We’re happy to announce Photos Workbench 1.6, a performance-focused update that makes organizing and curating your photo library faster and more reliable.
If you use Photos Workbench alongside Apple Photos, this update improves the everyday workflows that matter most: browsing large libraries, comparing similar shots, and quickly identifying your best photos.
This release also follows closely on the heels of another major update: HoudahGeo 7.1, which introduced viewing direction and map improvements. Together, these updates continue our mission of making photo management on the Mac faster, clearer, and more enjoyable.
Let’s look at what’s new.
Faster Searches and Smoother Browsing
Many photographers rely on star ratings to find their best shots quickly. In Photos Workbench 1.6, filtering by star rating is significantly faster, even when working with large photo libraries.
This means you can:
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Instantly isolate your top-rated images
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Narrow down large shoots to your best candidates
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Move from browsing to editing or sharing much faster
Browsing improvements also make the photo grid feel smoother and more responsive. Zooming thumbnails now behaves more reliably—especially when working with photos stored in iCloud.
The goal here is simple: less waiting, more working.
A Better Compare Mode for Choosing the Best Shot
Compare Mode is one of the most powerful features in Photos Workbench. It helps you pick the best image from a burst or series by viewing photos side-by-side.
In version 1.6, you can now apply library management actions like removing a photo from its album directly on the photos – candidate or current pick – you are comparing.
In addition to finding your best shot, Compare Mode lets you:
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Delete rejected shots while comparing
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Mark favorites or apply ratings
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Add keywords to the winning photo and runner-ups
Faster Metadata and Batch Renaming
Photos Workbench is often used to refine metadata—titles, keywords, locations, and more.
This release speeds up key areas of that workflow:
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Batch Rename now opens much faster
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The metadata inspector loads complete original metadata ahead of time for faster browsing
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We fixed bugs in undo support for when adding keywords
These improvements may sound subtle, but they add up quickly when you’re organizing hundreds or thousands of images.
Context Menus Where You Need Them
Photos Workbench 1.6 adds context menus to the photo comparison view and the single photo view.
This small change makes everyday actions easier to reach. Instead of moving to the menu bar, you can now right-click or command-clickto quickly access common commands.
It’s a simple improvement that keeps you focused on your photos instead of hunting through menus.
A New Version Archive
We have also created a version archive where you can access previous releases of Photos Workbench.
This is useful if you need to download an earlier version for compatibility or troubleshooting.
Organize and Curate Your Photos Faster
Photos Workbench is designed to complement Apple Photos by giving you better tools for organizing and curating your images. You can:
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Rate photos using star ratings
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Quickly apply keywords
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Batch rename titles
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Compare photos to select the best shot
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Add or correct location information
All changes integrate directly with your existing Apple Photos library.
With Photos Workbench 1.6, these workflows are now faster and smoother than ever. Download Photos Workbench 1.6 now.