfolder. If you have an old Mac, check both locations. If you still can’t find it, use Spotlight: press Command+Space, type Photo Booth Library, and it should appear under “Folders”—if not, your files may be corrupted or the app may not have created the folder yet (take a test photo first).
How to Export or Move Your Photos
To copy images out of Photo Booth, you don’t need to touch the hidden folder. Open Photo Booth, select the images you want (click one, then Command+click others), then drag them to a Finder window or desktop. Or use File > Export in the menu bar to save copies to a chosen location. This is the safest way because it doesn’t risk breaking the app’s internal references.
If you prefer to work directly with the files, copying the entire “Photo Booth Library” folder to an external drive is a reliable backup. To restore, replace the folder in the same location while Photo Booth is closed. If you only need a few images, drag them out of the hidden folder to your Desktop—Photo Booth won’t notice they’re gone, but the thumbnails may remain until you restart the app.
What About iCloud and Other Macs?
Photo Booth does not sync its library across devices. If you sign into iCloud on a new Mac, your Photo Booth images from the old Mac won’t appear automatically. To move them, copy the entire “Photo Booth Library” folder to the new Mac’s ~/Pictures/ folder, then open Photo Booth. The app will rebuild its thumbnails from the files.
If you use iCloud Photos, your Photo Booth images may be uploaded to iCloud if you have “My Photo Stream” enabled, but that only shares to other devices, not back to Photo Booth. To keep a permanent copy, export your favorites to the Photos app or a regular folder.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why can’t I see the Photo Booth Library folder in Finder?
Because it’s hidden by default. Use Command+Shift+G and type the path, or unhide it with the chflags nohidden command in Terminal. Once unhidden, it will stay visible until you hide it again.
Can I delete individual photos from the hidden folder?
Yes, but it’s not recommended because Photo Booth’s thumbnail cache may become out of sync. Instead, delete photos inside the app by selecting them and pressing Delete. If you must delete files manually, close Photo Booth first, then remove the files, and reopen the app—it will rebuild the thumbnails.
Where are Photo Booth videos stored?
Videos are in the Movies subfolder inside the Photo Booth Library. They are saved as .mov files with the same timestamp naming convention as photos.
How do I move Photo Booth photos to an external drive?
Open Photo Booth, select the photos, and drag them to the external drive’s Finder window. Or copy the entire “Photo Booth Library” folder to the drive for a full backup. To restore, replace the folder in ~/Pictures/ with the backup.
Does Photo Booth store photos in iCloud?
No, Photo Booth does not have its own iCloud sync. If you have iCloud Photos enabled, your images may appear in the Photos app via My Photo Stream, but the original files remain on your Mac. To sync them across devices, export them to the Photos app and enable iCloud Photos.
Related
Method: the standard formula for this calculation, rounded as each result states. See how the calculators work or report an error.