TrueArchive
Old and new hard drives, a camera, drone, smartphone, USB stick, SD cards and microSD cards on a table.
Look familiar?AI-generated image

Your pictures are everywhere.

Holiday photos in Apple Photos, RAW files on the camera card, another selection on an old hard drive. Where was that one picture?

TrueArchive gathers your photos and videos into an organised archive on your hard drive.

For Mac · free · early alpha

iPhone & iPad: TestFlight preparation · separate mobile scope.

See how it works
TrueArchive for Mac

One place for all your pictures.

You choose which pictures to add. The result then shows which pictures are in the archive and which files could not be imported.

Your originals remain unchanged during archiving. Your archive contains ordinary files that you can open without TrueArchive.

Try the Mac alphaJoin the Mac beta

For Mac · macOS 15+ · Intel and Apple Silicon

Explained in 30 seconds

Your pictures. One archive.

German audio and German captions.

Read the English transcript

Some photos on your phone. Others on memory cards and old drives. Sound familiar? TrueArchive brings selected photos and videos together in one archive on your Mac. Your originals are preserved. Supported picture information is stored in companion files alongside them. Ordinary folders on your own hard drive. Your memories, in one place. TrueArchive. Your pictures stay yours.

TrueArchive: the archive destination highlighted in blue, automation below it and a shared source list with archive, settings and eject actions.
TrueArchive: archive destination and sources in one workspace. Native view with sample data. Enlarge the view

Your pictures.
In ordinary folders.

Year → month → day
Example: the folder you choose is your archive. Pictures and XMP files sit inside year, month and day folders.

New archives use year, month and day folders. Originals, finished edits and available picture information stay together, depending on the source and format.

XMP sidecar files keep information such as dates, locations and keywords beside the pictures in an open standard. More about the folder layout.

TrueArchive archives.
Your pictures stay on the drive you choose.
Immich helps you find and share pictures.
Browse your archive on your phone or in a browser with this open-source photo app on your own server. See the workflow with Immich.
A second backup adds protection.
Keep an independent, checked copy in case the archive drive fails.
Early test version

Mac alpha. No guarantee for your photos.

TrueArchive can still contain bugs. Data loss is possible. Keep an independent, verified backup and start with copies of a small selection. Do not use the alpha with your only copy of irreplaceable pictures.

Download Alpha 0.41.2

Build 127 · Released on
Free · macOS 15+ · Intel and Apple Silicon
Signed with Developer ID and notarized by Apple. Installation guide

How to open the alpha.

  1. Unzip the download and drag TrueArchive into Applications.
  2. Open TrueArchive. The normal macOS confirmation for an app downloaded from the internet may appear.
  3. Start with copied test photos and a separate test archive.

Detailed startup help · Apple’s instructions

No signup required. Share feedback · What’s new?

Your first test: five copied photos.

  1. Copy five photos into a separate test folder. Keep the originals and your independent backup.
  2. In TrueArchive, choose a new, empty folder as the archive and add the test folder as a local source.
  3. Archive this source. Check the result, then open the five pictures in the destination folder.
  4. Add a second source with a few copied pictures, such as an SD card or another folder. Archive it into the same archive and check that pictures from both sources are there. Repeat the import to check that unchanged pictures are recognised.

Did that work? Tell us about your first test. Need help? Follow the setup guide.

How are downloads counted?

GitHub counts downloads of the app package, not unique people or successful installations. This page requests the current total from GitHub; GitHub receives technical connection data such as your IP address. We add no tracking cookies or visitor profiles. If the count is unavailable, the download still works. GitHub privacy statement.

What TrueArchive takes care of.

Alpha 0.41.2 · What’s new

Bring your pictures into one central archive

Choose your sources
Apple Photos, cards and local folders; manually prepared Google Takeout exports and selected Immich uploads.
Repeat when it suits you
Archive local sources and Apple Photos on a schedule while the Mac is awake and TrueArchive is running. You currently select Immich uploads yourself; scheduled direct imports are not available yet. Google Takeout exports need to be downloaded and unpacked first. More about importing from Immich.

Preserve originals and picture information

Keep your edits
A colour edit and a black-and-white edit of the same RAW? Both can be kept as separate versions, each with its editing settings.
Recognise existing pictures
TrueArchive recognises identical pictures and records which sources they came from. This helps you avoid unnecessary copies in your archive.

Keep an open archive

Use your own tools
Ordinary media and XMP files work with other software. Optional Apple Vision keywords are generated locally on your Mac, separately for photos and videos.

Want to know exactly how it works? Explore workflows and limitations in the handbook

Back up and restore. TrueArchive encrypts your archive and XMP files on a second drive or a Hetzner Storage Box. Choose an earlier backup date and restore everything or selected files into a new empty folder. Optionally schedule a daily backup. A Storage Box is booked and paid for separately. Set up a second backup · Set up Hetzner.

Ideas for the next steps3 open ideas · not yet available

Three ideas for what comes next. Tell us which would help you most; release dates are not fixed yet.

Import directly from Lightroom Cloud
Fetch pictures and available metadata directly from Adobe, without having to export them in Lightroom first.
Free up space in Apple Photos
Selectively remove large videos after their archiving has been verified. As a separate, optional module.
Create photo books
Select suitable pictures and later have them printed as a book.

What would help you? Share your wish

One possible workflow

Which tool does what?

Apple Photos, SD cards, folders and exports go directly to TrueArchive. Immich can also supply phone uploads and display the finished archive.

See the workflow diagram
Edit pictures on iPhone, iPad or Mac
Nitro
Collect and archive new pictures
TrueArchive
Upload from your phone, find pictures and share
Immich
Restore lost data
A second backup

Use Nitro for editing if you want to. Set up your own Immich server for finding and sharing pictures, plus an independent backup. See the complete workflow and its requirements.

Questions about TrueArchive

What is TrueArchive?

TrueArchive is a free Mac app that brings photos and videos from different sources into your own archive on a hard drive. It requires macOS 15 or later and supports Intel Macs and Apple Silicon. The current alpha may contain bugs. Download and alpha information.

Which photo sources can I import?

Apple Photos, SD cards, external drives and local folders, plus extracted Google Takeout exports and selected Immich uploads. Google Photos is imported from downloaded Takeout files; automatic direct Google cloud sync is not included. Set up your sources.

How are pictures stored in the archive?

In ordinary folders by year, month and day, for example 2024/2024-01/2024-01-19. XMP sidecar files store metadata alongside the media using an open standard. Existing metadata is preserved, and missing XMP files are created during archiving. Folder structure in the handbook.

Do I need a cloud subscription?

You do not need a cloud subscription for a local archive. Your archived files remain accessible without TrueArchive. If originals are still in iCloud or on an Immich server, TrueArchive needs access to that source to import them.

How can I search my photo archive?

Immich can display your archive as an external library. With face recognition enabled and people named, you can also search by person. You set up your Immich server separately. Explore the photo workflow.

Does the archive drive replace a second backup?

A single hard drive can fail. Keep an additional, independent backup. TrueArchive leaves sources unchanged during import, but the alpha does not guarantee protection from data loss. Read this before your first test.

How did your first test go?

Your experience helps improve TrueArchive. You can send feedback or a feature idea without giving your name or email.

Share feedback or a wish
A personal project for a good cause

TrueArchive for Dentists for Africa.

100% of contributions through TrueArchive go to Dentists for Africa. I cover payment fees personally.

Your voluntary contribution supports Dentists for Africa e.V. The association supports dental care, training and social projects in Kenya.

Contribute through TrueArchive

I am Lutz Kohl, and I develop TrueArchive as a personal community project. I collect contributions personally and then donate the full contribution amount to Dentists for Africa e.V.

If this donation reduces my taxes, I will donate that saving to Dentists for Africa as well.

I do not issue donation receipts for contributions made to me.

Support on GoFundMe

Pay on GoFundMe using options such as Apple Pay or a card, depending on your device and availability. Optional extra contributions to GoFundMe go to the platform.

Donate directly to the association

You can also support Dentists for Africa directly. Through its official donation page, your contribution goes straight to the association without passing through TrueArchive.

Do you need a donation receipt? Please use this option. You can find details on the association’s donation page.

Donate directly to Dentists for Africa