What is photoanalysisd?
photoanalysisd works through your Photos library to power features like People & Pets, Memories and search for things like "beach" or "dog". It looks at each photo and video, recognises faces and scenes, and stores the results on your Mac.
It's designed to do most of that work when you're not using your Mac, ideally while it's plugged in, so it may start up as soon as you step away.
Why is photoanalysisd using so much CPU?
- After importing lots of photos or turning on iCloud Photos, when every new item needs analysing.
- After a macOS update, when Photos may re-analyse the library with improved models.
- A large library, which simply takes longer the first time.
How to fix high photoanalysisd CPU usage
- Confirm it in Activity Monitor. Press ⌘ Space, type Activity Monitor, open the CPU tab and sort by % CPU. Watch
photoanalysisdfor a minute: short spikes are normal, only steady high usage needs fixing. - Leave your Mac plugged in and idle, for example overnight. Analysis goes fastest when it isn't interrupted.
- Keep Photos updated with macOS, since it's part of the system.
- Check progress in Photos: the People & Pets album fills in as analysis completes.
More help: Why is my Mac's battery draining fast?