The questions people ask first

Organize only reads your source folder. It never moves, renames, edits, or deletes those originals. Deduplicate is a separate workflow that moves only the files you approve in the scanned folder to macOS Trash.

Yes. Open the Photos tab, authorize Photos access, pick the photos and videos you want, and choose Review & Import. Chronoframe copies the originals into your organized library through the same preview → confirm → verified-copy flow as everything else, and only ever reads your Photos library — it never changes, moves, favorites, or deletes anything there. Live Photos keep their photo and movie together, and iCloud-only originals are downloaded on demand. You can also point Chronoframe at loose files in folders or on drives.

Yes. History can undo supported transfers, dedupe commits, and reorganize runs. Revert acts only when files still match the receipt, so it won't touch anything you added or changed afterward. For dedupe, the recorded files must still be in Trash with their recorded contents. Chronoframe cannot restore files after Trash is emptied.

Each file is written safely to a temporary spot and only then put into place. Chronoframe records mutation state and reconciles interrupted work when you reopen it with the destination drive connected. History shows when a drive or manual action is still needed; your originals stay untouched.

Yes. Chronoframe finds byte-identical video copies by content. An off-by-default setting can also surface transcodes and re-exports that look alike; visual video matches always require your review.

No. Chronoframe moves only the files you approve to the macOS Trash. You review each duplicate group before committing, and hard delete is not part of the app.

It checks photo metadata (EXIF capture time) first, then filename date patterns, then file creation and modification dates, and always defers to any date you set yourself in Review. Photos with an unknown date go to an Unknown_Date folder unless you provide one.

Chronoframe processes photos on-device and never uploads your library. There is no Chronoframe account, analytics, or tracking. Cloud services may download originals or sync folders you choose; those transfers are controlled by their own services. See the privacy policy for details.

Yes, but more slowly. Cloud drives aren't optimized for the file operations Chronoframe performs. Make sure originals are downloaded locally, and prefer local or external drives for the best performance.

Chronoframe 2 requires macOS 14.0 or later, on Apple Silicon and Intel Macs. You'll need space at the destination for the files you copy, plus temporary space when importing from Apple Photos.

Chronoframe is free to download. Organize 500 files and move 100 approved duplicate files to Trash, cumulatively per Apple Account per Mac. A $14.99 US one-time lifetime unlock removes those limits, includes Reorganize, and supports Family Sharing. There is no subscription or Chronoframe account. Regional prices vary; the app shows the local price before purchase.

The 500-file organizing allowance and 100-file dedupe allowance are cumulative, per Apple Account per Mac. They have no time limit and do not renew each month. Counts refer to files, so paired resources such as a Live Photo’s still and movie can count separately.

Previews, plans, CSV exports, duplicate scans and review, Health, and History remain free and unlimited. Reorganizing an existing library into a different folder layout requires the unlock.

Nothing is charged automatically. You can still preview, scan, review, and use History. To copy or move more files to Trash beyond the relevant allowance, choose the one-time unlock. Revert remains available without a purchase; successfully undoing trial work returns the corresponding allowance.

Use the Apple Account that purchased the lifetime unlock and choose Restore Purchases in Settings. If the unlock still isn’t recognized, get purchase help before buying again. Family Sharing is supported; Apple manages family eligibility and purchase sharing.

No. While Chronoframe is running, Organize → Sources watches registered folders and estimates new arrivals. You choose when to review and approve an import. A disconnected or incompletely scanned folder may need to be checked again.