Maintenance update & site synchronization

Routine sync update accompanying the massive FolioSort website overhaul.

Google Photos Takeout Organizer

FolioSort Pro now features a dedicated tool to completely fix Google Photos Takeout metadata loss prior to organizing.

JSON Sidecar Parsing: Automatically reads .json sidecar files and restores the precise photoTakenTime.timestamp into the actual EXIF data of the image.
GPS Restoration: Extracts GPS data from Takeout sidecars and writes them as standard EXIF tags.
Duplicate Removal: Deduplicates photos that Google exported multiple times across different album folders.
Truncated Filename Matching: Intelligently matches 47-character truncated filenames to their sidecars.

Events layout redesign & Wizard flow overhaul

The Events tab has been completely redesigned and the Wizard now guides you through every step without leaving the flow.

Events tab — new layout: Left panel handles event creation (groups & sub-events with time ranges); middle panel combines source folder, destination, Copy/Move toggle, Unmatched option and scan settings in one place. Panels are resizable by dragging the dividers.
Wizard — Events flow reworked: Step 1 defines event groups and sub-events; Step 2 sets source & destination, mode and scan; Step 3 shows a full preview of which files go where before you start.
Wizard — Mover & Rename review step: After the file integrity message, a FILE PREVIEW now shows a sample of files with their before → after transformation.

Events Wizard step-by-step flow & bug fixes

The Events mode in the Wizard now walks you through all steps inline, plus a round of targeted fixes:

Events Wizard: Step 1 — select source (auto-scan); Step 2 — configure event groups, time ranges and destination; Step 3 — review summary before starting. Kicks off the operation and takes you straight to the Events tab with live progress.
Fix: Event undo and duplicate actions were incorrectly tracked as Mover analytics events — fixed.
Fix: Organize analytics now only fires after all validation passes.
Fix: Events organizer now correctly counts verified files (was always showing 0).
Fix: Mover duplicate resolver now has Esc (Skip) and Enter (Replace if Larger) keyboard shortcuts, matching the Events duplicate sheet.
Fix: Events tab in the sidebar is now disabled for Free users instead of showing the full UI before hitting the paywall.

Setup wizard is easier to navigate

Small but important tweaks to the new step-by-step setup flow introduced in the previous version:

The "Next" and "Start" buttons no longer disappear behind the status bar at the bottom of the screen.
Choosing "Events" mode now takes you straight to the Events tab — no extra steps.
The Mover and Rename tabs now show a direct link to advanced options like folder templates and regex rename (Pro).

Step-by-step setup wizard for new users

Getting started with FolioSort just got much simpler. A new Wizard tab walks you through organizing your files in four clear steps — choose what you want to do, pick your files, configure the settings, and press Start. No manual needed. Also: FolioSort has a fresh new icon designed to match its identity.

Faster, more reliable transfers — especially on external drives

Under-the-hood stability improvements that matter when moving large batches of files:

Moving multiple files in parallel is now more stable and no longer stalls unexpectedly.
Large operations complete noticeably faster.
Files stored on ExFAT drives (common on external hard drives and SD cards) are handled correctly.

Pro license activation now works reliably

Some users were entering their license key and seeing an error even when the purchase was valid. This is now fixed — activating your Pro license works correctly every time.

Installation is simpler — guide included in the download

The FolioSort download file (DMG) now includes a built-in "How to Install" guide so you always know what to do — even if you don't have an internet connection. The installer also has a drag-to-Applications shortcut right inside, making setup faster.

New app icon and a cleaner installer

FolioSort now has a distinctive icon — a navy background with layered photo cards and an orange folder accent — so it's easy to spot in your dock and Applications folder. The installer has also been refreshed with a cleaner layout.

Fixed "App is damaged" error on first launch

Some Macs were showing a "the application is damaged" error from macOS Gatekeeper when launching FolioSort for the first time. This is now resolved. Also fixed: Pro features were incorrectly appearing as active for free users.

FolioSort Pro is now available — one-time purchase, no subscription

You can now unlock FolioSort Pro directly from within the app. It's a one-time payment (no recurring fees) and your license is stored securely in your Mac's Keychain.

Works on multiple Macs — transfer your license anytime.
7-day grace period if you're temporarily offline.
License is re-validated automatically every 24 hours in the background.

86 bug fixes — the most thorough QA pass yet

A comprehensive round of quality assurance addressing 86 issues found during testing. The most important fixes:

Prevented rare cases where an operation could keep running after being cancelled.
Fixed a crash that could occur when processing certain files.
Eliminated a potential data race that could cause unexpected behavior during large transfers.
Improved accuracy of the time-remaining estimate shown during operations.
Fixed several edge cases with duplicate file handling and folder scanning.

Organize directly from NAS drives, Synology, and iCloud (Pro)

FolioSort Pro can now read from and write to network locations — Synology, QNAP, SMB/AFP network shares, and even iCloud Drive. No need to copy files to your Mac first.

Your network volumes are detected automatically and shown with a clear badge.
iCloud-only files are downloaded on demand before processing.
Transfer speed is shown in real time, and retries happen automatically if the connection drops briefly.
A warning appears if you're running low on disk space before starting a large operation.

FolioSort 2.0 — Free tier and Pro unlock

FolioSort now has two tiers: a free version for everyday use, and a Pro upgrade for power users who need unlimited operations and advanced features.

Free includes: up to 100 files per operation, 3 saved presets, standard photo and video formats, file integrity verification, and undo.
Pro unlocks: unlimited files, all 7+ folder and rename presets, custom template builder, saved profiles, RAW formats, SHA-256 verification, 50 undo batches, GPS reverse geocoding, and regex rename.

Custom folder patterns, GPS location sorting, and regex rename

A major feature update that brings professional-grade organization tools to FolioSort:

Custom folder templates: build your own folder structure using tokens like year, month, camera model, ISO, aperture, and more.
GPS reverse geocoding: automatically sort photos into folders named after the city or country where they were taken — powered by Apple Maps.
Regex rename: use Find & Replace with regular expressions for advanced file renaming.
Presets & profiles: save your favourite configurations and switch between them instantly.
Onboarding wizard: a 3-step guide that appears when you first launch FolioSort.

Cleaner folder settings and faster scanning

The folder structure panel is now simpler by default, with a dropdown to pick common patterns — and an "Advanced" toggle that reveals the full template builder when you need it. You can also now skip thumbnail generation to scan large folders significantly faster.

Drag & drop support and real-time progress with ETA

The first major usability update — making FolioSort feel like a native macOS app:

Drag a folder directly from Finder into FolioSort to add it instantly.
A progress bar now shows you how far along an operation is, with a live estimate of time remaining.
Operations can be cancelled at any point.
File thumbnails are shown next to each file after scanning, so you know exactly what FolioSort found.
Operations can now run on multiple files at the same time for faster throughput.