The Intrusive Sync Attempt
If you frequently plug your iPhone into your Mac to charge the battery or transfer a specific file, you are likely familiar with the most frustrating default behaviour in macOS: the immediate, unavoidable launch of the Photos app. Apple designed this to make importing vacation photos as seamless as possible. However, if you already use iCloud Photo Library to sync everything wirelessly, or if you are just trying to get some quick power from your laptop’s USB-C port, having the heavy Photos app suddenly take over your screen and demand your attention is an incredibly irritating disruption.
How to Disable the Automatic Launch for Your Device
You can instruct macOS to completely ignore your iPhone (or any specific SD card or camera) when it is plugged in, preventing the Photos app from ever launching automatically.
1. Connect your iPhone to your Mac using your standard USB cable.
2. Wait for the Photos app to automatically open (as it usually does).
3. In the left-hand sidebar of the Photos app, look under the “Devices” section and click on your iPhone’s name.
4. Look at the very top of the main window, just below the toolbar. You will see a small checkbox labelled Open Photos for this device.
5. Untick this checkbox.
6. You can now close the Photos app. The next time you plug in this specific iPhone, nothing will happen.
A Note on Multiple Devices
It is important to remember that this setting is device-specific, not a global kill switch. You have successfully disabled the auto-launch for your current iPhone. However, if you plug in a completely different iPhone, an iPad, or a digital camera’s SD card tomorrow, the Photos app will pop up again. You will need to repeat this exact same process (unticking the box) for every new media device you connect to your Mac.