How to Fix Photos Repair Loop in macOS Sequoia 15.x
Symptom: You open Photos on macOS Sequoia, and it immediately starts "Repairing Library." When it finishes, it restarts the repair process again in an infinite loop.
Start with Fix 1: Fix Library Permissions. If the issue persists after that, try Fix 2: Reset the Analysis Daemon. Full Terminal commands and step-by-step instructions are in each section below.
Why this happens
This is usually caused by a permissions mismatch in the ~/Pictures/Photos Library.photoslibrary folder, where Sequoia's new AI indexing service (mediaanalysisd) cannot write its results.
Recommended Troubleshooting Tool
Before proceeding with manual fixes, we recommend using CleanMyMac X. Quickly identify high CPU apps and optimize system memory with one click.
Fix 1: Fix Library Permissions
- Quit Photos.
- In Finder, go to your Pictures folder.
- Right-click Photos Library and select Get Info.
- Unlock the lock icon, and ensure your user account has Read & Write access.
- Click the "..." or Gear icon and select Apply to enclosed items.
Fix 2: Reset the Analysis Daemon
- Open Terminal.
- Run:
launchctl reboot userspace
- This is a "soft reboot" that specifically restarts user-level daemons like the one causing the Photos loop without a full system restart.
Recommended Tool: PowerPhotos
If your library is truly corrupted beyond the system's ability to fix it, PowerPhotos can often rebuild the database from scratch and migrate your photos to a healthy new library.