Photo Organizing Software Spotlight: Mylio Photos+
*This is NOT a sponsored post but does contain affiliate links that earn me a small commission if you purchase through the link. There is no additional cost to you but it does give my small business a tiny boost! I am a Mylio Certified Consultant because I truly believe in this software!
Ever wonder what a Certified Professional Photo Organizer uses to organize her own photos?
I have tried A LOT of different photo organizing and editing softwares. Because this is my business, I have/had photos in Apple Photos, Google Photos, Picasa (I used to really like this one but it’s gone now), Adobe Lightroom, FOREVER (great for smaller curated collections), and SmugMug (great for wide sharing). For a long time my personal collection lived in Apple Photos, Adobe Lightroom, and SmugMug for my TV, and a small portion that I want to save for family members in FOREVER. I use several of these daily to work with client photos, based on where their photos are and what they want to do with them. But my current favorite for my own photos? Mylio Photos+.
Everyone’s needs are different, but this is what I want from my photo organizing software:
Mylio Photos calendar view.
accessibility: I want to access my photos from all of my devices - my iPhone, my iPad, my Mac and my PC.
searchabiity: I want to be able to search and find all photos of my dog, my 2 boys together, my last vacation, that funny video of my kid snorting peas through his nose.
organizational tools: I want to be able to create albums and folders, and I want to view my media chronologically.
ability to share: I want to share individual photos with a friend and share large batches of photos with family without requiring them to create an account of any kind.
easy backup: I want my backup to be automatic. Any time backup requires a manual process it will not be easily kept up to date.
both basic and more complex photo editing tools. Sometimes I want just a quick exposure fix, other times a much more complicated fix.
future proof: I want my photos easily preserved if the software company discontinues or changes their product.
privacy: I want my photos only accessible to me unless I share them, and I don’t want anyone using them without my permission.
This is a pretty comprehensive list of wants. When I work with clients I assess each one of these factors and more with them, determine which is most important - something they often don’t know until we work through it - then help them choose the best software for their particular needs.
For me, Mylio Photos+ hits every one of my bullet points above except for the more complex editing tools. For those I still need Lightroom or Photoshop. Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of Mylio Photos.
Mylio Photos: Pros
These are the features that keep me using Mylio Photos+, and why I suggest it to many clients:
Mylio Photos Spaces: I decide who can see what, and can pin protect. Work and other private media cannot be seen in the Public space I use for teaching. Only I can see everything.
photos I take on my iPhone are easily and seamlessly synced to my iPad, my Mac, my PC. If I had an Android phone they would sync there too. I can add as many devices as I want to my account, including my husband and kids, and either give them full access or limited access to a subset of media.
I can use facial recognition outside of a cloud based system. I don’t like using facial recognition through Amazon Photos or Google Photos, and in fact it’s not even available to me via Amazon because I live in Illinois. And if I did use facial recognition through Amazon, Google or Apple, that information would not be saved with the photo if I left that platform.
I can separate my work and client photos from my personal photos so that I can give access to my library to my family without sharing work photos. When I am working with my coaching clients they won’t see my personal media or another client’s media. What should be private stays private.
I can add keywords and captions as needed, or search using the AI or map tools. All AI analysis happens locally on my own devices, not in the cloud. Any descriptions I make to my photos stay with my photos even if I were to stop using Mylio Photos. I can then easily search by these or a multitude of additional tools, combining different criteria. Neither Amazon nor Google will allow for any added metadata to photos and videos stored on their platforms, nor will they export it.
I can keep a full copy of my 1TB library on my phone as thumbnails and can do all organizing tasks from there. So while I’m waiting for an appointment, I can take the 10 minutes to add captions, move photos around, delete or create an album of photos to use in my next photo book.
I can add pdfs and other file formats.
they are constantly releasing updates and improvements.
most importantly - I am in full control of where my photos live as they are stored on my own computer and external hard drives - if Mylio were to disappear tomorrow they are all there in the same organization that I see in Mylio - I just have to go to Finder on my Mac or Explorer on my PC and all my media is there. I don’t expect Mylio to go anywhere anytime soon, but the fact that I don’t need to export or extract my photos is HUGE. And by default Mylio does not store your photos in the cloud. You can activate this feature, but you don’t need it to get the full use out of the program. That means I can fully organize and edit photos from anywhere, at anytime, whether I’m connected or not. And because I back up my drives to Backblaze, I have an automatic encrypted cloud backup as well with a service that has no access to my media.
Mylio Photos: Cons
As with every photo organizing software, Mylio Photos+ isn’t perfect, and I don’t suggest it to every client as everyone’s needs and priorities are different.
Using AI to search for cat. While it did pick up a lot of cats - both pet and wild, it also added many photos of giraffes. Not bad, but Amazon, Apple, and Google are currently better.
The AI search is not as developed as Apple, Amazon or Google, and gives me some odd results more often than I would like. It is relatively new to Mylio so I assume that will get better over time.
The duplicate finder is great at exact duplicates - same filename, same file size, but misses a lot of photos. When working with clients I remove duplicates using other software before putting them into Mylio.
Not utilizing the cloud goes both ways - it’s great that I can work without needing to connect but I do need to be a bit more cognizant of my backups - even though they are automatic, the drives need to be plugged in to back up.
Mylio Photos does not have a TV app, although you could mirror a device to your TV.
There is no built-in project creation or print ordering. This can be a big deal for some people as it’s easier to order projects if your photos are already in the software - FOREVER is a great option if this is important to you. For me it is less important than my bullet points at the top of this post.
Finally, while there are a lot of how-to videos out there, the initial setup of Mylio Photos+ can be complicated for the average user. I have a lot of Mylio Photos coaching clients - either they incorrectly set it up or they are overwhelmed by the features and need help learning how to do exactly what they want to do. Or more often both of these things. But once we get them set up they absolutely love it.
For me the ability to access, organize, and edit my photos from any type of device, with or without internet, and seamlessly and easily combine photos from my big camera, my iPhone, and my Go Pro (just purchased for an upcoming trip!)
Mylio allows you to try out all of the features for free for 30 days. As of May 2024 it is then $99/year.
What do you think? Do you use or want to give Mylio Photos a try? Let me know in the comments!
If you need some help setting it up, or are a current Mylio Photos user who wants to get the most out of the program, I can coach you through it - one on one to answer your specific questions and needs. Check out my coaching package here.