Your library, on your Mac

Privacy in Grain

Grain browses the sources you choose. Your original photos and videos stay where they are.

You choose what Grain can open

The source list shows suggested folders and connected drives without scanning their contents. Turn on a source to choose it in the macOS access panel. Importing begins after you grant access. You can change your selection in Grain → Settings → Sources.

Turning a source off stops Grain from reading it. Cached thumbnails and catalog information may remain on your Mac so the library can work offline; your originals are not deleted or moved.

Search runs locally

Grain downloads its search resources on first launch, then uses them on your Mac. Your photos, videos, and search text are not uploaded for search. An internet connection is needed for the initial download and future resource updates.

Dropbox and remote access

If you connect Dropbox, Grain requests the selected folders’ listings, previews, and files directly from Dropbox. Downloaded originals can be reused locally after verification. Your Dropbox authorization is stored in macOS Keychain.

If you enable Remote Access, devices you authorize can request your catalog and media through Grain’s encrypted relay connection. Remote Access is optional and separate from diagnostic sharing.

Diagnostics are your choice

Share Diagnostics is off by default. If you enable it in Grain → Settings, Grain sends technical crash reports and basic activity information: app and macOS versions, a random installation identifier, session activity, source access outcomes, import counts and durations, and search-resource download outcomes.

These reports exclude your photos, videos, file names, folder paths, search text, screenshots, and screen recordings. Activity reports waiting to send expire after seven days. Turning sharing off stops collection and clears unsent reports on your Mac; it does not retract reports already received.

Network services

Cloudflare delivers downloads and receives optional activity reports. Sentry processes optional crash reports. Grain checks for app updates when automatic checks are enabled, and asks before installing them. These services receive connection information, including an IP address, when your Mac connects.

The website is hosted with Sites and Cloudflare. Hosting and sign-in services may process connection information needed to serve the site.