Can AlbumRescue put my albums back into Photos?

No. It does not write into Photos. If you want albums back inside Photos from a Time Machine copy, Photos itself can do that for free.

Can it get my photos from iCloud?

No. It only reads what is in the copy of the library you give it. If Optimize Mac Storage kept the originals in iCloud, the scan tells you, and they cannot be saved from this copy.

Does it work with a library on an external drive?

Yes: APFS, encrypted APFS once unlocked, HFS+ and exFAT, including read-only volumes and volumes with ownership ignored.

Does it open or change my library?

No. It copies the library's database to a private place and reads the copy. Your library and backup are only read.

How does it compare with Photos Takeout, PowerPhotos, Photo Library Export and osxphotos?

They are good choices for a working library, and some cost less or can fetch iCloud originals, which AlbumRescue cannot.

Productivity & Personal Tools

AlbumRescue

Mac app that reads Photos libraries from external drives, old Macs, damaged copies or Time Machine backups, and saves albums as folders

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AlbumRescue reads Photos libraries on external drives, damaged copies or Time Machine backups, shows what photos are really stored where, compares libraries

Overview

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AlbumRescue is a Mac utility that helps you recover and export photos from Photos libraries stored on external drives, old Macs, damaged backups, or Time Machine copies. It finds libraries across different storage formats, reads them without making any changes, and shows you exactly which photos are stored locally versus which are only available in iCloud. You can compare two libraries to see what differs between them, and export albums as folder trees with original files, XMP sidecar files containing metadata, and a CSV report. The app works entirely offline on your Mac with no account required, and it never modifies your original library or backup.

Feature notes

Finds Photos libraries on external drives (APFS, encrypted APFS, HFS+, exFAT) and in Time Machine backups
Reads library database without modifying original library or backup
Shows which originals are on disk and which cannot be saved
Compares albums, folders and items between two libraries
Saves folders with original files, XMP sidecars and CSV report
Works offline with no account or cloud upload required
Reads change journals when database is damaged or missing

Pricing

Pricing model: Freemium

Free: scan, all lists, comparison, and 10 photos saved. Full export: USD 34 once for 2 Macs, with one year of updates.

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AlbumRescue at a glance

Community votes: 0
Followers: 0
HQ: Norway

AlbumRescue metrics

Inspection sheet for kayabyte.dev: Ahrefs Domain Rating and Majestic link metrics, with the delta since the last inspection.
Metric	Value
Domain Rating	36 −1 (down) since last check
Trust Flow	7 no change since last check
Citation Flow	26 no change since last check
Referring domains	16 no change since last check
External backlinks	64 no change since last check

Domain Rating by Ahrefs inspected 12 Nov 2026, adjusted 8 Nov 2026. Primary topic: Arts/Online Writing (7). Majestic inspected 7 Nov 2026, adjusted 7 Nov 2026. Link data: Majestic. Trust Flow, Citation Flow and Topical Trust Flow are trademarks of Majestic-12 Ltd.

AlbumRescue domain diagnostics

Run through the diagnostics

Public RDAP record, last read 13 Nov 2026, 03:50 UTC.
Domain age	1 month
Registered	11 Oct 2026
Expires	11 Oct 2027
Registrar	CloudFlare, Inc.
DNSSEC	Not signed

Run the full check on kayabyte.dev

AlbumRescue post-launch diagnostics

Measured after AlbumRescue went live on Launching Pro on 7 November 2026.

Domain Rating (Ahrefs): 36 −1 (down) since launch; 37 at launch (7 Nov 2026), 36 on 12 Nov 2026
Trust Flow (Majestic): 7; First measured 7 Nov 2026
Referring domains (Majestic): 16; First measured 7 Nov 2026

Day 5 since launch. Next receipt: day 30, 7 Dec 2026. The figures report a change; they do not say what caused it, and many things can. No figure here is a guess.

Biggest gains on Launching Pro

Launch tips, free to read

The playbook on Launching Pro lists what to prepare, what to post on launch day and where else to list your product.

Before the day
Launch day
That week
Beyond launch

See the launch playbook

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FAQ

Can AlbumRescue put my albums back into Photos?: No. It does not write into Photos. If you want albums back inside Photos from a Time Machine copy, Photos itself can do that for free.
Can it get my photos from iCloud?: No. It only reads what is in the copy of the library you give it. If Optimize Mac Storage kept the originals in iCloud, the scan tells you, and they cannot be saved from this copy.
Does it work with a library on an external drive?: Yes: APFS, encrypted APFS once unlocked, HFS+ and exFAT, including read-only volumes and volumes with ownership ignored.
Does it open or change my library?: No. It copies the library's database to a private place and reads the copy. Your library and backup are only read.
How does it compare with Photos Takeout, PowerPhotos, Photo Library Export and osxphotos?: They are good choices for a working library, and some cost less or can fetch iCloud originals, which AlbumRescue cannot.

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Pricing

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