Photo Tidy User Guide

Getting Started

Photo Tidy helps you organize photos using their existing metadata. You can analyze photos, create views to group them, review the results, and export them into a folder structure without modifying the original files.

Workflow

1. Create a Session
2. Add Photos
3. Analyze
4. Create a View
5. Review Groups
6. Export Photos

Sessions

A Session is a workspace for organizing a set of photos. It keeps track of your photo sources and organization settings without moving or modifying the original files.

Create a Session

1. Click Create Session.
2. Enter a name for the Session.
3. Add one or more folders or individual photos.
4. Click Create.

You can reopen a Session later and continue working with it.

Remove Photos from a Session

Remove from Session excludes a photo from the current Session. It does not delete the original file.

Removed photos can be restored later.

Views & Groups

A View defines how your photos are organized. Select one or more dimensions to create a hierarchy of groups.

For example, a Year / Month View creates:

2026
├── 01
├── 02
└── 03

A Year / Camera Model View creates:

2026
├── Canon EOS R5
└── iPhone 17 Pro

A View only changes how photos are grouped and displayed. It does not move or modify your files.

Groups

Groups are the result of the current View. Use Groups to navigate quickly between groups of photos.

Reviewing Photos

Use Browse Photos to view individual photos at their original size.

From a photo, you can:

• View photo information
• Reveal the original file in Finder or File Explorer
• Share the photo
• Remove the photo from the Session

Removed Photos lets you review photos excluded from the current Session and restore them when needed.

Photo Tidy does not automatically delete original files during organization.

Exporting Photos

Export turns the current group structure into folders on disk.

For example, this group structure:

2026 / 01
2026 / 02
2026 / 03

can become:

Photos/
├── 2026/
│   ├── 01/
│   ├── 02/
│   └── 03/

Export

1. Open Export.
2. Review the Group Structure.
3. Choose the folder structure mode.
4. Review the Folder Structure.
5. Choose a destination folder.
6. Click Export Photos.

Nested and Flattened

Nested preserves the hierarchy of the current View.

Flattened creates a simpler folder structure without nested subfolders.

Exporting does not change your Session or View. You can export the same photos again using a different View or destination.

Photo Information

Photo Tidy reads available information from your photos, including file properties, dates, camera information, location, and other metadata.

Depending on the source photo, available information may include:

• Name
• Size
• Dimensions
• Format
• Date
• Camera
• Lens
• Aperture
• Shutter
• ISO
• Focal Length
• Location
• Artist

Duplicate Photo Analysis

Photo Tidy analyzes your photo collection to identify duplicate photos and group them together, making repeated copies easier to review.

After analysis, open the Duplicates View to browse duplicate photo groups. Each group contains photos identified as duplicates, allowing you to review the files and decide which copies you want to keep.

Photos that do not belong to any duplicate group are categorized as No Duplicates.

Duplicate photo analysis helps you identify repeated copies, but it does not automatically delete files. You can review the groups and decide how to manage your original photos.

Similar Photo Analysis

Photo Tidy analyzes your photo collection to identify similar photos and group them together, making related images easier to review.

After analysis, open the Similar View to browse groups of similar photos. Each group contains photos identified as similar, allowing you to compare the images and decide which photos you want to keep.

Photos that do not belong to any similar photo group are categorized as No Similar Photos.

Similar photo analysis helps you find related images, but it does not automatically delete files. You can review the groups and decide how to manage your original photos.

Blurry Photo Analysis

Photo Tidy analyzes your photo collection to identify blurry photos and group them by their detected blur level, making potentially blurry images easier to review.

After analysis, open the Blurry View to browse groups of blurry photos. Each group contains photos identified as blurry or slightly blurry, allowing you to review the images and decide which photos you want to keep.

Photos that are not detected as blurry are categorized as Not Blurry.

Blurry photo analysis helps you find potentially blurry images, but it does not automatically delete files. You can review the results and decide how to manage your original photos.