Your documents stay close.
With a model on this Mac, questions and document context stay on this Mac.
ASK FINDIT NEW IN 0.2
Ask your files.
Keep it local.
The answer is in your documents.
Ask a question. Follow the citation.
With AI running on your Mac, the conversation stays there.
On-device answersPage citationsYour choice of model
Free for Apple silicon · macOS 13+ · No account · v0.2.1
Real app captures · Fictional files · Sample AI answer
Read the walkthrough
- Ask: Ask when the tenant can end the lease. A scripted sample answer cites page 3.
- Verify: Read the cited clause in the PDF beside the answer.
- Compare: See changes between the draft and executed lease.
- Calculate: Add selected charges from a bill and check its total.
- Check: Check a draft against the requirements in its brief.
- Find: Search course names and weeks to find the reading.
This edited tour uses still captures of the real app. The AI answer is scripted and timing is illustrative. Compare, Calculate, and Check are computed by Findit without an AI model.
Local conversations use Apple Intelligence on macOS 26+, or a model server running on your Mac such as Ollama or LM Studio. See AI options. Cloud AI is optional and uses your own Anthropic key.
Useful without the internet.
Ask questions offline once your local model is ready. No cloud API key needed.
An answer you can check.
Follow a citation to the page or line. Keep the source beside the answer.
New in 0.2. More than a conversation.
Ask Findit, photo search, and history. Now in a brighter 0.2.1.
NO MODEL NEEDED
CalculateCheck totals from a billCompareSee changes between draftsConvertFormat and transform textCheckReview a draft against a briefSome work calls for exact answers.
Four built-in tools, computed by Findit on your Mac.
NEW · PHOTO SEARCHRemember the moment.
Remember the moment.
Find the photo.
“Beach photos from summer 2024.” Search Apple Photos and your folders by date and subject, in your own words.
Beach photos from summer 2024Snow photos from last winterBirthday photos from last year
Subjects are checked on your Mac. Apple Photos access is yours to allow. Example searches shown.
Explore photo searchNEW · HISTORY SIDEBARRight back
Right back
where you left off.
Yesterday’s document. This morning’s notes. Everything you opened through Findit, grouped by day and ready to reopen.
Make a little room for focus.
Pin Findit open while you work.
Free, and built for your MacNo accountNo telemetryIndex stays on your MacAI only when you choose itKeyboard first
WHO IT’S FOR / 01
However you work,
you’ve been here.
The file is somewhere in a folder you named years ago. The answer is somewhere on page 14. Pick the one that sounds like you.
AS A STUDENT
It’s 11 pm. The essay is due Friday.
Your notes are spread across six modules and twelve weeks of folders. You remember “week 6” and “1848”, not the file name. And you’re not sure the draft meets the brief.
- Find the notes. Type
hist 201 week 6. Words match in any order, across file and folder names. The Markdown opens in the preview. - Check the draft against the brief. Add both to Ask Findit with ⌘J, press ⌘5. Word limits, required headings, file type and the due date are marked Met, Not met or Needs review.
- Ask the reading. Add a PDF and ask a question. The answer cites the page; click it and the passage is highlighted.
Also handy: scanned handouts and whiteboard photos are read on your Mac, so you can quote them.
AS A LAWYER
The client is on the phone. Which version did they sign?
Hundreds of matters, thousands of PDFs, three drafts of every agreement. You remember the client and “lease”. You need the executed copy, and you need clause 3, now.
- Find the document.
fernhill lease ext:pdfnarrows thousands of files to one matter. Adddm:30dfor recent changes orin:~/Mattersto stay in one folder. - Ask it. ⌘J adds the PDF to Ask Findit. “How much notice does the tenant need to end early?” The answer cites page 3, highlighted in the original.
- See what changed. Add the draft and the signed copy, press ⌘3: every changed word, with its page in both versions.
Confidential material stays put: the index, previews and comparisons run on your Mac. Answers use Apple’s on-device model, a model server on your Mac, or Cloud AI only after you approve exactly what is sent.
IN THE OFFICE
The meeting starts in four minutes.
You need last quarter’s invoice, the latest deck, and the contract someone renamed “final_v2”. Folder hunting won’t make it.
- Filter instead of browsing.
invoice dm:3m ext:pdf,deck dm:7d,tag:client size:>1mb. Combine words and filters freely. - Reopen yesterday’s work. The history sidebar lists everything you opened through Findit, grouped Today, Yesterday and earlier. One click reopens it.
- Check the numbers. In Ask Findit, Calculate (⌘2) lists every amount in a PDF with its page, adds the ones you tick with exact decimals, and confirms the stated total.
Also: tag files with real Finder tags (⌘T), arrange windows by typing “left half”, keep reusable text as snippets.
AS A RESEARCHER OR WRITER
You know you wrote it down. Somewhere.
Years of notes, papers and drafts. You remember the idea, not the words, and definitely not the file name.
- Search by meaning. Turn on on-device semantic search, then
sem:why the uprisings failedfinds notes about the idea. Orcontent:"exact phrase"for the words themselves. - Quote with confidence. Ask a paper a question, then follow the answer’s citations to read the original pages.
- Review every edit. Compare two drafts by word, ignoring line breaks, to see each change an editor made.
Content and meaning search cover text, Markdown, CSV, JSON, HTML and code files. PDFs and Office files are found by name and previewed; ask about PDFs in Ask Findit.
AT HOME
Did the energy bill really go up that much?
Bills, receipts, tax returns and warranty cards, saved as PDFs and phone photos. You want a total, a split, and proof.
- Find it.
electricity bill dm:1yortax return. Tag paperwork once, find it forever withtag:tax. - Add it up. Calculate lists each amount with its line on the page. Tick the charges; Findit checks them against the bill’s own total and splits it to the cent.
- Read a paper receipt. Paste a photo with ⌘⇧V. Text is recognized on your Mac and the amounts join the worksheet, marked as recognized.
Calculate is Findit’s own exact arithmetic. No AI model is asked, and currencies are never mixed.
AS A DEVELOPER
Every repo, every file, a few keystrokes away.
Ten projects, a hundred config files with the same name, and a JWT someone pasted in chat.
- Jump into the right window.
repo:. config ext:json, then ⌘↩ opens the file in the VS Code, Cursor or Xcode window for its project. - Edit in place. ⌘E edits text and code right in the preview; ⌘S saves.
- Convert locally. Ask Findit’s Convert (⌘4) formats and validates JSON, decodes JWTs, Base64, URLs and timestamps, and turns CSV into Markdown tables.
Plus a findit CLI, findit:// links, glob and regex filters, “why ranked” (⌘I), and your own local plugins.
TRY
glob:*.swift dm:7dre:invoice-\d{4} ext:jsonrepo:. kind:dir testfindit --json "auth service"AS A TEACHER
Years of lessons, at your fingertips.
Worksheets from three schools, five syllabus versions, and a stack of submissions to check against the brief.
- Find the lesson.
year 9 photosynthesis worksheetfinds it wherever it ended up. Filter withtag:ordm:. - Check a submission. Check (⌘5) tests the word limit, required headings and the due date, and leaves judgement to you as Needs review.
- See what changed. Compare (⌘3) lists every difference between two versions of a syllabus or policy.
Reuse feedback with snippets: type snip and a name. Snippets can include today’s date.
FOR YOUR PHOTOS
“Birthday photos from last year.”
Twenty thousand photos in Apple Photos and a few old folders. You remember the occasion and roughly when.
- Ask in plain words. Type “find my beach photos from summer 2024”. Findit repeats what it understood (“Beach photos from summer 2024”) before it searches.
- Checked on your Mac. Dates come from Photos and the pictures themselves; subjects such as birthday, beach, snow, dog or sunset are confirmed by Apple’s image classifier on your Mac.
- Open or reveal. ↩ opens the photo, ⌘R shows it in Finder or Photos.
Apple Photos access is asked for, never assumed. Photos never leave your Mac, including to Cloud AI. Archive drives stay searchable while unplugged if you opt in.
TRY
photos birthday 2025photos snow last winterphotos screenshots this monthis:offline on:Archive ext:nef,cr3Also built for keyboard and VoiceOver users (every action has a key, results and outcomes are announced) and job seekers (check a cover letter against the advert’s limits and closing date).
A SMALL MEMORY IS ENOUGH / 02
Start with what
you remember.
Words in any order. A filter when you need one.
A preview to tell you you’ve found it.
TRY A SEARCH
Remember the client and “lease”? That’s enough.
A browser illustration with six fictional files. It runs on this page only: no network requests, no file access, nothing stored.
EVERYTHING IN ONE PANEL / 03
Find it. Understand it.
Do something with it.
One native panel over whatever you’re doing. Esc, and you’re back where you were.
Find with a few words.
Names and paths, any word order, forgiving of case, accents and punctuation. Its own index, so new files show up in moments. Add filters when you know more.
budget ext:pdf dm:7din:~/Clients tag:signedcontract size:>1mb !draftSee inside before you open.
PDFs, Office documents, images, audio, video, Markdown and highlighted code, right beside the results. Edit text and code in place.
Space for Quick Look · ⌘E to edit · ⌘S to saveAct without leaving the keyboard.
Open, open with, copy paths, tag, drag out, move to Trash with undo. Open code in the editor window for its project.
↩ Open
⌘O Open with
⌘T Finder tags
⌘C Copy path
⌘⌫ Trash · ⌘Z undo
History sidebar
Everything you opened through Findit (files, apps, settings, photos, commands), grouped by day. Click to reopen; ⌘\ hides it.
Pin it open
The pushpin or ⌘⇧P keeps Findit on screen while you work in other apps and open results.
Photo search
“Snow photos from last winter” searches Apple Photos and your folders by date and subject, checked on your Mac.
Apps, settings, answers
Open apps and System Settings panes, do arithmetic as you type, arrange and switch windows, run system actions.
NEW · ASK FINDIT / 04
Ask your documents.
Check every answer.
Press ⌘J on a file, or add a PDF, text, the clipboard or a screenshot. Answers cite the line or page, and Findit shows you exactly where.
No model until you choose one.
Local AI uses Apple’s on-device model (macOS 26 with Apple Intelligence) or a model server you run, such as Ollama or LM Studio. Cloud AI uses Anthropic with your own API key.
Cloud AI asks first.
Before anything leaves your Mac, Findit lists the question, each source and how much of it will be sent. Nothing goes until you click Send.
Some answers need no AI at all.
Calculate, Compare, Check and Convert (⌘4: JSON, CSV, Base64, JWT, timestamps) are Findit’s own code. Same input, same result.
GO A LITTLE DEEPER
More of your Mac.
Still one panel.
Every capability below ships today. Optional features stay off until you turn them on.
Search inside files, or by meaning Optional
Turn on content indexing for content:budget and jump to matching lines. Turn on on-device semantic search for sem:the garden plan. These cover text, Markdown, CSV, JSON, HTML and code files up to 2 MB; the English model runs on your Mac.
Ask about PDFs, scans and screenshots
Ask Findit reads PDFs page by page (up to 500 pages) and cites the page. Pages without a text layer and images are read with Apple’s text recognition on your Mac (up to 50 scanned pages per document), and recognized text is always marked as such.
A search that understands your context
Recent use and your active project help rank results. Filter by Git repository, choose a sort order, see “why ranked” with ⌘I, and save named folder scopes such as in:@work. Glob and regex filters are there for precise patterns.
Photos by date and subject Permission asked
Plain-word questions such as “birthday photos from last year”, or photos mode. Searches Apple Photos (after you allow it) and image folders, newest first, with thumbnails. Subjects are confirmed on your Mac by Apple’s Vision classifier; the status says how many photos were checked.
Cloud files and disconnected disks Opt-in retention
See iCloud placeholders without downloading them. Keep a searchable list of an opted-in external disk while it’s unplugged; results tell you to reconnect before opening.
Apps, settings, windows and quick answers
Launch apps, jump to System Settings panes, calculate as you type, run system actions, arrange windows (“left half”) or switch windows with win. Window actions need Accessibility permission.
Clipboard history and snippets Optional
Keep a local clipboard history (clip), pin useful entries, and insert saved text with snip, including today’s date or the clipboard. Stored text stays on your Mac.
For the terminal and your own workflows
A read-only findit CLI with JSON output and shell helpers, the findit:// URL scheme, and optional local plugins that run your own scripts on selected files.
Your folders, file types and exclusions
Choose folders, disks and file types. Hidden files are opt-in. Use .finditignore files and exclusions to keep noisy or private folders out. Full Disk Access is optional.
A native Mac experience
Menu-bar app, configurable global shortcut, light and dark appearance, launch at login, Quick Look, full keyboard navigation, VoiceOver labels and announcements, and Reduce Motion support. No browser wrapper.
Search should help you use your information. It shouldn’t ask you to hand it over.
Findit’s index lives on your Mac. File names, indexed text, searches, history and photos aren’t uploaded anywhere. There’s no account, no telemetry, no cloud sync.
✓ Content indexing, semantic search and clipboard history are opt-in.
✓ Apple Photos is read only after you allow it, and photos never leave your Mac.
✓ Local AI stays on your Mac. Cloud AI sends only what you approve, under your own key.
✓ Ask Findit conversations are kept in memory and gone when you quit.
Findit can check for updates automatically. Other network activity comes from features you choose: Cloud AI, web search, model downloads, opening cloud files, and enabled plugins.
A SMALL TOOL. A LOT MORE MOMENTUM.
Make room for
what comes next.
Download Findit
Free · Apple silicon · macOS 13 Ventura or later
Version 0.2.1 · Signed and notarized · SHA-256 checksum
Already installed? Choose Check for Updates in the menu bar.
WHAT’S NEW IN 0.2
- Ask Findit (⌘J): cited answers about PDFs, text and images; Calculate, Compare, Convert and Check.
- Text recognition for scanned PDF pages and images, on your Mac.
- Photo search by date and subject in plain words, across Apple Photos and folders.
- History sidebar and pin to keep Findit open.
- Refined in 0.2.1: white and silver surfaces, Ocean Sea Green accents, and Manrope typography. Clear in light and dark appearance.
Drag it to Applications.
Open the DMG, copy Findit to Applications, and launch it once. It lives in the menu bar.
Choose where to look.
Findit starts with Documents, Desktop, Downloads and your media folders. Add project roots, disks and file types in Settings.
Press ⌥Space.
Type a few words. ↩ opens, ⌘J asks, Esc takes you back.
GOOD QUESTIONS
A few things
before you begin.
Which Macs can use Findit?
Apple silicon Macs running macOS 13 Ventura or later. There is no Intel, Windows, Linux or iOS version.
Is Findit free? Do I need an account?
Findit is free to download and use, with no account. Cloud AI is optional and uses your own Anthropic API key; Findit doesn’t sell or bill AI usage.
Can it search inside PDFs and Word files?
Findit finds PDFs, Word and other Office files by name, path, type, date, size and tag, and previews them. Content and meaning search cover text, Markdown, CSV, JSON, HTML and code files. To ask about what’s inside a PDF, add it to Ask Findit; it reads the PDF page by page and cites pages. For Word, Pages or Excel files, export to PDF or paste the text.
Do I need AI to use Findit?
No. Search, previews, file actions, photos, Calculate, Compare, Check and Convert work without any model. A model is used only for conversation answers, and only after you choose Local AI or Cloud AI.
Which AI can I use?
Apple’s on-device model on macOS 26 or later with Apple Intelligence; a model server you run on your Mac (Ollama, LM Studio, llama-server); or Anthropic with your own API key. Findit doesn’t download or start models for you. Any model can be wrong, so check the cited lines.
Does Findit use Spotlight?
No. Findit keeps its own index of names, paths and optional content, updated as files change. The first index needs a little time to finish.
Will it find everything on my Mac?
It searches the folders and file types you choose. It starts with Documents, Desktop, Downloads, Movies, Music, Pictures and Applications. Add other folders, disks and source-code extensions in Settings › Index.
Do I need Full Disk Access?
It’s optional. Without it, Findit skips protected locations and searches everything macOS lets it read. Accessibility is only needed for window actions; Photos access only for Apple Photos search.
Does it work offline?
Search, previews, photos, text recognition, Calculate, Compare, Check, Convert and Local AI work without a connection. Cloud AI, updates and web-search rows need one.
How do I update or remove Findit?
Findit checks for updates automatically; you can also choose Check for Updates from the menu bar. To remove it, quit, move it to the Trash, and delete the Findit folder in ~/Library/Application Support. See the privacy page.