---
id: mac-storage-basics.does-editing-photos-use-more-space
url: https://storagestudio.us/faq/mac-storage-basics/does-editing-photos-use-more-space
category: "Mac storage basics"
subcategory: "Creative and media apps"
question: "Does editing photos in the Photos app use more space?"
alt_questions:
  - "edited photos storage mac"
  - "photos keeps original after edit"
  - "revert to original photos space"
  - "non destructive editing storage"
  - "why library grows after edits"
  - "photos edits disk space"
short_answer: "A little — Photos keeps the original alongside each edit so you can revert. Export the edit and delete the original if you want one smaller file, at the cost of undo."
tags: ["photos", "editing", "storage"]
related: ["https://storagestudio.us/faq/mac-storage-basics/why-is-my-photos-library-bigger-than-my-photos", "https://storagestudio.us/faq/mac-storage-basics/does-trimming-a-video-in-photos-save-space"]
applies_to: "all"
last_reviewed: 2026-10-01
---

# Does editing photos in the Photos app use more space?

A little. Photos never overwrites your original: it keeps the original plus the edited version (and for videos, a rendered edit), so you can always choose **Revert to Original**. Heavily edited libraries are therefore somewhat bigger than the photos alone.

This is a safety feature, not waste. If you want a single smaller file, export the edited version and delete the original — but you lose the ability to undo the edits. See [why the Photos library is bigger than your photos](https://storagestudio.us/faq/mac-storage-basics/why-is-my-photos-library-bigger-than-my-photos).