Docs
Getting started
From installed to searchable in a handful of steps. The first index build is the slow part; after that it is quick.
Import photos or videos
On the "Images" page click "Choose Files" or "Choose Folder". You can also drag a folder straight in — the import keeps the album name / full path.
Build the face library
Faces are detected and clustered automatically on import. Look at the results under "Albums → People", name the people who matter, and browse by person from then on.
Build the semantic index
Go to "Albums → Semantic Search" and click "Build Index". This is the slowest step and shows a progress bar; face, tag and album search all keep working while it runs.
Start searching
By person (People view), by tag (Labels view), by a sentence (semantic search), or by an image (search by image / face similarity matching).
Export
Select photos → "Export selected". Export only writes copies to the target folder; your originals are never modified.
Easy things to trip over
Do not delete the folders you imported
FaceNest stores the path to each original file. If the folder is moved or deleted, thumbnails still show but opening the original will fail.
The larger models need the internet once
The bigger optional models are downloaded on first use, so the first time takes a while. After that it is fully offline.
Leave enough disk space
Beyond the app itself, the optional models add up to roughly 4 GB, and thumbnails and the index grow with your library.
Semantic results not great?
Semantic search is probabilistic. Try a more specific description ("beach sunset people" beats "scenery"), or switch to search by image with a reference photo — that is usually more reliable.
Troubleshooting
A feature threw an error — what do I do?
Go to "Settings" and click "Upload diagnostic logs". It bundles the run records and error messages and sends them to us — nothing is sent unless you click it. Telling us what you were doing at the time speeds things up a lot.
Semantic search is stuck on "index not ready"
The index is built in batches. Check the progress bar on the Semantic Search page. If it has not moved for a long time, check your free disk space and whether antivirus is blocking the app (adding the app folder to the allow-list usually fixes it).
Face clustering merged two different people
On the "People" page, adjust the similarity threshold and click "Re-cluster". A higher threshold is stricter.