Bring an existing library

Wherever your photos live today, there’s a straightforward way to bring them into Frameleaf. Pick the route that matches what you have, and keep your original library and a backup until you’ve checked everything in Frameleaf.

You have	Start here
An Immich installation	Switch from Immich with Frameleaf Manager
Folders of originals	Import from a folder
A Google Photos export	Google Photos
An Apple Photos library	iCloud Photos
Another Frameleaf server	Move to a new server

Import an installation with Manager

For a supported Immich installation, follow Switch from Immich. It walks you through Manager’s review and import, shows what comes across, and explains the end of Immich backward compatibility on October 15, 2026.

Manager creates a new Frameleaf database and uses your media where it already is, so your originals aren’t copied or moved. Keep your own media backup, and leave the source stopped once Frameleaf starts using the library.

Coming from another photo application? Export your originals and follow Import from a folder. Manager’s import is built for Immich.

Finish and check

Complete your photo account setup and open Library Care. Manager checks your library first; thumbnails, faces, search and metadata then carry on building in the background, so give them time to finish after setup.

Before you retire the original installation, check:

• the accounts, albums and item counts you expect;
• a sample of original photos, videos, Live Photos and sidecars;
• private and shared content, signed in with the right accounts;
• external-library mounts and their access modes;
• your backup and recovery keys.

If the import stops

Read the recorded failure, fix the cause, then choose Resume safely. Keep the database directories, Manager state and original media mounts as they are, and resume the same import rather than starting a second one over the same destination.

Once Frameleaf has written to the media, restarting the source against those same files won’t roll it back. To go back, recover the original system from its own database and matching media backup, or export your library to move it elsewhere.