About
ArchiveKey creates a verifiable, incremental copy of your Apple Photos originals in a folder you choose. It is designed for large libraries, iCloud-only media, and external drives.
WHY ARCHIVEKEY
• Export original photo and video resources without deleting anything
• Resume later and skip files whose recorded hash still matches
• Retry transient iCloud downloads without losing the whole run
• Isolate failures and save a detailed JSON receipt
• Detect a corrupted exported file and repair it on the next run
ArchiveKey asks for read access to Photos and write access only to the folder you select. It does not upload your library, run an account service, or modify Apple Photos.
Getting started
- Grant read access to Apple Photos.
- Choose a destination folder or external drive through the macOS file picker.
- Start the backup, then review the saved receipt and rerun later to verify or incrementally add new originals.
Frequently asked questions
Does ArchiveKey delete or change my Photos library?
No. It requests read access and never deletes, edits, or mirrors deletions from Apple Photos.
What happens to iCloud-only originals?
PhotoKit may ask Apple's Photos service to download an original. ArchiveKey then writes that original to the folder you selected.
How do I know the backup is intact?
ArchiveKey records content hashes and a JSON receipt, skips verified files on later runs, and repairs an exported file if its hash no longer matches.