How To Use Lightroom Classic On Two Computers

Many photographers would like to use Lightroom Classic on two computers. There are various ways you can do this, especially if you’re open to using the Lightroom for desktop app, which I’ll explore in this article.

But first, let’s look at the reasons why photographers want to use Lightroom Classic on various devices.

Scenario 1: One photographer uses Lightroom Classic on one computer, and needs to use Lightroom on a second computer, plus a tablet or phone. 

I’m sure there are many readers that own a desktop computer, a laptop, a tablet and a phone, and would like to use Lightroom on all of them. The good news is that, as we will see, this is easy to set up.

Scenario 2: Two people want to use Lightroom Classic together, like a couple living at the same address. 

They may both be photographers, and import photos into the same Catalog. Or one may be the photographer, but wants their partner to use Lightroom to view their photos. Again, this is easy to set up.

Why Lightroom Classic doesn’t work with NAS

Some photographers have networks set up at home. This seems like a great solution – until you realize that Lightroom Classic can’t open a Catalog saved on network attached storage (NAS).

The reason for this is that the Catalog is an SQLite database, and SQLite databases are prone to corruption when accessed over networks. 

The Lightroom for desktop solution

I don’t use Lightroom on more than one computer, but if I did, I’d use Lightroom Classic on my main computer and Lightroom for desktop on my second. 

For many photographers this is the best solution as it’s the simplest to put into action. 

There are some caveats. Lightroom for desktop has some limitations you need to be aware of, especially if you use Virtual Copies, Snapshots and keywords. These are listed at the end of the article.

As we explore the options pay attention to the practical difficulties of using Lightroom Classic on two computers. 

If you can work with them, using Lightroom Classic on both computers may be the best solution for you. 

But if not, then using Lightroom for desktop on your second computer may be the way to go. 

Scenario one: One photographer using Lightroom on more than one computer or device

If you’d like to use Lightroom on more than computer, then you have two options.

Option 1: Install Lightroom Classic on both computers

The first step is to install Lightroom Classic on both computers (your license lets you install it on two machines). 

Next, save your Catalog and associated Previews files on an external Solid State Drive (SSD). A capacity of 128 or 256GB is plenty for most photographers.

All you have to do now is connect the SSD with your Catalog to the computer you happen to be using. 

How to move your Lightroom folder to an external drive

1. Go to Catalog Settings > General. It lists the name of the folder containing all your Catalog files under Location, plus the file path. 

The screenshot below shows that my Catalog folder is named Lightroom.

2. Click the Show button to open your Catalog folder in Finder (Mac) or File Explorer (PC). The Catalog folder is highlighted.

3. Copy the Catalog folder to your external drive.

What about your photos?

Now there’s another problem to solve. What do you do with your photos? 

There are four ways you can go.

1. If your photo library is small enough, save your photos and Catalog on the same hard drive. An SSD is faster than a regular hard drive, but more expensive. A good solution if your second computer’s a laptop.

2. Save your Catalog files on an SSD, and your photo files on a regular hard drive. Great if your second computer is a desktop, not so practical if it’s a laptop.

3. If available, use network attached storage (NAS). Lightroom Classic can’t open a Catalog accessed via a network, but there’s no problem with photos. 

4. Use Smart Previews instead of hard drives. Generating Smart Previews makes your Catalog files bigger, but lets you view and develop your photos on your second computer.

This is a great option for laptop users as it means you don’t have to carry your entire photo collection with you. The only limitation is that the maximum size of photos you can export from your second computer is 2560 pixels, the same size as a Smart Preview. 

If none of these work for you then consider using Lightroom Classic on your main computer, and Lightroom on your second computer. 

It’s simpler and means you don’t have to think about copying your Catalog files and photos to external hard drives. This is covered later in the article.

Laptops for travel only

It’s possible that you intend to use your laptop when traveling, and don’t need access to your main Catalog.

In that case, create a new Catalog on your laptop and import photos into it as you go. Then, when you get home, you can merge your travel Catalog with your main one.

A second option is to install Lightroom for desktop on your laptop. I recommend this if you have a 1TB plan,  for reasons we’ll come to shortly.

Option 2: Install Lightroom Classic on one machine, and Lightroom for desktop on the other

Does using Lightroom Classic on two computers sound complicated? Then consider installing Lightroom for desktop on the second one instead.

With this option Lightroom Classic is like central command. It’s where you do most of your importing, organizing and developing.

All you have to do is decide which photos you want to access on your second computer and sync the relevant Collections.

Then you can view your synced photos in Lightroom for desktop. Not to mention the Lightroom apps on your tablet and phone, or in Lightroom for web.

You can also develop your photos in those apps. Anything you do in Detail View (Lightroom’s Develop module) syncs automatically with Lightroom Classic.

You don’t need to use external hard drives to make it work as everything’s done over wi-fi. 

Above: The sync icon shows the Collection “Butterfly Farm” has been synced. It’s visible in any of the Lightroom apps and in Lightroom for web.

Above: This is what the Collection looks like in Lightroom for desktop (where it’s called an Album). 

Above: You can develop photos in Lightroom for desktop. Most of the options are the same as in Lightroom Classic, although some have different names. 

Importing advantages

Another advantage is that you can import photos into Lightroom for desktop (or mobile). If wifi is available, the app uploads those photos to Adobe’s servers. From there Lightroom Classic downloads them, saves them in the designated folder and adds them to your Catalog. 

You’ve already seen this system in action if you take photos with your camera’s Lightroom app. 

This makes Lightroom for desktop (or mobile) a great option for traveling photographers with a good wifi connection. 

The only restriction is your cloud storage limit. If you’re on the older 20GB plan, you don’t have much capacity to play with. But if you have a 1TB plan, it’s a different story.   

As mentioned earlier, Lightroom for desktop does have limitations, so make sure you’re aware of them before using this set up. They’re listed at the bottom of the article. 

Scenario two: Two photographers sharing Lightroom Classic

I recently received a question from a reader asking about the best way for his wife to access Lightroom Classic on a different computer. 

The best solution depends on the requirements of the second person. 

If they’re an equal partner – that is, they want to import, organize and develop their own photos in the same Catalog – using Lightroom Classic on both machines is the best option. The single drawback is that only one person at a time can open the Catalog.

But what if the second person isn’t an equal partner? Maybe they take and import far fewer photos than you do. Perhaps they only use their phones for photography. Maybe they just want to look at your photos. 

In that case using Lightroom for desktop on the second computer makes a lot of sense. And as you can open Lightroom Classic and Lightroom for desktop at the same time, there’s no arguing over turns.

The limitations of Lightroom for desktop

You need to be aware of Lightroom for desktop’s limitations before you jump into using it on a second computer. There aren’t many, but one or more may be a deal-breaker.

1. Lightroom for desktop has a different interface. It’s not wildly different, but there’s a slight learning curve if you’re new to it. It also uses different terminology, like Albums instead of Collections.

2. Lightroom doesn’t have Collections Sets. Instead you use Folders to organize your Albums. But while Albums become Collections in Lightroom Classic during the syncing process, Folders don’t get synced. 

Lightroom Classic may be a better bet if you plan to do a lot of organization work on your second computer. 

Above: Lightroom Classic’s synced Collections appear as Albums in Lightroom for desktop. They’re also listed in a different order. 

3. Lightroom doesn’t have Print, Book, Map, Slideshow or Web modules. 

4. Virtual Copies and Snapshots aren’t available in Lightroom for desktop. 

5. Lightroom lacks some other features, like Survey View, that you might rely on. Other missing features include file renaming, Color Labels, saved Filter bar searches and Develop history.  

6. Lightroom Classic keywords don’t sync to Lightroom for desktop. Keywords added in Lightroom for desktop don’t sync to Lightroom Classic. This is because the keywording systems in both apps are different. 

Closing thoughts

If you’d like to use Lightroom Classic on two computers then it’s worth considering using Lightroom for desktop on the second one instead. It saves the hassle associated with using hard drives for your Catalog files and photos – an important consideration for travelers.

As mentioned earlier, this is what I would do if I had two computers. The important thing is that you understand its limitations. If you’re fine with those, it’s the simplest solution.

As always, if you have any thoughts or questions about this process, let me know in the comments.

Mastering Lightroom Classic: Book One – The Library Module

You can learn more about the Catalog, Collections and organizing photos in my best-selling ebook Mastering Lightroom Classic: Book One – The Library Module.