Frequently Asked Questions

AI FileSorter is a desktop app that helps organize messy folders using local or remote AI models. It focuses on practical cleanup tasks like categorization, smarter filenames, preview-first sorting, and privacy-aware processing.

Yes. AI FileSorter supports fully offline use with local models such as LLaMA 3B and Mistral 7B. It also supports local image analysis with LLaVA, so file processing can stay on your own machine.

Yes. If you prefer remote inference, you can bring your own OpenAI or Gemini API key and choose cloud-based models instead of local ones.

It can work with general files and folders, supported picture files, supported document formats such as PDF, DOCX, XLSX, PPTX, ODT, ODS, ODP, and common text files, plus supported audio and video files for metadata-based filename suggestions.

Yes. AI FileSorter includes a preview-only dry run with a From/To table, so you can review the plan before confirming any moves or renames.

Yes. The app supports rename-only workflows and review flows with clear status labels, so you can use filename suggestions without reorganizing folder locations.

Yes. AI FileSorter includes persistent undo, which saves a plan file so you can revert the latest sort even after closing the dialog.

AI FileSorter is available for Windows, macOS, and Linux.

It is designed for privacy-aware file organization. If you use local models, your data stays on your machine. If you use remote models, you provide your own API key for the service you choose.

On macOS, the app may be blocked the first time because it is distributed outside the Mac App Store and is not signed with an Apple certificate. The download page links to a macOS help page with step-by-step instructions for approving and opening it.

Full-disk sorting can take a long time because AI File Sorter has to scan many files, analyze their names and metadata, and sometimes run AI analysis on file contents.

Image analysis is usually the slowest part. Its speed depends heavily on your computer’s GPU. A discrete GPU with around 6 GB or more of video memory can make image scanning much faster. On systems without enough GPU video memory, or when the app falls back to CPU processing, image analysis can be much slower.

For large cleanups, it is often better to sort images separately from documents and other files.

Usually, no. AI File Sorter works best when used on specific folders or batches rather than an entire disk at once.

Good starting points are:

- `Downloads`
- Desktop cleanup folders
- Documents folders
- Picture folders
- External drive folders
- Project archives

For a first large cleanup, smaller batches are easier to review and usually more practical. Image-heavy folders are often best handled separately.

If the app is running a large analysis and your PC feels less responsive, the best practical options are:

- let the run continue when you are not actively using the PC
- stop or cancel the run if you need the computer back immediately
- restart later with a smaller folder or batch
- process images separately from non-image files

Windows will share CPU, GPU, and memory resources between apps, but local AI analysis can still be demanding, especially for images.

AI File Sorter does not currently include a dedicated low-resource or background-throttle mode.

No. AI File Sorter is not currently designed to run as a background service.

It is intended to be used as a batch tool:

1. Choose a folder.
2. Run the analysis.
3. Review the suggested categories and rename suggestions.
4. Approve the changes.
5. Close the app when finished.

This gives you control over what changes are applied to your files.

After the initial cleanup, most people should use AI File Sorter periodically rather than continuously.

A practical workflow is:

- run it on `Downloads` when that folder gets messy
- run it weekly or monthly depending on how many files you collect
- run it after importing a large batch of files
- run image-heavy folders separately if needed

The first large run is usually the most time-consuming. Later runs may be faster because the app can reuse its local cache for files it has already processed.

Yes. A newer version of AI File Sorter is planned with a faster visual AI model that should require less GPU video memory.

This should make image analysis faster or more practical for more users, especially on systems where the current visual model is too demanding.