What Is Mylio Photos?
Mylio Photos is a media library app that brings photos, videos and documents from phones, computers and drives into one library and syncs them between your own devices. According to Mylio, the AI features (Dynamic Search over SmartTags that identify over 1,000 activities, objects and properties, face recognition and text recognition) run on those devices rather than on Mylio's servers. Mylio's site lists macOS, Windows, iOS and Android.
The maker is Mylio; the App Store lists MyLo Development, LLC as seller. Dynamic Search and SmartTags arrived with version 24, announced on 30 August 2023, and the 24.7 notes (build 7878, 17 December 2025) report a refactored face-recognition pipeline and new OCR models on all operating systems. Mylio also sells Business plans and optional cloud storage (Mylio Drive+, powered by Backblaze, and SecureCloud); this review covers the personal product.
Get It
Mylio Photos is a double-click install on Windows and macOS and a store app on iPhone, iPad and Android; you then sign in so your devices can sync.
Option | How to get it |
|---|---|
| Website | mylio.com: product overview, plans and downloads |
| Windows | MSIX installer for x64 and a separate one for ARM64, linked from the download page |
| Mac | .dmg disk image from the download page |
| iPhone and iPad | Mylio Photos on the App Store: free with in-app purchases |
| Android | Mylio Photos on Google Play, linked from the download page |
| Plans | Sign-up page: Individual, Duo and Family plans with a free trial |
| Privacy policy | Mylio privacy policy: last revised on 14 May 2018 |
| Source code | None: proprietary software |
Version reviewed: Mylio Photos 24.8 (macOS and iOS build 7904, Windows and Android build 7905). The US App Store lists Mylio Premium at $25.00 a month or $239.99 a year. Mylio's sign-up page shows Individual at $25 a month or $240 a year, Duo at $40 or $384 and Family at $50 or $480, without naming the currency; an older Mylio announcement (2024) lists Mylio Photos+ at $119.99 a year, so confirm the current price at checkout.
Requirements
Mylio publishes no hardware minimums; the sources give operating-system support and the iOS requirement only.
Operating systems
- What the sources say:
- Windows (x64 and ARM64), macOS, iOS and iPadOS 13.0 or later, visionOS 1.0 or later, Android
Minimum versions
- What the sources say:
- The download page lists no minimum Windows, macOS or Android version
App size
- What the sources say:
- The iOS app is 202.8 MB (US App Store listing)
Account
- What the sources say:
- Devices sync through a Mylio account ("devices signed into your account", release notes)
Memory, GPU, disk
- What the sources say:
- No RAM, GPU or disk requirement is published in the sources read
Languages
- What the sources say:
- The App Store listing shows English only
These details come from Mylio's download page and the US App Store listing; PromptQuorum did not measure indexing time or memory use.
How to Get Started
These steps follow Mylio's download page and release notes; PromptQuorum has not run them.
- 1Download the app
Why it matters: Take the Windows MSIX or the Mac .dmg from Mylio's download page, or install the iOS or Android app from its store, then sign in or create an account. - 2Add your sources
Why it matters: The Guided Import panel adds folders, drives and cameras and, since version 24.0, an option to sync with other devices; Mylio says each imported image is scanned for people on your device. - 3Tag people
Why it matters: Review the face proposals and name people; the 24.7 notes mention batch face tagging and a Rescan Faces command. - 4Search
Why it matters: Type in Dynamic Search to find photos by keyword, SmartTag or recognised text; SmartTags can be switched off in the search menu.
Key Features
Every item below comes from Mylio's website or release notes; none has been tested by PromptQuorum.
- Library. One library for photos, videos and documents across Windows, macOS, iOS and Android, with device-to-device sync.
- Search. Dynamic Search over keywords, SmartTags and recognised text, with results grouped by location, people, events and albums.
- People. Face recognition with proposals and batch tagging.
- Organising. Albums, ratings, categories, Spaces and workflows; the release notes say Family, Work and Custom Spaces need a paid plan or trial.
- Editing and cameras. Basic editing tools such as AutoTone and Levels, plus RAW and DNG support; version 24.8 added Sony camera support.
- Sharing. Shared Albums and shareable links.
AI Features and Where They Run
Mylio's AI is image-based: it tags what is in a photo, finds faces and reads text so you can search; the only chat feature found is a help chatbot.
- SmartTags and Dynamic Search. Mylio says machine learning tags over 1,000 activities, objects and properties, and that search results usually appear in under two seconds (App Store listing).
- Faces. Mylio says each image is "privately scanned on your own devices for recognizable people"; version 24.7 refactored the pipeline for speed and accuracy.
- Text in images. The 24.7 notes report new OCR models on all operating systems, and Dynamic Search results include OCR data.
- Learn Panel chat. The version 24 notes describe a "GPT-powered chat within the Learn Panel" that searches Mylio's help resources; Mylio does not say where it runs or what it sends.
- Where it runs. Besides the App Store statement, Mylio's home page says to "organize media and run AI locally, no internet needed", and the 2023 launch release says the search index is built on the user's device.
Data Flow and Privacy
According to the sources, three things reach Mylio's servers or other parties, and none of them is AI processing. Devices sync through a Mylio account. Mylio Drive+, an optional paid feature, stores optimised copies of your files on servers powered by Backblaze, encrypted so that only devices signed in to your account can read them (version 24.4 notes). Shared Albums and shareable links publish the photos you pick on web pages that Mylio hosts (2023 launch release).
The privacy policy says it was last revised on 14 May 2018. It lists account details, your content and its metadata, usage data and device identifiers, says information may be stored and processed in the United States or other countries, and does not mention AI, face recognition or on-device processing. The US App Store privacy label lists name, device ID, user ID and crash data as linked to you, for analytics and app functionality.
📌Note: These are vendor statements and policy text, not audit results. PromptQuorum has not inspected network traffic, so whether face scanning or search ever contacts a server is not verified.
Who Should Use It
- People with photos spread over phones, computers and drives who want one synced library without putting everything in a cloud photo service.
- Users who want face, object and text search that Mylio says runs on their own devices.
- Households with several users: the Duo and Family plans cover two and five people.
What We Could Not Verify
- AI location. Every on-device statement is Mylio's own; where the Learn Panel chatbot runs and what it sends is not stated, and the privacy policy does not cover AI.
- AI quality. Search relevance, face accuracy and text recognition were not tested.
- Free plan. The release notes refer to a free plan, but the current sign-up page lists paid plans with a free trial and does not say what stays free.
- Price. The sign-up page does not name its currency, storefront prices differ, and older Mylio posts list lower figures.
- Minimums. No minimum operating-system version for Windows, macOS or Android, and no RAM or storage requirement, is published in the sources read.
- Google Play. The Play listing could not be read, so its data-safety label and Android prices are not covered.
Competitors and Alternatives
The directory has four other photo-library reviews; they differ mainly in whether you run a server, pay once, or use encrypted cloud storage.
Excire Foto
- Platforms:
- Windows, Mac
- Price / license:
- One-time purchase / Closed source
- Key difference:
- Desktop manager with local AI search, per Excire; Windows and Mac only
Articles about Excire Foto (1)
- Excire Foto Review: Local AI Photo Manager for Windows and MacUpdated October 28, 2026
Ente Photos
- Platforms:
- iOS, Android, desktop, web
- Price / license:
- Free 10 GB, paid plans / AGPL-3.0
- Key difference:
- Encrypted cloud storage with on-device AI; open source
Articles about Ente Photos (1)
- Ente Photos Review: Encrypted Backup with On-Device AI SearchUpdated October 24, 2026
Immich
- Platforms:
- Server (Docker), phone apps, browser
- Price / license:
- Free / AGPL-3.0
- Key difference:
- Self-hosted server with phone backup; setup needs Docker
Articles about Immich (1)
- Immich Review: Self-Hosted Photo Library with Smart SearchUpdated October 26, 2026
Also mentioned in:
- Facet Review: Local Photo Scoring, Culling and GalleryUpdated October 28, 2026
PhotoPrism
- Platforms:
- Server (Docker), browser
- Price / license:
- Free Community / AGPL-3.0
- Key difference:
- Self-hosted web app with built-in AI labels
Articles about PhotoPrism (1)
- PhotoPrism Review: Self-Hosted AI Photo Library for Your ServerUpdated October 24, 2026
Confirm each app's current price, license and platforms on its own page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Mylio Photos a local LLM?
No. The sources describe image tagging, face and text recognition, and a help chatbot in the Learn Panel; none describes a local language model.
Does Mylio Photos work offline?
Mylio's home page says you can "run AI locally, no internet needed" and search "even offline"; it lists no exceptions, and sign-in, sync and the help chat naturally need a connection.
How much does Mylio Photos cost?
It is free to download and the paid plans are subscriptions; see the Get It note for storefront prices. Mylio's sign-up page also shows a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Can I try it before paying?
Yes: the sign-up page offers a "Free Trial + Gift" and says you will not be charged today. The length of the trial is not stated.
Does Mylio send my photos to the cloud?
Not for AI, per Mylio. Optional Mylio Drive+ storage and Shared Albums do store or publish files on servers, as described under Data Flow and Privacy.
Is the project still maintained?
On the evidence available, yes: Mylio's release notes list version 24.8 builds on 28 July, 11 August, 6 October and 8 October 2026.
Verdict
Mylio Photos is a closed-source multi-device photo library whose maker says its SmartTag search, face recognition and text recognition run on your own devices, with a free download and subscriptions for the paid plans. Against that: the claim is the vendor's own, the help chatbot's location is not stated, the privacy policy dates from 2018 and does not cover AI, optional cloud storage and shared albums use Mylio's servers, the free tier's scope is unclear, and PromptQuorum did not test the app. It suits people with photos on several devices who want one synced library and accept the vendor's statement; anyone who needs verified offline processing or open source should look at the self-hosted alternatives.
Sources
- Mylio Photos home page — platforms, plans and AI feature descriptions, checked 30 October 2026.
- Mylio download page — installers and store links, checked 30 October 2026.
- Mylio sign-up page — plans and prices, checked 30 October 2026.
- Mylio change log and release notes — versions 24.7 and 24.8 with build dates, checked 30 October 2026.
- Mylio version 24 release notes — Dynamic Search, face scanning, Learn Panel chat and Mylio Drive+, checked 30 October 2026.
- Mylio privacy policy — data collected and processing locations, revised 14 May 2018.
- Mylio Photos on the US App Store — version 24.8.7904, in-app purchases, AI statement and privacy label, checked 30 October 2026.
- Mylio version 24 launch release — SmartTags, local search index and Shared Albums, published 30 August 2023.
- Mylio price announcement — 2024 Mylio Photos+ prices.