Help

Getting started

Open a folder of JPGs (and optional RAW), rate picks and rejects, then copy the keepers.

Typical flow

1. Choose a Workflow in Settings (one card, two cards, camera USB, folder on disk, JPG-only, or RAW-only).
2. In the sidebar, open a folder under Folders, Recent, or Pinned.
3. Click a thumbnail to preview. Rate with P / R (or your hotkeys), stars 0–5, then copy picks.
4. Select several thumbnails (Shift, ⌘, or drag a rectangle) to rate or delete many photos at once.

Two monitors

Use Window preview mode and put the Preview window on a TV or second display. Keep the grid on your Mac; arrow keys still change photos while the TV stays fullscreen.

Free & Pro

Culling and rating stay free forever. Copy keepers, delete rejects, and USB/MTP camera need PhotoKiller Pro (trial, subscription, or lifetime).

Screenshots

Folders & Recent

The sidebar lists Volumes & cards, Cameras (MTP), Folders tree, Recent, and Pinned shoots. The Folders column stays visible when the window opens.

Folders tree

Click a folder to open its photos. Use the disclosure chevron to expand without opening. Grant access when macOS asks — network volumes and some disks need an explicit unlock. Include subfolders… loads nested photos (limited depth) when a parent folder has children.

Recent & Pinned

Recent shows folders you opened lately. Labels include the volume name and enough path to tell years apart (for example Multimedia/2018/09/23). Pin important shoots for one-click reopen. Missing folders are pruned when the volume is gone.

RAW link

If JPG and RAW live in different places, PhotoKiller tries to pair them. Use Link RAW… or follow the RAW banner when a second card appears.

Network volumes

AFP/SMB/NFS work for browsing and culling. Folder watch debounces copy bursts so the grid does not thrash while files are still landing. Deleting rejects on a network share may be permanent (no Trash) — PhotoKiller warns before you confirm.

Preview layout

Split

Preview sits on the right in the same window. Esc closes the cull session and returns focus to the grid (or first collapses a multi-selection).

Window

Preview opens in a separate window — ideal for a second display. Click a thumbnail to select it; double-click (or Show Preview) to open the Preview window. If you close it, reopen via Show Preview in the toolbar or photo context menu, Window → Preview, or by double-clicking a thumbnail. Esc exits fullscreen/player without closing the cull session. Drag the Preview window to the TV, then press F for immersive fullscreen.

JPG / RAW / Both

When both formats are available, switch media mode in the preview toolbar. Both shows side-by-side panes with optional synced zoom.

Rating & cull

Ratings are stored in the session and optionally written as XMP sidecars (Settings → Export / XMP).

Flags & stars

Pick and Reject are toggles (default keys P and R — change in Settings). Digits 0–5 set star rating. Filters above the grid show All, Picks, Starred, Rejected, and unrated.

Multi-select

Click a thumbnail to focus one photo. ⇧-click selects a range from the anchor. ⌘-click adds or removes photos. Drag a rectangle across the grid to select everything inside. ⌘A selects all visible photos; Esc collapses the selection to the focused frame.

With several photos selected, P / R and stars 0–5 apply to the whole selection (a progress sheet appears for large batches). The context menu shows Reject N… / Pick N… / Delete N… so group actions are obvious. Delete or Backspace also removes the selection after confirmation.

Series

Bursts and near-duplicates are grouped by capture time (and sequential file names). Thumbnails show 2/5 badges. Filter → Series lists only those frames. S selects the whole series; ⌥← / ⌥→ step inside it. Context menu: Reject Others in Series.

Export

Copy keepers to folders you choose (JPG, RAW, or both). In Settings → Export choose which ratings qualify: Picks or any ★, Picks only, or ★≥N.

Turn on Client pack in the toolbar (or Settings) to change Copy into “Deliver JPGs to client” — see below.

Delete rejected removes reject-flagged files after confirmation — JPEG and paired RAW + XMP, with progress.

Rotate

⌘[ and ⌘] rotate the preview orientation (also in the toolbar and context menu).

Deliver JPGs to client

Client pack is for the moment right after the shoot: the client wants good frames quickly on a phone or laptop — not RAW, not rating sidecars, not your full archive.

What it does

Turn on Client pack in the toolbar (checkbox) or in Settings → Export. The main Copy button becomes “Deliver JPGs to client…”.

• Copies only JPEG keepers (same keepers rule: Picks / ★≥N)
• Never copies RAW
• Never writes XMP rating files into the delivery folder
• Creates a “Shoot — Client” subfolder inside the parent folder you choose
• Opens that folder in Finder when done
• JPG size: Original or max width 1024–2048 px (Settings → Export)

When to use it

The day is over and Picks (or stars) are marked. Hand the client a small JPG set via WhatsApp, email, or a shared drive for quick review while you keep RAW and full-res masters for retouching.

When not to use it

Turn Client pack off for your own archive copy (JPG+RAW, XMP, full resolution) — that is the normal “Copy picks & starred…” flow.

Fullscreen & Player

Fullscreen (F)

Immersive photo-only view — no chrome. Best on a TV in Window mode. Esc exits fullscreen. You can still change folders on the main monitor without leaving TV fullscreen.

Player (L)

Fullscreen auto-advance slideshow. Slide duration is in Settings → Browser. Space pauses (stays fullscreen); Esc stops the player and leaves fullscreen. Arrow keys nudge to the next/previous photo.

Quality

Settings → Fullscreen quality controls decode size for fit (preview ~1K up to Maximum ~8K). Zooming in loads more detail (up to ~16K). Hide loading indicators if you don’t want spinners on the TV.

A/B compare

Press A to enter A/B compare for near-duplicates. Pane A is locked; clicking another thumbnail sets B. Sync zoom links pan/zoom on both panes. Multi-select is paused while A/B is active.

Decide

[ keeps A (rejects B). ] takes B (rejects A and promotes B). \ rejects both. Esc exits A/B. Arrow keys move the B candidate.

Workflows

One memory card

Card in the Mac or a single-slot reader. PhotoKiller looks for RAW nearby on the same volume.

Two memory cards

JPG on one card, RAW on the other. Open the JPG folder; link the RAW card when prompted, or use Link RAW…

Camera over USB

Prefer USB Mass Storage so the camera appears under Volumes like a card. MTP under Cameras also works. Do not use PC Remote / tether modes — PhotoKiller will not see the camera.

Folder on disk / JPG only / RAW only

Use a folder already on disk or network. JPG only skips RAW pairing. RAW only browses and rates RAW files directly (preview from embedded JPEG when possible).

Keyboard shortcuts

Support

Need help? Use Support → Chat with Developer… in the Mac app, or this site’s support page for the same chat in a browser plus email and other channels.

Push notifications

After you send a chat message, PhotoKiller may ask for notification permission. Replies from the developer can then arrive even when the chat window is closed. Notifications are only used for support replies — not for marketing.

Privacy

Photos stay on your Mac. Support chat text goes to the developer’s server so we can answer. The app may send crash and product analytics via Firebase Crashlytics and Analytics (no ads, no cross-app tracking). Details: Privacy Policy.

Free & Pro

PhotoKiller stays useful without paying. Pro unlocks export and camera workflows. Purchases go through the Mac App Store (Apple handles billing and Restore).

Free forever

• Browse folders, volumes, and recent/pinned shoots
• Grid + Split or Window preview (including a second display / TV)
• Rate with Pick / Reject, stars 0–5, multi-select, filters, A/B compare
• Fullscreen and Player
• Optional XMP while rating
• Support chat with the developer

After an unpaid trial ends, these free tools remain available.

PhotoKiller Pro

• Copy picks & starred keepers to folders you choose (JPG, RAW, or both)
• Delete rejected photos (JPG + paired RAW + XMP), with progress and retry
• Cull from a camera over USB Mass Storage or MTP

When you use a Pro action without access, the paywall explains which feature needs Pro.

Trial

A 14-day app-managed trial starts on first launch and unlocks all Pro features. Separately, the Yearly App Store plan may include Apple’s free trial offer (shown on the paywall when available).

Plans & purchases

• Pro Yearly — subscription; full Pro access; may include a free trial offer
• Pro Monthly — subscription; full Pro access, billed monthly
• Pro Lifetime — one-time purchase; unlock Pro forever

Buy or restore from the paywall or Settings. Manage or cancel subscriptions in System Settings → Apple Account → Subscriptions (or App Store → Account → Subscriptions). Prices are set in App Store Connect and shown in your local currency on the paywall.

Settings & cache

Language

Override the app language independently of macOS System Settings — useful when the Mac is English but you prefer another language.

Cache

Thumbnails, cull previews, and MTP downloads live under the Cache folder (default ~/Pictures/PhotoKiller Cache). Clear anytime with ⌘E or PhotoKiller → Clear Cache; thumbs rebuild as you browse.

Data

Session ratings and bookmarks live in the Data folder (default ~/Pictures/PhotoKiller) — not your photo library.

Disks & watch

Refresh Folders when a disk mounts, and optionally watch the open folder for new files while copying from a card.

EXIF

Press I in preview (not fullscreen) to toggle the EXIF overlay. Choose which fields appear in Settings.

Pro status

Settings shows whether you are on Free, Trial, a subscription, or Lifetime. See Free & Pro for what each plan unlocks. Use Restore Purchases if you reinstalled the app.