Support
Run into something unexpected, have a question, or want to send a feature request? Drop us a note. PicSift is a small operation. Replies are usually same-day during the week.
Get in touch
- support@picsift.com Questions, bugs and feature requests.
- privacy@picsift.com Privacy and data questions.
Answers
Frequently asked
The questions that come in most.
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Does PicSift upload my photos?
No, PicSift does not upload photos. All scoring, face detection, search and curation happen on the device. They use open research models through Core ML alongside Apple’s Vision framework. Photos, scores and face data stay on the device. The only metadata sent is a photo’s GPS coordinates, which go to Apple Maps to show a place name. The Privacy Policy has more detail.
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How do I see why a photo scored the way it did?
Open the photo and its score is broken out by quality — Overall Appeal, Sharpness, Lighting, Composition, Faces and Subject — each with a plain-language explanation. The app's Model Library names the model behind each one, with its training data, license and a link to the research it came from.
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I already bought PicSift — how do I unlock it on another device?
One purchase unlocks the app on Mac and iPad through Universal Purchase. If a device asks you to buy again, restore while signed in with the same Apple Account. On iPad, use Settings → PicSift → Restore Purchases. On a Mac, use Settings → Unlock → Restore Purchase. If that does not unlock it, write to support@picsift.com with the transaction ID, and support will sort it out. Family Sharing is supported.
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My library has 5,000 photos — will PicSift be slow?
PicSift is designed for libraries of up to several thousand photos. Scoring runs on the device, and how long it takes depends on the device. On an M4 iPad Pro, 5,000 photos take about 17 minutes. On a Mac, it runs in the foreground, so you can watch the photos come in. On iPad, you can lock the screen and scoring keeps going. iOS may pause it for a while, and it then continues on its own. If iOS stops it, the Lock Screen says so, and the run resumes when you open PicSift and tap Resume.
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How do I report a bug or share a diagnostic?
On iPad, Settings → About → Share a Diagnostic lists the crash and performance reports iOS has given PicSift, and you pick one to send. On a Mac, Settings → Privacy → Diagnostics → Show in Finder opens the folder of reports, so you can attach one to an email. Nothing is sent automatically. You choose where a report goes.
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Can I export my keepers to a folder, not just Apple Photos?
Yes. Keepers can go to a folder. On a Mac, you choose any folder in the Finder. You can also export to the Photos app into a new album. You can send photos onward through the share sheet: AirDrop, Messages, Mail and so on.
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Can I get a deleted photo back?
Yes, for a while. Photos deleted from your Photos library go to Recently Deleted in the Photos app, where they stay for 30 days. With iCloud Photos or a Shared Library, they are deleted from every synced device. On a Mac, files deleted from a folder go to the Trash. Undo in PicSift or Put Back in Finder restores them until the Trash is emptied. On iPad, PicSift cannot delete photos imported from Files, because it only has copies of them.
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What if I delete the app or move to a new device?
Your photos stay where they are. PicSift changes your photos only when asked: deleting photos from the Delete Tray, or saving a straightened photo to a Photos album. Revert to Original in the Photos app undoes the turn. Scores and curation decisions live in PicSift's own database on the device. On iPad, deleting the app deletes that database. On a Mac, Settings → Advanced → Reset to First Run deletes it. There is no cloud sync, so a fresh install starts fresh. The purchase follows your Apple Account, and one purchase covers Mac and iPad.
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Which platforms does PicSift run on?
macOS 26 and iPadOS 26 or later. PicSift is one app and one Universal Purchase. Buying on either platform unlocks the other. It is shared with your Family Sharing group. There is no iPhone version.
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How do I request a feature or suggest a change?
Same address — support@picsift.com. We read every email. Tell us what you tried, what you expected, and what you wanted instead.