Privacy
Q. Are my images sent to the cloud?
No. Image search, OCR, and indexing all run on your Mac. Your images, search index, tags, and collections stay local and are never uploaded to an external server.
Search
Q. No results are showing up
1. Check that the folder is added in the left sidebar folder tree. 2. Make sure indexing has started or completed. Processed images may appear gradually while indexing continues. 3. If the threshold is too strict, lower it in the search or advanced settings. 4. If you are searching for visible text in an image, use Search by Meaning and wait until OCR indexing finishes.
Q. Can I search subfolders?
Yes. Subfolders under a root folder you've added are included in search by default — no extra setup required.
Q. Semantic search results aren't accurate
Try a more specific phrase and different wording. If your app language supports it, you can switch the search language between your native language and English. Native-language search may use local translation before matching image embeddings. Lowering the score threshold will return more candidates. Strong OCR text matches may appear above weaker semantic matches.
Q. How do I search for text visible in a photo?
Type the visible text directly in the Search by Meaning field. OCR-indexed text from images is included automatically. OCR is processed during indexing and is available for image files, not videos. If you change the search language and want existing OCR results to use the new recognition language, rebuild the index.
Q. Video files aren't showing up in search
Videos are supported in semantic search (Search by Meaning) only. They are not supported for image similarity search, face search, or OCR search.
Index & Folders
Q. The initial index is taking very long
The first index can take time, especially with many files, RAW or high-resolution images, videos, and images with dense text because OCR and AI features are generated locally. Processed images may appear gradually before the full index completes. In Pro, Background Monitoring can keep the index updated later so only new or changed files usually need processing.
Q. Can I use images on external disks?
Yes. You can add folders on external disks. If the disk is disconnected, that folder is shown as temporarily unavailable and becomes searchable again once the disk is reconnected.
Q. Newly added images aren't showing up
Select the folder in the left sidebar and refresh or run indexing again. SeekShot scans the selected folder and its subfolders. In Pro, Background Monitoring can update the index automatically when the app is not in use.
Q. I want to rebuild the index from scratch
Go to Settings → Index → Delete Index. This removes the index data but keeps your registered folders. After deleting, run indexing again to rebuild image features, OCR text, and video semantic data.
Q. A folder says unavailable or cannot be accessed
If the folder is on an external drive, connect the drive again. If macOS folder permission was lost, remove and add the folder again or re-authorize access when prompted. Removing a folder from SeekShot removes its registration and related index data, but does not delete the original files.
Tags, Collections & Display
Q. How many collections can I create?
The free version lets you create up to 3 collections. Pro removes the limit for unlimited collections. Tags can be created and added on both Free and Pro.
Q. My Pinned collection is empty
Pinned is now shown as a built-in collection. Items are stored in SeekShot's local database and are available on the same Mac. If the collection is empty, check whether the items were removed from Pinned. Removing an item from a collection does not delete the original file.
Q. What is AI Classification?
AI Classification groups visually or semantically related images from a selected folder so you can review and organize them faster. It runs locally on your Mac and is available in Pro.
Q. Will my data be deleted if I cancel or disable Pro?
No. Your registered folders and collections are not deleted. However, if you're over the free limits (for example more than 3 collections or multiple indexed folders), new additions and some edits are restricted until you're back within the free tier.
Q. An image preview isn't showing
Check that the file exists locally. Files stored only in iCloud will appear after they are downloaded to your Mac.
Compatibility & Limitations
Q. What's the difference between Free and Pro?
Free includes one root folder with its subfolders, image search, semantic search, face search, manual indexing with OCR text search, tags, and up to 3 user-created collections. Pro adds multiple indexed folders, unlimited collections, Background Monitoring, AI Classification, smart/tag suggestions, image comparison, file deletion, and advanced performance settings. Upgrade from the app menu → "Upgrade to Pro…"
Q. What are the system requirements?
SeekShot is an app for macOS. Please check the App Store listing for the latest supported OS versions.
Q. Photos stored in iCloud aren't showing up
Files stored only in iCloud and not downloaded locally are not processed by SeekShot. Download the image or video files to your Mac first, then refresh or rebuild the index.
Q. RAW image processing is slow
RAW and high-resolution images take longer to process. Images that have already been indexed are searched at normal speed.