User Manual
Getting Started
Set your search folder
Go to Settings → Index tab → Add a folder under "Search Folders." The free version supports one folder. Multiple folders and subfolder search are available in Pro.
Build the index
Once a folder is set, start indexing. The first run takes time depending on the number of images (a few minutes to tens of minutes for thousands of files). OCR is processed at the same time. Searches are significantly faster after indexing is complete.
Background Monitoring (Pro — recommended)
Enable this in Settings to keep the index automatically updated, even when the app is closed. Available in Pro only.
Search by Image
- 1Select the "Search by Image" tab
- 2Drag and drop an image, or click to select one
- 3Adjust the similarity threshold in advanced settings if needed
- 4Start the search
- 5Pin, compare, or Quick Look results
Threshold guide: Raise it to narrow down results. Lower it to cast a wider net.
Search by Meaning
- 1Select the "Search by Meaning" tab
- 2Type a keyword describing what you're looking for
- 3Adjust the score threshold if needed
- 4Start the search
For better results: Be specific. "Beach in summer with children playing" works better than just "beach." Try different phrasings if results aren't what you expected.
For better results: Be specific. "Beach in summer with children playing" works better than just "beach." Try different phrasings if results aren't what you expected.
Search by Face
- 1Select the "Search by Face" tab
- 2Specify an image containing the person
- 3Select the face you want to search for
- 4Start the search
Using Pins
- Click the pin icon on any thumbnail to pin or unpin
- From your pin list, you can use an image directly as the source for Image Search, Face Search, or Comparison
- A confirmation dialog appears before unpinning
- Pins are saved to a local database and are only available on the same Mac
Settings Reference
Index Tab
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Run Index / Cancel | Manually start or stop indexing |
| Delete Index | Delete and rebuild the index from scratch |
| Last Indexed | Timestamp of the most recent index |
| Background Monitoring | Keeps the index updated even when the app is closed (Pro) |
| Search Folders | Add or remove folders to index (free version: 1 folder only) |
Performance Tab
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Text Embedding Cache Size | Cache capacity for semantic search |
| ANN (Approximate Nearest Neighbor) | Speeds up search for large datasets |
| ANN Minimum Record Count | Minimum number of records before ANN activates |
| ANN Maximum Candidates | Upper limit on candidates evaluated in ANN search |
| Reset Settings | Restore all performance settings to defaults |