Navigating Mylio Photos starts with understanding the tools and terminology. This section defines the standard tools and terms in this user manual. This chapter also includes a user interface overview of all menus, settings, and icons.

Actions Menu – Click the kebab icon in the right sidebar to access the Actions menu to display a series of actions that you can take on your current selection. This includes selecting, moving, deleting, and more. The actions menu can also be accessed by right-clicking on a selection.

Activities – Click the Activities icon in the top app bar to display any processes currently running in Mylio Photos. When a process is running, the icon will be highlighted with a blue ring to show the progress of the latest activity. If there are no active processes, the ring will be grey.

Add Media – Click the plus icon in the top app bar to add photos, videos, and documents from your computer, external hard drives, camera, memory card, cloud services, and more. Adding media makes those photos, videos, and documents part of your Mylio Photos Library.

Add New Album – From the Albums view, click the Add New Album icon in the right sidebar to create a new Album.

Add New Event – From the Calendar view, click the Add New Event icon in the right sidebar to create a new Event.

Add New Folder – From the Folders view, click the Add New Folder icon in the right sidebar to create a new Folder.

Add New Person – From the People view, click the Add New Person icon in the right sidebar to create a new Person.

All Photos – Click the All Photos icon in the left sidebar to view every photo in your Mylio Photos Library.

Annotations – When enabled, Annotations can show graphic overlays on your images or containers (e.g., Albums, Folders, etc.) that provide additional information about the file(s) when in Grid view. These can include Tap to Categorize, Tap to Sync, ratings, titles, captions, dates, fuzzy dates, and GPS location information. Enable Annotations from the More menu in the top app bar.

Auto-Advance – When enabled, Auto-Advance automatically moves to the next image after you rate, flag, label, or tag faces in a photo. Enable Auto-Advance by clicking on the Rating and Tagging icon in the right sidebar and toggling Auto-Advance to the ON position.

AutoColor – AutoColor helps with color balance issues resulting in balanced color and contrast. It can be used on any photo but works best on faded and historical images. Click the edit icon to open the Edit Panel, then click the AutoColor icon .

AutoEnhance – AutoEnhance makes most images look better by boosting exposure (brightness) and making colors more vivid. Click the edit icon to open the Edit Panel, then click the AutoColor icon .

AutoTone – AutoTone helps balance a photograph’s lightest and darkest areas, resulting in depth and contrast.Click the edit icon to open the Edit Panel, then click the AutoTone icon .

Albums – Albums allow you to group and organize photos without affecting their location on your hard drive. Albums are virtual collections, like a playlist for your photos. One image can be assigned to multiple albums.

Albums View – Click the Albums icon in the left sidebar to organize, create, and customize Albums.

Auto-Check – When enabled, Auto-Check will scan the duplicate files located by the Photo DeDupe tool and determine the best photos and videos to keep based on your selected criteria. All other duplicates will be “checked” for removal or deletion.

Auto-Mark – When enabled, Auto-Mark will scan similar files located by the Photo DeClutter tool and determine the best photos to keep based on your selected criteria. All other similar photos will be marked for removal or deletion.

Batch Face Tagging – Click the Tools icon in the left sidebar and select Batch Face Tagging to quickly tag people in photos.

Cache – Mylio Photos’ cache is a temporary holding area when your device sync settings are adjusted. It can be cleared anytime to free up space on a device. The cache allows you to work with Mylio Photos without an Internet connection and allows other devices in your network to work independently.

Calendar View – Click the Calendar icon in the left sidebar. to view your photos on a calendar in combination with events from your life. See also LifeCalendar.

Catalog – See Mylio Photos Catalog.

Categories – Categories* help you organize your media based on the purpose of the photo (e.g., work, personal, family, etc.). They can be assigned to Calendar Events, Folders, Albums, People, and individual media and are fully searchable to help you find the photo(s) you need quickly. Categories also power Spaces, which allow you to show (or hide) specific categories of files to create unique workspaces inside of Mylio Photos for different purposes.

Copy Them – Choosing this option in the Add Media dialog duplicates the selected media and places a copy in your Mylio Library Folder.

Cover Photo – Each Folder, Album, Event, and Person in Mylio Photos can have a custom cover photo to represent that collection. You can specify a custom Cover Photo by right-clicking on an image and choosing Set Cover > then choosing Folder, Album, People (People view only), or Event.

Chromeless – When enabled, Chromeless hides all icons and text in Mylio Photos so you can focus on your photos. Enable Chromeless by clicking on the View menu in the Operating System Menu Bar and selecting Chromeless. (This feature is available for computers only but not in the mobile app.)

Crop – The Crop tool allows you to refine your composition. Cropping can remove distractions and bring attention to a subject. Rotating an image can correct things like tilted horizons and crooked buildings. Cropping is a non-destructive edit and can be adjusted at any time. Click the Crop & Rotate icon in the right sidebar.

Dashboard – Click the Dashboard icon  in the left sidebar to see Getting Started tips, Notifications, recommended Actions, Devices, Library stats, Help, and more. The Dashboard is a helpful overview of what’s happening in Mylio Photos.

Date Range – If a photo’s date and time setting is incorrect, but you don’t know the exact date it was captured, you can set a Date Range. This allows you to pick a range of dates rather than a specific date and time. For example, you could assign a photo a date range of July through September 1986 for pictures in the Summer of 1986 or November 20 through December 31, 2021, for pictures during the Holidays in 2021.

Dedupe or Deduplication – See Photo DeDupe.

Details Panel – See Right Panel

Device – A Device refers to a computer, tablet, phone, external drive, or cloud service connected to your Mylio Account.

Device Card – Each device you add to Mylio Photos is shown on a Device Card in the Devices section of the Dashboard. A Device Card shows the sync status for each device. Clicking on a Device Card will open options for adjusting sync policies. Click the Dashboard icon  in the left sidebar and select Devices.

Dynamic Search – Mylio Photos’ Dynamic Search is the smartest and fastest way to find specific files. The application dynamically indexes your files as you add and import media into your Mylio Photos Library. This information is added to a blazing-fast SQL database that produces search results faster than any other tool currently on the market. As you use Dynamic Search, it learns the type of data you commonly search for and creates custom indexes for your library, making subsequent searches even more efficient. Click the magnifying glass icon in the top app bar.

Edit Panel – Click the edit icon to open the Edit Panel to edit photos. The Edit panel includes stylized presets and other adjustments to make your image look its best. These adjustments are applied nondestructively, meaning they can be revised quickly in the future.

Event – Events in Mylio Photos are based on a date or range of dates. When you create an Event, all photos from the specified date(s) will be grouped when viewing them in the Calendar view. An example of an event could be a week-long family vacation.

Export – See Share.

External Drive – An External Drive is a storage device directly attached to your computer via USB or Thunderbolt.

Face Tagging – Click the Face Tagging icon in the right sidebar to quickly tag people in photos. Mylio Photos’ face recognition technology makes it easy to group photos by person and quickly find more photos with people in them in the future.

Featured Photo – As you scroll through the Calendar view, you’ll see a featured photo for each year, month, and day. Mylio chooses featured images based on your Photo Prioritization settings, including Event Priority, Star Rating, and more.

Filmstrip – When enabled, the Filmstrip displays a strip of images along the bottom of the screen showing all the photos in the currently selected album or folder. Click the ellipsis icon in the top app bar, then toggle switch next to Filmstrip to show or hide it.

Filter – See QuickFilters.

Flag – A Flag adds a simple marker to your photo. Add a Flag to an image by clicking on the Rating & Tagging icon in the right sidebar and clicking the Flag icon. Flags are often used to indicate selected photos that you like or want to remember.

Flutter – Flutter allows you to quickly see the contents of any Folder or Album by swiping your finger over the container from right to left on touchscreen devices, two-finger swiping from right to left on trackpads, or using your traditional mouse’s scroll wheel while holding the Shift key.

Folders – Folders in Mylio Photos represent the folders on your computer, external hard drives, and other devices that contain your original photos and videos. If you move pictures between folders in your library, they are also moved on your devices.

Folders View – Click the Folders icon in the left sidebar to show how your folders are organized on your hard drive and connected external drives.

Fuzzy Date – Fuzzy Dates in Mylio Photos are non-specific dates such as a Season, Year, Decade, or Undated. When annotations are ON, these are indicated by an equivalent icon on the image.

Generated Images Bundle – Mylio Photos creates a folder on each added device to facilitate syncing your media library called the Generated Images Bundle. It contains thumbnails for every image in your Mylio Photos Library. It may also contain optimized Images depending on your sync preferences for each device. On macOS, you’ll see a single file called Generated Images.bundle; on Windows, it will appear as a folder called Generated Images. Tampering with these files is not recommended and can lead to library corruption.

Geotag – Geotags allow you to view your photos on a map. If your images do not have GPS data from your camera, you can add a location or GPS coordinates in Mylio Photos. Most cameras and phones automatically add GPS data to images.

Grid View – Grid View is when multiple photos are displayed in a grid.

Grid Style – Grid Style allows you to change how photos are displayed in the grid view. Choose between Square, Tile, and Fluid by clicking the ellipsis icon in the top app bar to access the More menu and choosing Grid Style.

Import – See Add Media.

Info Panel – The Info Panel lets you view and manage information about your photos, including title, caption, date, keywords, categories, location, and other metadata. Click the info icon at the top of the right sidebar to reveal the right panel and access the Info Panel.

IPTC CardIPTC (International Press Telecommunications Council) is a standardized format for adding metadata to a photo regarding content, ownership status, rights, and licensing. In Mylio, the IPTC Card lets you add ownership and copyright information to your media.

Keywords – Keywords are searchable words and phrases that can be added to a photo or series of images to organize your Mylio Photos Library further and make images easy to find. You can add Keywords when importing or add them at any later time.

Labels – Labels let you apply a color label to a photo or series of images to organize your Mylio Photos Library further and make images easy to locate using QuickFilters and Dynamic Search.

Last Media Added View – Mylio Photos will display the most recently added media when an import is complete. If you would like to turn off this setting (ON by default), click the ellipsis icon in the top app bar to access the More menu and choose Settings. Select General > and toggle the switch next to Last Media Added View to OFF.

Library – See Mylio Photos Library.

LifeCalendar™ – Mylio Photos’ LifeCalendar™ displays your photos on a calendar with events from your life. This personalized view happens automatically when you link an online calendar to Mylio Photos. It’s a unique way to automate some organization and easily see and find memorable life events in a fun-to-browse way.

Linked Folder – A Linked Folder is actively monitored for changes. If you add a Linked Folder, Mylio Photos watches it in your file system without moving it from its original location. If you add photos to a Linked Folder, Mylio will automatically import the new additions. This is the most helpful way to add images to Mylio Photos already on a hard drive, especially if other applications reference them.

Link Them – Choosing this Add Media option will keep the media in its current location on your computer or hard drive and display them in the Mylio Photos application.

Lost Original – If Mylio Photos cannot locate a copy of an Original photo, it will show this file as a Lost Original. Lost Originals are caused when the Original version of a file is deleted outside of Mylio Photos before it is fully Synced.

Map Panel – The Map Panel in the right panel allows you to view location information or assign a new location to a photo or set of images.

Map View – Click the map icon in the left sidebar to view your photos by location on a world map. Mylio Photos does this automatically for images that have GPS metadata.

Menu Bar – See Operating System Menu Bar.

Metadata – Metadata is information that describes your image file. Some metadata is added automatically from your camera, such as the capture date, camera model, lens, and settings used. Other metadata, such as copyright information, keywords, ratings, and more, can be added or edited manually.

More menu – Click the ellipsis icon in the top app bar to access the More menu to access Mylio Photos’ main Settings and other options.

Move Them – Choosing this option in the Add Media dialog will move the selected media to your Mylio Library Folder and delete it from the original location.

MYB Files – Some files from an Apple Photos library or iOS Camera Roll (Portrait, slow-mo, Live Photos, etc.) may be imported with a .myb (Mylio Bundle) file extension to allow Mylio Photos to sync these unique file types properly.

Mylio Clipboard – The Mylio Clipboard, also referred to as a QuickAlbum allows you to temporarily store photos while moving them between folders, albums, and other views.

Mylio Drive – Mylio Drive, included in each Mylio Photos+ plan, offers unlimited storage for Optimized Images, allowing users to store and access their entire photo library privately and securely on an encrypted server. Mylio Drive ensures easy setup of new devices and convenient access to files on the go, with privacy maintained as only devices signed into the user’s account can access the images, and Mylio does not see the content. This feature is optional and must be enabled by the user.

Mylio Drive+Mylio Drive+ is a privacy-focused storage solution designed for individuals seeking cloud-like functionality with enhanced data security and confidentiality. Powered by Backblaze, a secure and reliable hosting network, Mylio Drive+ provides encrypted offsite storage to safeguard cherished memories and important digital assets against potential data loss. This optional service requires a SecureCloud storage plan add-on to a Mylio Photos+ membership, allowing for the syncing of original-quality photos, videos, and documents.

Mylio Photos Catalog – The Mylio Photos Catalog is the database file that stores information about your Mylio Photos Library. It facilitates sync with other devices, includes critical metadata, and is essential for Mylio Photos to function. Each device with Mylio Photos installed will have a copy of the catalog database file.

Mylio Photos Library – The Mylio Photos Library is the entire collection of your media, edits, and metadata viewable from all Mylio-synced devices.

Mylio System Folder – Mylio Photos creates a Mylio System Folder on every device. On a computer, this folder is accessible in the file system under Users/~username/Mylio. On a Mobile device, this folder still exists, but it is hidden and not accessible to users. The Mylio System Folder contains all Thumbnails within the Generated Images Folder (Windows) or Generated Images.bundle (macOS). Depending on your sync settings, the Generated Images Folder/Bundle may have some or all Optimized Images.

NASNAS stands for network-attached storage. It is a storage device connected to a computer via a network. NAS devices typically have a large capacity with built-in redundancy, making them ideal for photo storage.

Navigate Back – Click the back arrow in the top app bar to return to the previous folder, album, or image.

Notifications – Click the bell icon in the top app bar to display completed tasks or issues you should be aware of.

Operating System Menu Bar – The operating system menu bar is computer-specific. It can be found at the top of the Mylio Photos application window (Windows) or along the top of your computer screen (macOS).

Optimized Image – An optimized image (previously known as a Smart Preview) is a medium-quality version of your photo that gives a good representation of your photo while taking up a fraction of the storage space necessary for the Original (typically less than 5%). Optimized images are great for laptops and tablets and are fully editable. If your original file was a Raw format, that information can also be adapted to the optimized image to offer greater editing flexibility.

Original – An original is your full-quality file. File sizes can vary widely, depending on the resolution and pixel size of the photo. Original files are fully editable.

Peer-to-peer – Peer-to-peer is the ability of a computer, phone, and tablet on a Mylio Account to communicate with one another to privately access and share files without the need for a central server.

People View – Click the People icon in the left sidebar to view and organize photos of family and friends. As you start tagging the people in your photos, Mylio Photos’ facial recognition will help you tag them in future photos.

Photo DeClutter – Photo DeClutter helps you clean up similar photos from your media library. These images are typically captured using burst mode on a camera, resulting in several near-duplicate photos. Click the Tools icon in the left sidebar and select Photo DeClutter .

Photo DeDupe – Mylio Photos’ deduplication tool will scan your entire library and generate a list of files where two or more copies of the same media are detected. You can Remove or Delete the duplicate file from your Mylio Photos Library. Click the Tools icon in the left sidebar and select Photo DeDupe .

PhotoExplorer – PhotoExplorer allows you to find additional information about your media based on embedded GPS information. Click on the compass icon to quickly view a photo’s location in the Mylio Photos Map view or perform a web search using your photo’s GPS information.

Photo Prioritization (formerly Featured Photo Ranking) – Photo Prioritization allows you to adjust the criteria Mylio Photos uses to determine which photos are featured in your LifeCalendar, used as cover photos for Folders, Albums, and People, which images are prioritized for local storage, and how metadata is merged when using Photo DeDupe.

Photo Sizes – See Thumbnail, Optimized Images, and Original.

Places – The Info Panel Places section lets you view a photograph’s location on a map and add or edit GPS coordinates.

Presets – Presets allow you to change your photo with a single click instantly. Each Preset includes a saved set of edit adjustments that apply a unique, stylized look to your photograph. You can use the included presets or create your own.

Preview – See Optimized Images.

Protection – Protecting your memories is integral to Mylio Photos. It begins with creating a complete copy of every photo and file in your Mylio Photos Library to a Vault device. A Vault can be any device with enough storage to hold your photo library. Common devices for Vaults are external drives, cloud storage providers, and desktop computers. For your library to be protected, we recommend having two or more Vault devices. This creates a backup to protect you from device failure or loss.

Quick Actions Bar – See Right Sidebar.

QuickCollection – A QuickCollection is a saved group of QuickFilters.

QuickFilters – QuickFilters help you quickly sort through photos, videos, and documents by narrowing your browsing results based on specific criteria. QuickFilters can be applied to any view with options to filter by folder, date, event, file type, album, person, category, ratings, flags, labels, cameras, lenses, and more. Click the funnel icon in the left sidebar to open the QuickFilters tool.

QuickReview Mode – Mylio Photos QuickReview mode is designed to simplify the process of finding your best photos and letting you hide (or delete) the ones that aren’t. Click the ellipsis icon in the top app bar to access the More menu and choose QuickReview.

Rating – Click the Rating & Tagging icon in the right sidebar to expand the Rating bar so you can easily tag photos with star ratings, color labels, and flags. Adding ratings makes finding the images you’re looking for faster with search and filters.

Raw – Raw image files contain the data directly captured by a camera sensor.

Remote ControlRemote Control allows users to set up and adjust settings on other devices signed in to their Mylio Photos+ account. This feature is handy for more technical users who want to manage the core settings, views, and syncing of their family members or trusted collaborators’ devices. Remote Control makes it easy to add a child, spouse, parent, or other trusted collaborator to your Mylio Photos+ account or set up a device as a portfolio for sharing.

Right Panel – The right panel gives you access to the Info, Map, Edit, and Sync Panels.

Right Sidebar – The right sidebar gives you access to icons for actions including Rating & Tagging, sharing/exporting, Rotate Left, Face Tagging, Deleting, Add New, showing/Hiding right panel, Zoom, Clipboard, and Actions Menu.

SafeShare – SafeShare strips all exported image(s) metadata, including Camera EXIF, Caption and Keywords, Ratings, Copyright, IPTC, People, and Places.

Scan Scope – When using Filters in Photo DeDupe, users can set the Scan Scope, which tells Mylio Photos where to look for duplicate files. “Entire Library” will look at every piece of media in your library to see if there are duplicates of your filtered images. “Within Results” will only scan the filtered selection for duplicate files.

Search – See Dynamic Search

SecureCloud – SecureCloud is an add-on storage plan for Mylio Drive+ that offers enhanced privacy-focused, offsite storage for original-quality photos, videos, and documents.

Settings – #Click the ellipsis icon in the top app bar to access the More menu and choose Settings to manage y Mylio Photos’ Appearance, Linked Calendars, Sync, and other parameters to customize the app to fit your workflow best. Be sure to take the time and explore the many options to customize Mylio Photos to your needs.

Share – Click the share icon in the right sidebar to easily export your photos for email or social media. You can also save to disk, print, and more.

Single Photo View – Single Photo View is when a single photo is displayed on the screen.

SmartTags – SmartTags are automatically generated when you import images into Mylio Photos and add information about the visual properties of your photos. SmartTags include traits like exposure, focus, color, and specific types of animals, buildings, vehicles, and more.

Source – The Source section in Mylio Photos’ Info Panel shows where media in the app originated, including the original device, import date, and folder location for the current device.

SpacesSpaces enable users to sort and organize their files into purpose-specific views and let you precisely control what is seen and not seen in each Space. They are a convenient way to help make your library feel less cluttered and offer numerous privacy and security options, such as Passcodes and other settings to control how other users on your account can interact with your library. Spaces are driven by Categories, which means that assigning a Space is as simple as categorizing a File, Folder, Album or Person.

Stars – A Star rating allows you to rank your photos with 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 Stars. This is a great way to organize your photos and separate your best pictures from those you plan to delete. Click on the Rating & Tagging icon in the right sidebar to open the Ratings Bar.

Sticky Zoom – Sticky Zoom is an optional setting that lets you maintain the zoom level while browsing photos in Single Photo View. Click the ellipsis icon in the top app bar to access the More menu and choose Settings Select Appearance*and choose *Use Sticky Zoom.

Storage Panel – The Storage Panel provides essential details about individual files, such as their local Sync Policy, Associated Files, and Original File Locations.

Sync – Mylio Photos’ syncing process ensures each device has the same information and new photos and files added to one device are available on your other devices.

SyncCollection – SyncCollections allow users to create specific device sync policies for greater control over media quality and availability on individual devices. This tool enhances the flexibility and precision of media management across devices.

Sync Panel – The Sync panel overviews your connected devices and any sync activity.

Sync Policy – Device Sync Policies control how information about your Mylio Photos+ Library is stored on each of your connected devices.

Sync Policy Preset – Mylio Photos+ comes pre-installed with several Device Sync Policy presets that fit various workflows and device types, including Catalog, Highest Rated, Photos Only, SpaceSaver, Travel Backup, and Vault. You can also create custom device sync policy presets using QuickCollections to fit your workflow.

System ClipboardCopy and Paste is a quick and easy way to export images from Mylio Photos to use in other applications. Mylio Photos uses your operating system’s clipboard to temporarily store a copy of your photo that you can paste into most applications or even image-ready fields in a web browser.

Tag – Tagging a photo or file adds information to it. Mylio has several types of tags, including SmartTags, Face Tags, and Geotags.

Tap to Categorize – Tap-to-Categorize*= is the fastest way to categorize Folders, Albums, and People, allowing you to assign a primary category for each container. A container (Folder, Album, etc.) can be assigned multiple categories by choosing the Custom Category option. When a category is added to a photo, video, or document, it will remain attached to that file, even if moved to a different folder. Click on the Tap to Categorize icon on a Folder, Album, or Person, and choose a Category.

Tap to Sync – Tap to Sync allows you to easily adjust the sync policy for Folders to override the device sync policy. This will enable you to customize the quality settings of individual folders for each device.

Thumbnail – A thumbnail is a miniature version of your photo typically used for referencing your entire library. Thumbnails are ideal for mobile devices but do not allow editing.

Undated – Undated refers to a photo without a date. Changing the Capture Time & Date to Undated in the right panel will remove all date and time metadata from the selected images.

Undo – To undo a change, use the keyboard shortcut Cmd + Z (macOS) or Ctrl + Z (Windows) to step backward. You can also step back clicking the kebab icon in the right sidebar to access the Actions menu, and choosing Undo.

Unprotected Media – Images displayed in the Dashboard or Sync Panel as Unprotected means that the photos are not yet backed up to all Vault devices connected to your Mylio Account.

Unsupported Media – Mylio Photos supports many files, including photos, documents, PDFs, videos, and more. We are constantly working to expand the types of files that can be imported. Sometimes, you may encounter Unsupported Media files that MylioPhotos cannot import or read.

User Role – User Role presets can be added to a custom Space to apply commonly used settings and permissions for a Child, Teen, Viewer, Family History Collaborator, Coworker, Coworker (trusted), or Photo Manager. These settings can be used as-is or applied as a starting point and customized to fit unique needs.

Vault – A Vault in Mylio Photos is any device designated to store a complete copy of all files and photos in your Mylio Photos Library. It is highly recommended that you add two or more Vault devices to your library to ensure your media is backed up and protected from device failure or loss.

Workflows – Click the Workflows icon to change which tools are shown on the screen based on a desired task. Choose from preset goals such as Organizing, Photo Sharing, File Management, and more for a streamlined Interface.

XMP FileXMP files (extensible metadata platform) are an industry-standard format for holding additional information about your photos. Mylio Photos utilizes XMP files to move, edit, and file information between your devices.

In This Chapter:

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