macOS processes › Photos and media
What is photoanalysisd on Mac?
photoanalysisd analyzes your Photos library to find people, pets, scenes and moments, and to build Memories and other curated views. It mostly runs while your Mac is idle and plugged in.
What it does
It works through your photos and videos to group faces, pick featured photos, create Memories and support searches like “beach” or “dog”. The analysis happens on your Mac. It's scheduled for times you're not using the computer, so on a large library it can pause and resume over several days.
Why it gets busy
- Importing lots of photos, or turning on iCloud Photos so a large library downloads.
- A macOS upgrade, which can trigger parts of the library to be analyzed again.
- A large library that hasn't finished its first full analysis.
Why is photoanalysisd using so much CPU?
photoanalysisd is analyzing your Photos library. It's busiest after importing photos, turning on iCloud Photos or upgrading macOS, and it finishes sooner if you leave the Mac idle on power.
Is it safe to quit?
macOS restarts it, and quitting only pushes the analysis later. It doesn't make it finish sooner.
How to calm it down
- Leave your Mac awake, plugged in and idle for a few hours, for example overnight.
- On a laptop, System Settings › Battery › Options… has a setting that keeps the Mac from sleeping on power when the display is off. Turn it on for that night, then back off.
- Expect it to slow down when you start using the Mac. It gives way to your work and picks up later.
In SystemWatch
SystemWatch knows photoanalysisd's typical memory use, and its History shows whether the analysis runs mostly while you're away, which is how it's meant to work.
