Everything you need.
Nothing in the way.
Use this guide to get comfortable with folder browsing, fullscreen photo and video viewing, zoom, metadata and everyday photography tools.
Getting started
Open MPViewer and choose a folder from the welcome screen, use File → Open Folder, or select a recent location in the sidebar. MPViewer reads photographs and supported videos directly from their current location; there is no library import.
Browsing and inspecting do not move or upload your files. Operations that change or export a photograph are shown as explicit actions.
Appearance
Open MPViewer → Settings or press ⌘,, then choose System, Light, or Dark under Appearance. The change applies immediately to the browser, Help and Settings windows, and your selection is remembered.
System
Follows the Light or Dark appearance currently selected in macOS System Settings.
Fullscreen
Fullscreen viewing always keeps its dark background so the photograph, navigator and metadata remain easy to inspect.
Browsing folders
Use the folder tree on the left to move through your Mac. The center grid displays photographs and supported videos together, while the inspector on the right shows the selected image, histogram and metadata. The clickable path bar jumps to any parent folder; use its Back and Forward controls or ⌘[ / ⌘] to revisit folder history.
- Double-click a thumbnail or press F, Space, Return, or Enter to enter fullscreen photo viewing or native video playback.
- Supported video containers include MP4, MOV, M4V, AVI and MKV, using codecs available in macOS.
- Use ← / → for neighboring files and ↑ / ↓ to move between thumbnail rows.
- Control-click a folder to open it, set it as the tree root, reveal it in Finder, copy its path, favorite it, or refresh it.
- The bottom status bar summarizes file counts, folder size, selection, ratings, tags, active filters and the current path.
- Combine sidebar filters and choose Clear All to return to the full folder.
- Use the search field to filter the current folder by filename.
- Add frequently used folders to Favorites for quick access.
- Use Shift + 1…5 for ratings and Shift + 0 to clear.
Fullscreen & zoom
Fullscreen mode is designed for uninterrupted review. Move the pointer to the right edge to reveal the EXIF inspector. When zoomed in, drag the image with the left mouse button or move the visible-area rectangle inside the navigator.
Zoom controls
Use + / −, the mouse wheel, or ↑ / ↓. Number keys select fixed zoom levels by default; Settings → Keyboard can swap fullscreen number keys to ratings.
RAW preview
Use View → Prefer Embedded RAW Preview to choose the camera-generated JPEG preview. Disable it for MPViewer’s primary RAW decode.
Navigator
The minimap appears while zoomed. Drag it anywhere on screen, resize it from a corner, or drag its viewport rectangle to move around the full-resolution image.
EXIF & histogram
The inspector displays file details, camera and lens information, exposure settings, image dimensions, color information and any available location metadata. Use Copy EXIF when you need the data elsewhere.
The RGB histogram provides a quick view of tonal distribution and potential clipping. It is available in the main inspector and the fullscreen information panel.
Photo tools
Crop & straighten
Choose a preset aspect ratio or Freehand. Drag inside the crop to move it, drag its handles to resize it, and use the angle control to straighten.
External editor
Configure your preferred editor, then press ⌘E to open the selected image directly in that application.
Export & rename
Press Shift⌘E for Quick Export, use Pro Export Studio for repeatable delivery presets, or Batch Rename to update multiple filenames.
360° workspace
Explore equirectangular photos and supported video, create a Little Planet, set the initial view, or cover the tripod with a Nadir Patch.
Private selection
Group bursts, scrub their frames and use optional on-device Best Shot and Blink Analysis without uploading photographs.
Select photographs and press ⌘P for single-image, comparison and reusable contact-sheet layouts.
Keyboard shortcuts
Need more help?
Found a bug or have an idea that would make MPViewer better? Send a message with your macOS version, Mac model and a short description of what happened.
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