PHOTO PICS
How to use / FAQ
From a folder full of photos to a shortlist you can share. Photo Pics reads your chosen folders on your device; there is no photo upload step.
Make your first shortlist
- Open your photo folder. Use desktop Chrome or Microsoft Edge and choose a folder containing JPG or JPEG files. Subfolders are included. If the Windows picker looks empty, that is normal: it shows folders, not individual photos. Click Select Folder.
- Choose a destination. Pick a separate folder outside the source folder and its subfolders. Allow write access when your browser asks. Make sure the drive has room for the original files.
- Pick your favourites. Click a heart on a thumbnail, or open a photo for a larger view. Photos open fitted to the viewer. You can zoom, pan and move between images. Hearts stay in sync between the viewer and gallery.
- Review your choices. Switch to Favourites to see your shortlist or Unselected to see what is left. Use Compare photos to choose two images and inspect them side by side.
- Copy the originals. Click Copy favourites. Keep the tab and drive connected until copying finishes. Review the copied, skipped and failed file counts before sharing your destination folder.
Save your selection for later
Your favourites and viewing preferences are saved in this browser. After a refresh, you may need to reconnect the folder. Recent folders keeps separate selections for different folders.
For a portable copy, choose Selection tools → Export selection backup. This downloads a JSON file containing selected relative filenames, not the photos. Keep the original photo folder too.
To restore, choose the correct source folder, then Import selection backup. Review matching and missing filenames before adding the selection. Matching uses relative paths, so keep filenames and subfolders unchanged. Import adds matches to your current favourites.
Keyboard shortcuts
- Previous / next photo
- ← / →
- Toggle favourite
- F
- Zoom in / out
- + / −
- Fit photo
- 0
- Close viewer
- Esc
These shortcuts work while a photo is open. The same actions are available with on-screen buttons.
Frequently asked questions
Which photo formats can I use?
JPG and JPEG files are supported, including uppercase extensions. Camera RAW files such as ARW, CR2 and NEF, as well as HEIC and videos, are excluded. If a photo is damaged or cannot be decoded, its preview may fail even if its extension is supported.
Why does choosing a folder show no photos?
The folder picker hides files. Open the desired folder and press Select Folder. If the website still stays empty, try desktop Chrome or Edge in a full browser tab and use Try another folder picker. The alternate picker reads files locally; it does not upload them. Copying still needs a browser that supports destination-folder access.
Will a refresh lose my favourites?
Normally your selection is restored in the same browser and website. Clearing site data, private browsing, storage restrictions or changing devices or website addresses can remove or separate saved progress. Export a backup for important selections. With the alternate picker, reconnect the same unchanged folder; changes to its file set may create a new session.
Does Photo Pics upload or edit my photos?
No. The app reads chosen files and creates previews locally. Copying preserves the original file bytes, including any embedded metadata. Your source files are not edited or deleted. Review metadata yourself before sharing originals if that matters to you.
What happens if the destination already contains a file?
Existing files are never overwritten. An existing file with the same relative path and size is skipped; its contents are not checked byte for byte. Different sizes are reported as conflicts. Use a new destination folder if you want a clearly separated copy.
Can I cancel copying or retry failures?
Yes. Cancel keeps completed copies and attempts to remove the interrupted file. Review the result and retry failed files after fixing drive or permission issues. A closed tab, disconnected drive or browser crash may leave incomplete output, so check the destination before relying on it.
Why can thumbnails or copying take time?
Large originals and external drives need time to read. Previews are cached in memory while you work, but refreshing clears that cache. One file at a time is the default copying mode for external drives. The two-file option may help on faster storage, but is not always faster. Avoid unplugging drives or letting the computer sleep during a copy.
Is there a favourite limit?
The app does not impose a small fixed selection limit. Practical capacity depends on browser memory, storage and drive speed. Selection backups support up to 100,000 paths and a 5 MiB file size. Split very large jobs into manageable folders and keep backups.
Can I use a phone or another browser?
You can read these pages on any modern browser. The complete folder-to-folder copying workflow is intended for desktop Chrome or Edge with folder-access support. Other browsers and phones may not provide the permissions needed.
Still stuck? Contact Photo Pics with your browser, operating system and the error text. You do not need to send your photos.