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Mac App

Seenlio

Find images on your Mac by description

Last verified October 2026 4 min read

What is Seenlio?

Seenlio product thumbnail

Seenlio is a macOS image search app that lets you find photos and screenshots without knowing their filenames. You can type a word that appears inside a screenshot to pull up matching images, or describe a scene in plain English to find photos by what they show. It indexes PNG, JPEG and WebP files from the folders you choose, with text recognition in five languages and visual search running entirely on your Mac.

Why Seenlio works

Screenshots and saved photos pile up quickly, but filenames rarely describe what is inside them, so the image you need stays buried in a folder you have already forgotten. Seenlio builds a local index of your chosen folders, runs text recognition and visual embedding on device, and returns results by the words found inside an image or by describing its content, without uploading anything to a server.

Seenlio features

  • Text search inside images. Reads words in screenshots and photos so you can find any image by typing part of what it contains. Matching text is highlighted in the result before you open the file. Supported languages are English, Hindi, Chinese, Japanese and Spanish.
  • Visual search by description. Describe a colour, object or scene in English and Seenlio finds images that match what you remember, even when there is no readable text in the file. The models run locally after a one-time download during setup.
  • Global quick search shortcut. Press a customisable shortcut (default Command Shift Space) to open a floating search bar without switching to the main window. The shortcut can be reassigned in Settings.
  • Private local index. Image recognition, thumbnails and the search index all stay on your Mac. No images are uploaded for search; an internet connection is only needed for model installation, license activation and update checks.
  • Favourites, tags and collections. Save images as favourites, add tags and group references into named collections without moving or copying files from their current locations.

Who Seenlio is for

  • Mac users who save screenshots regularly and need to find specific text or details inside them without opening each file manually.
  • Designers and creative workers who keep visual references across multiple folders and want to retrieve images by describing a scene rather than recalling a filename.
  • Researchers, writers and students who screenshot articles, receipts or notes and later need to locate a specific quote or figure by searching its text.
  • People who keep a personal image library across several folders and want a private local search layer that works alongside their existing file structure.

Similar micro SaaS ideas you can build

  • Receipt finder for freelancers. A Mac app that watches a folder for incoming scans, extracts vendor names and amounts on device, and surfaces any receipt by typing a merchant name or date without uploading files to a cloud service.
  • Screenshot knowledge base for developers. A local-first tool that indexes a developer's screenshot collection, lets them search terminal outputs, error messages and UI references by the text inside each image, and exports annotated results to a markdown note.
  • Visual reference search for brand designers. A desktop app that lets designers describe a colour palette, layout style or subject to find matching images across a local asset folder, then group results into shareable collections without moving the originals.
Frequently asked

Seenlio FAQ

What image formats does Seenlio support?−
PNG, JPEG and WebP. PDFs, videos and cloud-synced libraries are outside the first release.
Do my images leave my Mac?−
No. Image recognition, the search index and thumbnails all stay on your computer. An internet connection is only needed to install the recognition models, activate your license and check for updates.
Is Seenlio a subscription?−
No. It is a one-time purchase. Your license includes every feature, perpetual access and all future updates for one active Mac at a time. There is no recurring payment.
Which languages does text search support?−
Text recognition inside images works in English, Hindi, Chinese, Japanese and Spanish. Visual search by description is English only in the current version.
Which Macs does Seenlio run on?−
Seenlio targets macOS 14 or later. Apple silicon is currently validated; Intel support is still pending confirmation.
Can I move my license to a new Mac?−
Yes. Deactivate your current Mac to free the seat, then activate on the new one. The license covers one active Mac at a time.