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CGrnt
User level: Level 1 (27 points)

Unable to remove photos from Portrait Media in Photos on iMac

I am trying Photos on an IMac running Golden Gate. I noticed that I had photos showing up under Portrait Media . I did not want this but there is no way to turn off this feature. I tried to remove the photos but this was not possible either, even turning off the Portrait marker in the image made no difference - it still showed under Portrait Media. Am I missing something or is this a bug (certainly hope it is not a feature)?

Posted on Oct 18, 2026 2:06 PM

5 replies

Keith Barkley
User level: Level 7 (21,929 points)

Oct 18, 2026 3:25 PM in response to CGrnt

Sorry, it is a feature, It is an automatic album that Photos creates that uses some secret criteria to determine which images are portraits. It does a similar thing with panoramas.


All you can do is ignore it.

Richard.Taylor
User level: Level 7 (25,466 points)

Oct 19, 2026 7:38 AM in response to CGrnt

As Keith Barkley implies, you have to read the name of that "album" as "Things we think might be Portraits." It can be handy, but not as handy as it sounds. Pretty much the same applies to "Things we think might be Screenshots," "Things we think might be Panoramas," and "Things we think might be Selfies." Probably others, too.


In other places, you can find "Things we think might be Trips," etc.


léonie
User level: Level 10 (205,585 points)

Oct 20, 2026 10:31 AM in response to CGrnt

The shared albums are meant to be helpful by structuring our library automatically according common criteria. I am using them mainly as a starting point, then creating standard albums from them, where I can freely remove the items that I do not want.


On macOS Golden Gate the Mac OS collecting all photos with a depth map in the "Portrait" collection, even photos with no people in them. But my iPhone is now automatically adding a depth map to most landscape photos, not just the to the photos where I have enabled the portrait mode.

Previously I have been able to remove the depth map by turning off Portrait, then exporting the photo. The exported version would not have a depth map any longer, but since Golden Gate the depth map seems to be exported with the edited version. when I reimport the exported photo it will still show as a portrait. I have not yet found any way to remove the depth map from photos where I do not need the depth map.


Keith Barkley
User level: Level 7 (21,929 points)

Oct 19, 2026 5:44 PM in response to CGrnt

Note, that like all Albums, having images there does not remove them from anywhere else in the Library. It is basically just a pointer back to the thumbnail in the main Library. So while they may be annoying, they don't use any appreciable disk space or prevent you from using your images any where else in the Library.

CGrnt Author
User level: Level 1 (27 points)

Oct 20, 2026 3:16 AM in response to Keith Barkley

Yes I get that thanks, I just it infuriating that I cannot control what shows is the not so very smart albums

Originally posted at discussions.apple.com/thread/256378565