Grain Photo support
How can we help?
Questions about Grain Photo, your trial, or a purchase? Get in touch.
Email info@grain.photoGetting started
Grain Photo runs on Apple silicon Macs with macOS 13 or later. Open a folder to start browsing and scanning its media. The getting started guide walks through navigation, enlarging photos, and filters.
Read Getting startedYour account & purchase
Try the full Mac app free for 7 days, then pay $49 once. Sign in to your account to purchase Grain Photo or view your access.
Open your accountGuides
Step-by-step help with searching your media and working with sources.
Common questions.
How do I search for photos?
Enter a description, concept, or keyword in the search field. Choose a source to search within it, or search across your library. Use filters to narrow the results. See examples of searching by description.
How do I search an external drive?
Open the drive’s media folders in the sidebar to start scanning them. Indexed drives stay in your library when disconnected, marked offline. Read the external drive guide.
Does Grain Photo replace Lightroom or Capture One?
No. Keep editing where you edit. Grain Photo is for finding, viewing, and gathering, and it reads the ratings and keywords those apps save to XMP.
Will it change my files?
Never. Grain Photo only reads your originals and has no way to delete, move, or edit them. Ratings, keywords, and collections live in Grain Photo’s own catalog, and your XMP sidecars stay untouched too.
Do my photos ever leave my Mac?
Browsing and search run on your Mac. Dropbox previews come directly from your account and are cached locally. We don’t store your library’s images on our servers. Media you export or allow a connected app or device to read may leave your Mac.
How does the free trial work?
Download Grain Photo, sign in with your email, and use the full app for 7 days. You don’t need a card to start. When the trial ends, Grain Photo asks you to buy it for $49 to keep going. Nothing is charged automatically, and your files are never touched either way.
What does the one-time purchase cover?
The Grain Photo Mac app, yours to keep, with the features described on the homepage. Pay $49 once through Stripe, from the app or your account, and it’s yours.
Do I need a subscription?
Grain Photo for Mac is $49 once after the 7-day free trial. Grain Studio adds remote access and team features for $29/month. It’s an optional upgrade, coming soon.
Something not working?
Email info@grain.photo with your Grain Photo version, macOS version, what happened, and what you expected. A screenshot or the exact error message helps.