Saving, backups and privacy
Keep your editable book and originals safe, move projects carefully and understand on-device processing.
PhotoBooks 1.2.0 · User guide · Reviewed
Keep the editable document#
PhotoBooks uses native document files. On Mac, use the document’s Save command and choose a location you will recognize; on iPhone and iPad, use the system document interface to manage the file. Reopen the saved document to confirm it contains the expected pages.
The document stores the book structure and references to photos. It does not embed all full-resolution originals. Keep the source images or Photos library available for editing and export. An exported PDF does not preserve the full editable project.
Back up a book and its original photos#
- Save the book and let the save finish before copying it.
- Back up the complete document package, not just a file extracted from inside it.
- Back up the original image folders or the Photos library separately. Keep a copy on another drive or in your normal backup system.
- Test recovery by reopening a copied book with its sources available, checking for missing-photo warnings and exporting a PDF.
The document can retain one previous saved book-data generation for corruption recovery. That built-in fallback does not back up your original photos and does not replace a separate backup. Copying a book to another device also does not guarantee that its original photo references will resolve there.
Understand local processing and network access#
Photo selection analysis and book layout run on your device. PhotoBooks does not upload your photo library to a Graphic Meat server or require an account for making a book.
This does not mean every workflow is offline. Apple Photos may download iCloud originals; your chosen file location may use cloud storage. The direct Mac build checks for updates, and App Store services or optional feedback may use the network. Keep needed originals available locally before working without a connection.
See the app privacy policy for more information. To share a finished book without sharing its editable sources, export a Digital PDF.