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Documentation / PhotoBooks / Troubleshooting

Troubleshooting

Recover missing photos, diagnose unavailable actions and get useful help for an import or export problem.

PhotoBooks 1.2.0 · User guide · Reviewed

Relink missing photos from a folder#

  1. Open the book and choose Relink… in the missing-photos banner.
  2. For moved image files, choose Relink from Folder… and select the folder that now contains them.
  3. Check the result and confirm that the affected pages display their images again.
  4. If an original is no longer available, restore it from your backup or choose Remove from Book and refill its frames.

A photo deleted from Apple Photos cannot be relinked by choosing a folder. The dialog explains this distinction. Removing a missing photo from the book clears its frames; it does not recreate the original. Do not delete your source photos after saving a book.

Check selection, locks and context#

Select a page or photo before opening its actions. Make key is unavailable when the selected photo cannot grow or its frame is locked. Density and spread controls depend on an eligible interior page. Place Remaining Photos is unavailable when the tray is empty.

If rebuilding seems to do nothing, inspect page and photo locks. If the book’s exported background looks different from the workspace, check that you changed Page Background or Book Background, rather than Canvas.

Open a book saved by a newer app version#

If PhotoBooks says a book was saved using a newer format, update the app before reopening it. The direct Mac build provides Check for Updates…; App Store installations receive updates through the App Store.

If the file is damaged, preserve the existing document and restore a known-good backup. Keep the original images alongside your recovery work. Avoid editing the package’s internal data to bypass an error.

Send enough detail for support to reproduce it#

Use the PhotoBooks contact form. Include your app version, device and OS version, whether the photos came from Apple Photos or a folder, the chosen book format and export type, and the exact error or sequence of actions.

For a missing-photo problem, mention whether files were moved, a drive disconnected, or Photos access changed. You do not need to include private photos to describe those steps.

Related questions

Need a hand?

Contact PhotoBooks support. Include your app version, device and OS version, photo source, and the steps that led to the problem.