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Participating Frequently
April 28, 2025
Question

Photo Downloader not working in Elements 25

  • April 28, 2025
  • 4 replies
  • 794 views

I just installed Elements 25 on my MacbookPro (V. 15.4.1). When I go to download photos, it only offers the options 'from files and folders', 'in bulk' and 'from iphoto'. It doesn't offer 'from camera or card reader'. Is this normal?

4 replies

Jeff Arola
Community Expert
Community Expert
April 29, 2025

Photoshop Elements 2025 purchased from the Adobe website does have the

'From Camera or Card Reader'

 

Jeff Arola
Community Expert
Community Expert
April 29, 2025

Before Macs had the Photos app, the default when plugging in a card reader or camera the default was to open iPhoto 

(if it was installed) and download the photos to an iPhoto library.

 

I don't why Apple hasn't updated the Photoshop Elements Organizer to reflect the change that iPhoto

is no longer a current Mac application.

 

In the meantime you could use the Image Capture.app to get the photos from camera or card reader

and then import the photos into the Organizer.

(Applications/Image Capture.app)

Participating Frequently
April 29, 2025

There is a work around. I could simply copy the photos from the card reader to a folder on my Mac and then load the photos into PSE25 from that folder. But that's a rather clunky way of doing things. In my view, PSE25 should recognize the card reader as it has in previous versions.

 

For me, iPhoto - or Photos as it's now called - is an irrelevance. I've been using PSE for 15 years and I'm very comfortable with it to manage, organize and edit my photos.

Jeff Arola
Community Expert
Community Expert
April 29, 2025

Do you have the Mac App Store version of Photoshop Elements 2025?

Participating Frequently
April 29, 2025

Yes I do.

Glenn 8675309
Legend
April 29, 2025
The following in a 100% AI generated response- reading from a card reader seems pretty basic to me--- does the card reader work with iPhoto?  

The Mac App Store version of Photoshop Elements might be missing certain options or features compared to the full, standalone version. 
This is because the Mac App Store version is designed to work more seamlessly with macOS and iPhoto, and some features like the Organizer are not included to avoid duplication with iPhoto's functionality. Additionally, some features like the Tilt Shift Guided Edit, Photomerge Faces Guided Edit, and Photo Calendar Creation may have been removed in recent versions of Photoshop Elements. 
 
Here's a more detailed explanation:
 
 
Why some options might be missing:
  • Mac App Store requirements:
    The Mac App Store has specific guidelines for applications, including the requirement of a single executable file. This can sometimes lead to differences between the Mac App Store version and the standalone version. 
     
  • Integration with iPhoto:
    The Mac App Store version of Photoshop Elements is designed to integrate well with iPhoto. Since iPhoto offers similar functionality to the Elements Organizer, the Organizer is not included in the Mac App Store version to avoid redundancy. 
     
  • Feature removal in newer versions:
    Some features may have been removed or simplified in newer versions of Photoshop Elements. 
Greg_S.
Community Expert
Community Expert
April 28, 2025

Do you mean the option is greyed out?  I know nothing about Macs.  It would not be normal in Windows.  Can you show us a screenshot.  And do you have a camera or card reader connected?

Participating Frequently
April 28, 2025

No, not greyed out. The option isn't there. I did connect a card reader and it made no difference. I've used other versions of PSE with no problem on my Mac so this doesn't seem normal. See attached screenshot:

 

Glenn 8675309
Legend
April 28, 2025

The keyboard shortcut for windows  in organizer  is CTRL G, I assume in MACS it's CMD G.   While in organizer what happens when you press that combo.  

Also:  This is what I see in windows, do you see the same things (options)?

Me?  If I don't see those options: I'd reinstall the program.  LOG OUT OF IT FIRST, Uninstall, then reinstall.  Your catalogues are safe.