Before you start
Use an Apple Silicon Mac running macOS 14 or later. Connect your external drive and confirm its photo folders open in Finder. Keep a backup before making changes to your photo collection.
1. Add your photo folder
Open PhotoFold and choose Add Folder. Select the folder on your external drive that contains your photos. If you add several folders, use the sidebar to browse a particular folder.
2. Compare duplicates and similar shots
Open Similar Photos and choose the matching scope you want. Exact matching finds files with identical data; visual matching can group shots that look similar. A suggested match is a starting point for your review, not proof that two photos are interchangeable.
3. Inspect the details that matter
Compare facial expressions, motion blur, focus, and framing. Double-click a photo for an original-quality full-screen view, then use the arrow keys to move through photos. An edited version and its original may both be worth keeping.
4. Mark your selection
Use Import for photos you want and Skip for photos you want excluded from the import. Unmarked photos are also eligible for import, so review your selection before proceeding. A Skip mark is a review choice, not a command to delete the source file.
5. Import and check the copies
Use the Import action in All photos, review the proposed operation, and choose a destination on your Mac. Open the copied photos to check the result before removing anything from your external drive. Keep the drive connected while PhotoFold reads or copies its files.
What if the drive is disconnected?
PhotoFold needs access to the original files to inspect and copy them. Reconnect the drive before continuing. This workflow operates on photo folders; it does not scan Apple Photos or Lightroom catalogs directly.
Before you share a selected photo
Organizing photos and removing embedded location data are separate tasks. To inspect a JPEG or HEIC before sharing, use the online EXIF viewer. You can then create a cleaned JPEG with QuietFrame.