# Synology Photos Face Patch swaps a shared library to enable face grouping > This repository replaces the Photos facial recognition plugin on Synology NAS models that Synology did not enable it for, and it also carries a separate libsynosdk patch for mounting remote shares in VideoStation. It suits self hosted NAS owners who accept binary swaps and the risk that comes with them. **jinlife/Synology_Photos_Face_Patch** — Synology Photos Facial Recognition Patch - Repository: https://github.com/jinlife/Synology_Photos_Face_Patch - Stars: 854 · Forks: 122 - Language: Shell - License: GPL-3.0 - Published: 2026-10-20 · Updated: 2026-10-20 · Language: en - Canonical page: https://hysenlabs.com/projects/jinlife-synology-photos-face-patch ## What the patch actually changes on the NAS Synology ships facial recognition in its Photos application only on hardware it considers capable, and the README's first point is that this patch ignores the GPU so a DS918+ can have the facial recognition function in Synology Photos. The mechanism is not a settings toggle or a configuration file. The repository carries a replacement binary, `libsynophoto-plugin-platform.so`, and the installation instructions copy it over the copy that the SynologyPhotos package installed. A second file, `libsynophoto-plugin-platform.so.1.0`, sits alongside it as a fallback. The repository root also holds `libsynophoto-plugin-model.so` and its own `.so.1.0` variant, because the target file was renamed, and a `libsynosdk.so.7` file for a separate purpose described below. ## The file name changed, so old instructions break One compatibility detail catches people who follow older guides. The README notes that as of V1.6.0-0629 the file was updated from `libsynophoto-plugin-model.so` to `libsynophoto-plugin-platform.so`. The repository still contains both names, so a script or a wiki page written before that version will look for a file that is no longer the one in use. The path matters for the same reason. The library belongs at `/var/packages/SynologyPhotos/target/usr/lib/`, which is inside the package's own target directory rather than a shared system path, and the SynologyPhotos service has to be stopped before the file is replaced and started again afterwards. That is why every command in the README is paired with `synopkgctl stop SynologyPhotos` and `synopkgctl start SynologyPhotos`. ## Applying it from Task Scheduler, without SSH The first route needs no terminal access at all, and the README recommends it. You open Control Panel, go to Task Scheduler, create a Scheduled Task of the type user-defined script, set the user field to `root`, paste the command into the Run Command field in Task Settings, and then run the task. The command downloads the latest release asset and installs it in place, then restarts the package: ```bash wget https://github.com/jinlife/Synology_Photos_Face_Patch/releases/latest/download/libsynophoto-plugin-platform.so -O /var/packages/SynologyPhotos/target/usr/lib/libsynophoto-plugin-platform.so && synopkgctl stop SynologyPhotos && synopkgctl start SynologyPhotos ``` Because the download URL points at `releases/latest`, the task pulls the newest published asset each time it runs. Running it as `root` is what gives the script permission to write into the package directory, and it is also why this route needs a scheduler entry you create carefully rather than a command you paste into a shell. ## The SSH route and the fallback library The second option is the manual one. You download `libsynophoto-plugin-platform.so`, upload it to your home folder on the NAS, connect over SSH and copy it into place, changing the account name in the path to your own, then restart Photos after patching: ```bash cp /volume1/homes/jinlife/libsynophoto-plugin-platform.so /var/packages/SynologyPhotos/target/usr/lib/ ``` If that file does not work, the README says to try `libsynophoto-plugin-platform.so.1.0` with the same steps, which is why both variants are published in the repository root. The author also mentions patching the library yourself and points to the `bin` directory for that. Neither route is scripted for rollback, so if you want a way back, keeping a copy of the original file from `/var/packages/SynologyPhotos/target/usr/lib/` before you overwrite it is the only recovery path the documentation leaves you. ## Object recognition costs memory, and only fires on empty scenes The fourth point in the README sets the boundaries of the feature, and they matter for planning. The newer version supports both face and object recognition, but it recognises a face only if there is a person in the picture, and the object mode is for pictures with no person in them. Object recognition also needs at least 4GB of memory. The hardware notes are similar: the patch ignores the GPU, so the DS918+ can run the function at all, the DS3615xs might need the patch depending on the CPU, and the DS918+ might need it depending on both CPU and GPU, with the author strongly recommending the GPU when it works. Location recognition is the exception. It depends on whether the phone has GPS enabled and on the location information being included in each photo's properties, and Synology Photos supports it without any patch. ## The libsynosdk patch, and why the author limits it to VideoStation A second, unrelated binary sits in the same repository. The `libsynosdk.so.7` patch allows a remote NFS or CIFS shared folder to be used in VideoStation, AudioStation and Photos, and it is applied the same way: ```bash cp /volume1/homes/jinlife/libsynosdk.so.7 /usr/lib/ ``` This one writes into the system library directory rather than a package directory, and the README lists its side effects in detail. FileStation will no longer let you eject the folder, because it is treated as a local folder, though you can still unmount it. In Photos it works well in a shared folder, but you cannot delete a picture in a personal home folder, although you can delete it through FileStation, which the author calls inconvenient. The recommendation is to use it for VideoStation only, and to restart DSM after patching. That is a narrower request than the Photos patch and a riskier file location. ## GPL-3.0, release naming, and the warning that matters most The licence is GPL-3.0, which is the standard expectation for a repository that ships modified Synology binaries. The releases follow the Photos version they target, named Patch Photos with the build number, and the recent ones are 1.9.1-10928 published on 2026-07-27, 1.9.0-10924 on 2026-05-14, and 1.8.2-10090 on 2025-12-09. The repository is not archived and the last push was on 2026-07-27. The line that should govern your decision is the one above the installation options: use it at your own risk, you might lose data with this patch. That is not boilerplate here, because the change replaces a signed system binary inside a vendor package, and a Photos upgrade will overwrite it. The repository root also carries `src/` and `lazy/` directories, so some of the source behind the patch is present, though the README does not document how to rebuild the binaries. ## Conclusion Adopt this patch when you run Synology Photos on a model such as the DS918+ or DS3615xs and want face grouping on hardware Synology did not qualify for it, since the mechanism is a single library replacement applied by a scheduled task. Do not adopt it if you need supportable software or a repeatable, reversible upgrade, because the README states plainly that you use it at your own risk and might lose data. Verify first that the release asset matches your Photos build, and read the side effects listed for the separate `libsynosdk.so.7` patch before applying that one, since the author recommends it for VideoStation only. ## FAQ ### What does the Synology Photos Face Patch actually do? It replaces the Photos recognition plugin with a version that ignores the GPU check, so facial recognition runs on models Synology did not enable it for, such as the DS918+. The file `libsynophoto-plugin-platform.so` is copied over the one in `/var/packages/SynologyPhotos/target/usr/lib/` and the SynologyPhotos service is restarted. ### How do I install the patch without using SSH? Create a user-defined scheduled task in Control Panel and Task Scheduler, run it as `root`, and paste the download and restart command into the Run Command field. The README lists this as the recommended option. ### Does the patch support object recognition as well as faces? The new version supports both, but faces are only recognised when a person is present in the picture and object recognition applies to pictures without a person. Object recognition also requires at least 4GB of memory. ### What are the side effects of the libsynosdk.so.7 patch? It lets remote NFS or CIFS shared folders be used in VideoStation, AudioStation and Photos, but FileStation then treats the folder as local so it cannot be ejected from there, and pictures in a personal home folder cannot be deleted through Photos. The author suggests using it for VideoStation only and restarting DSM afterwards. ### Is there a difference between libsynophoto-plugin-model.so and libsynophoto-plugin-platform.so? Yes. The README states that as of V1.6.0-0629 the file was updated from `libsynophoto-plugin-model.so` to `libsynophoto-plugin-platform.so`, so instructions written before that version target the wrong file name. ## Sources - [Issues](https://github.com/jinlife/Synology_Photos_Face_Patch/issues) - [jinlife/Synology_Photos_Face_Patch on GitHub](https://github.com/jinlife/Synology_Photos_Face_Patch) - [License: GPL-3.0](https://github.com/jinlife/Synology_Photos_Face_Patch/blob/main/LICENSE) - [README](https://github.com/jinlife/Synology_Photos_Face_Patch/blob/main/README.md) - [Releases](https://github.com/jinlife/Synology_Photos_Face_Patch/releases) --- Hysen Labs editorial analysis, written from the project's own repository and release notes. Cite the canonical page: https://hysenlabs.com/projects/jinlife-synology-photos-face-patch