Immich: Self-Hosted Photo Management - Google Photos Alternative

What I Built

Immich is a self-hosted photo management solution that provides Google Photos-like functionality while keeping your data private and under your control. It offers automatic photo backup, sharing, and organization features without relying on cloud services.

Technical Stack

  • Backend: Node.js with TypeScript
  • Frontend: React with TypeScript
  • Database: PostgreSQL
  • Storage: Local file system
  • Containerization: Docker & Docker Compose
  • AI: TensorFlow for face recognition
  • API: RESTful API with GraphQL

Key Features

Automatic Photo Backup

  • Real-time photo synchronization from mobile devices
  • Automatic organization by date and location
  • Duplicate detection and management
  • Background upload support

Advanced Organization

  • AI-powered face recognition
  • Automatic tagging and categorization
  • Location-based organization
  • Album creation and management

Privacy-First Design

  • All data stored locally
  • No cloud dependencies
  • End-to-end encryption support
  • User-controlled sharing

Sharing Capabilities

  • Secure link sharing
  • User management and permissions
  • Public and private albums
  • Download controls

Biggest Challenges

Storage Management

Managing large photo libraries and implementing efficient storage strategies while maintaining performance and accessibility.

Mobile App Integration

Setting up reliable mobile app connectivity and ensuring seamless photo synchronization across devices.

Performance Optimization

Optimizing the application for large photo libraries while maintaining fast search and browsing capabilities.

Backup Strategy

Implementing robust backup solutions for both the application data and the photo library itself.

What I Learned

Media Management Systems

Understanding how modern photo management systems work and the challenges of handling large media libraries.

AI Integration

How machine learning can be integrated into self-hosted applications for features like face recognition and automatic tagging.

Privacy-First Architecture

Designing applications that prioritize user privacy while maintaining functionality and ease of use.

Mobile Development

The complexities of mobile app development and synchronization with self-hosted backends.

Docker Configuration

version: '3.8'
services:
  immich-server:
    image: ghcr.io/immich-app/immich-server:latest
    container_name: immich-server
    restart: unless-stopped
    environment:
      - NODE_ENV=production
      - DATABASE_URL=postgresql://immich:password@immich-postgres:5432/immich
      - REDIS_URL=redis://immich-redis:6379
    volumes:
      - ./upload:/usr/src/app/upload
      - ./config:/usr/src/app/config
    networks:
      - homelab

  immich-microservices:
    image: ghcr.io/immich-app/immich-server:latest
    container_name: immich-microservices
    restart: unless-stopped
    environment:
      - NODE_ENV=production
      - DATABASE_URL=postgresql://immich:password@immich-postgres:5432/immich
      - REDIS_URL=redis://immich-redis:6379
    volumes:
      - ./upload:/usr/src/app/upload
      - ./config:/usr/src/app/config
    networks:
      - homelab

  immich-web:
    image: ghcr.io/immich-app/immich-web:latest
    container_name: immich-web
    restart: unless-stopped
    networks:
      - homelab

  immich-postgres:
    image: postgres:15-alpine
    container_name: immich-postgres
    restart: unless-stopped
    environment:
      - POSTGRES_USER=immich
      - POSTGRES_PASSWORD=password
      - POSTGRES_DB=immich
    volumes:
      - ./postgres:/var/lib/postgresql/data
    networks:
      - homelab

  immich-redis:
    image: redis:7-alpine
    container_name: immich-redis
    restart: unless-stopped
    networks:
      - homelab

Benefits

  • Complete privacy with self-hosted solution
  • No cloud dependencies or data sharing
  • Automatic organization with AI features
  • Flexible sharing options
  • Unlimited storage based on your hardware

Immich has become my go-to solution for photo management, providing Google Photos-like functionality while maintaining complete control over my data and privacy.