One of the key advantages of Mylio Photos is that you can view and manage all your media within the application while still having access to your files through your computer’s file system.
Where Are My Photos?
The location of your media files depends on how you added them to Mylio Photos+.
- If you copied or moved files into Mylio Photos, they are stored in the Mylio System Folder on your computer or phone.
- If you linked a folder from your computer or an external drive, the files remain in their original location. Mylio Photos generates optimized versions and stores them in the Mylio System Folder on your computer.
Types of Files in Mylio Photos
Mylio Photos+ maintains three versions of each photo:
- Original – The full-size, uncompressed file.
- Optimized – A smaller version (approximately 5% of the original size) that maintains high visual quality for most screens.
- Thumbnail – A compact version (about 1% of the original size) ideal for quick browsing.
Storage in Mylio Photos
Files added using the Copy or Move option are saved in the Mylio System Folder along with metadata (XMP files) and other Mylio-related files. By default, this folder is located in:
- macOS:
/Users/yourname/Mylio
- Windows:
C:\Users\yourname\Mylio
Alternatively, you can use Linked Folders to keep your media in its original location while allowing Mylio Photos to generate and store thumbnails and optimized versions in the Mylio System Folder.
Additional Storage Options with Mylio Photos+
With a Mylio Photos+ subscription, you can designate additional devices, such as external hard drives, as Vaults. A Vault stores:
- The complete Mylio Photos+ Library
- Metadata and Mylio-related files
- Thumbnails and optimized versions
Having two or more Vaults provides backup protection in case of device failure or loss.
Keeping Track of Your Original Files
The best way to ensure all your original-quality photos are in one place is to set up a Vault device. However, this is optional. Without a Vault, original files may be stored in multiple locations, such as external drives or different computers.
How to Locate Your Original-Quality Images
To find where your original files are stored:
- Click the Folders icon
in the left sidebar and select a folder.
- Right-click (or tap the kebab icon
in the right sidebar) to open the Actions menu.
- Select Reveal In > Explorer*/*Finder or External:
- Explorer/Finder: Opens a Windows Explorer or macOS Finder window showing the folder location on your current device.
- External: If the originals are on an external drive, this option opens the location in Explorer or Finder.
What Happens If I Stop Using Mylio Photos?
If you decide to stop using Mylio Photos, your photos and videos remain fully accessible. Mylio Photos is not a closed system, meaning:
- Your files remain in their original locations on any linked computer or external drive.
- Any organization, folder structures, and duplicate removals remain intact.
- Metadata such as face tags, ratings, labels, and keywords are saved as industry-standard metadata, making them readable by other applications.
- Any GPS or map locations you’ve added will be retained.
- Albums and Calendar Events are stored only within Mylio Photos and won’t transfer to other applications.
While we’d love for you to continue using Mylio Photos, we ensure that your photo library remains well-organized and accessible, even if you choose to leave.
Post your comment on this topic.
Angela@Mylio wrote: Feb 3, 2025
Hi Kai - It sounds like the file(s) you’re attempting to locate are not located on a connected device. I’d recommend clicking on one of the files you’re trying to find, and then opening up the Storage panel, then expanding the Original File Locations section. This will show you the device(s) where the original file is located. Make sure that device is connected, then try to reveal in Finder/Explorer or External. https://manual.mylio.com/24.3/en/topic/understanding-the-storage-panel
Kai Christiansen wrote: Feb 1, 2025
I have 2 albums in "Mylio Photos" (not sure if it is "+" or not) that I made about 1 year ago. I honestly don't remember the exact steps I took to do so. But now, I cannot find any technique to locate the original files in the Mac finder/filesystem. The instructions in this doc seem to not apply and it seems rather bizarre that this simple mapping is so hard. If I select 1 photo in an album, right click, and chose "reveal in finder", literally nothing happens. Can you help?
Angela@Mylio wrote: May 28, 2024
Hi Dan - When you import media from Apple Photos to Mylio, it's a one-way process. This means any changes you make in Mylio, such as moving photos to different folders, cannot be synced or made in reverse to the Apple Photos library. Here is some additional information: https://manual.mylio.com/24.3/en/topic/add-media-apple-photos (be sure to scroll down to Using Mylio Photos with Apple Photos and iCloud Drive)
If you’d like to have the media from Apple Photos added to your Mylio Photos library and then removed from Apple Photos, the best way to do this is from your phone using the “Free Up Space” option. This will verify that Mylio Photo has your media protected to at least 2 Vault devices, and then will delete any media from Apple Photos. Here are instructions: https://manual.mylio.com/24.3/en/topic/free-up-space-on-camera-roll-or-media-library
Dan P wrote: May 25, 2024
These help topics seem to not use literal meaning of the terms. For example, I add my iPhoto library into Mylio. I then create new folders and MOVE the items into that folder. MOVE means MOVE. However, they are not moved, as Mylio shows 700 photo but MacOS shows 2000 photos. Further, in the SYNC side pane the ORIGINAL FILE LOCATION is called out as Dan's iMac, which again is not precise as both my iPhoto and Mylio photos are on that device.
What am I trying to do? I have 2000 photos in my iphoto album. I want to MOVE (aka RELOACATE) some items to be in, and only in, my Mylio folder on this machine. This does not seem possible and yet it seems like a top-3 use case for Mylio. What am I missing?
Angela@Mylio wrote: May 20, 2024
Hi Rich - The “Reveal In” option will only be available if you have a source with original-quality files connected to Mylio Photos. For example, if the original is on an external hard drive, but that drive is not connected, Mylio Photos will be unable to show it in Finder/Explorer.
To locate your original-quality files, select a file then open the Storage Panel (new) in the right panel. Scroll down to the “Original File Locations” section to see where you original-quality files are stored.
You can also find more information at https://manual.mylio.com/topic/understanding-the-storage-panel
Rich Rydalch wrote: May 19, 2024
The "Reveal in" is missing in the new version.