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# PHObject

The abstract superclass for Photos model objects, including assets and collections.

```
class PHObject
```

## Overview

You do not create or use instances of this class directly. Instead, work with instances of its concrete subclasses—[`PHAsset`](/documentation/Photos/PHAsset), [`PHAssetCollection`](/documentation/Photos/PHAssetCollection), [`PHCollectionList`](/documentation/Photos/PHCollectionList), and [`PHObjectPlaceholder`](/documentation/Photos/PHObjectPlaceholder).

Because the [`PHObject`](/documentation/Photos/PHObject) class implements the <doc://com.apple.documentation/documentation/ObjectiveC/NSObjectProtocol/isEqual(_:)> and <doc://com.apple.documentation/documentation/ObjectiveC/NSObjectProtocol/hash> methods in terms of its [`localIdentifier`](/documentation/Photos/PHObject/localIdentifier) property, you can use techniques that depend on these methods to keep track of asset and collection objects.

## Topics

### Identifying an Object

[`localIdentifier`](/documentation/Photos/PHObject/localIdentifier)

A unique string that persistently identifies the object.

## Relationships

### Inherited By

[`PHAsset`](/documentation/Photos/PHAsset)

[`PHObjectPlaceholder`](/documentation/Photos/PHObjectPlaceholder)

[`PHAssetResourceUploadJob`](/documentation/Photos/PHAssetResourceUploadJob)

[`PHCollection`](/documentation/Photos/PHCollection)

### Conforms To

[`NSObjectProtocol`](/documentation/ObjectiveC/NSObjectProtocol)

[`Equatable`](/documentation/Swift/Equatable)

[`NSCopying`](/documentation/Foundation/NSCopying)

[`Sendable`](/documentation/Swift/Sendable)

[`SendableMetatype`](/documentation/Swift/SendableMetatype)

[`CustomDebugStringConvertible`](/documentation/Swift/CustomDebugStringConvertible)

[`Hashable`](/documentation/Swift/Hashable)

[`CVarArg`](/documentation/Swift/CVarArg)

[`CustomStringConvertible`](/documentation/Swift/CustomStringConvertible)

### Inherits From

[`NSObject-swift.class`](/documentation/ObjectiveC/NSObject-swift.class)

---

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