Folders stay honest
No import, database, catalogue, sidecar, or proprietary library. Open the same folder anywhere and the work is still understandable.
Mataeology Photo Sorter
Every frame, in its place.
A native, keyboard-first macOS app for photographers who have a folder full of decisions. Nothing is imported. Nothing is hidden in a library. Your folders remain the truth.
macOS 14+ Apple silicon + Intel Version 1.0
Why it exists
Finder was not designed for this.
Photo Sorter treats an ordinary folder as the whole system. First-level folders become categories. A keypress moves the real file, Quick Look confirms the choice, and Undo brings it back.
File at keyboard speed
Select one frame or two hundred. Press 1–9 to move them into numbered categories, 0 for Unsorted, Space for Quick Look, and Command-Z when judgement changes.
Browse without punishment
Tiles give you a continuous contact sheet. List reveals dates, sizes, and pixel dimensions. Masonry preserves every aspect ratio without wasting the window.
Native where it matters
Built for macOS with system previews, sandboxed folder access, drag-out to other apps, live updates after external changes, and real Trash instead of theatrical deletion.
The useful Mataeology product
Sort the folder. Keep the folder.
Open the disk image, drag Mataeology Photo Sorter to Applications, then choose a photo folder. The app moves files only when you tell it to, and every move can be undone.
Download Mataeology Photo Sorter
Requires macOS 14 or later. This preview build is not yet Developer ID notarized, so macOS may ask you to confirm it in Privacy & Security before the first launch.