Questions and Answers
About privacy, the app, and buying it. If yours is not here, write to hello@getfauna.com.
Privacy
What happens to your pictures, and what never does.
Is Fauna really private?
Yes. Fauna runs its AI and indexing locally on your Mac. Your content is never uploaded to our servers, sold to advertisers, or used to train external models. If you turn on sync, what you choose goes to your own iCloud or Google Drive, under your own account.
Do I need to sign in?
No. You never sign in to use Fauna, and it works offline: it only needs to reach our licence server once every 14 days. When you buy, your licence is linked to your email address: you activate it once from a link we send you, and you can always get it back the same way.
What data does Fauna collect?
Very little, and never your library. Fauna goes online to start your trial and activate your licence, which registers your Mac by its name and a hardware identifier; to check for updates and fetch its search models once; and to sync if you turn sync on. Crash reports are off, on Mac and iPhone, until you turn them on. The full list is in our privacy policy.
How does sync work?
It is off until you turn it on, and it is selective. Choose which libraries sync and leave everything else on your Mac. What you do sync goes to your own iCloud or Google Drive, under your account, and never through a Fauna server. Turn it off at any time and everything stays local.
The App
What it runs on, what it opens, and the iPhone.
Which macOS versions does Fauna support?
Fauna is built for macOS 15 and later, so it can take advantage of Apple's latest performance and security features.
Does Fauna support RAW files, PSDs and video?
Yes. Images, RAW from every major camera, Photoshop and Illustrator files, video, audio, PDFs, bookmarks and notes. It generates lightweight thumbnails for heavy RAW files and previews GIFs and video directly in the grid.
Can I use Fauna for client work?
Absolutely. Create a separate Library per client or project, use Canvas for moodboards, and export Collections when you need to hand something over.
Is there an iPhone app?
Yes. The companion app shows your library on your phone and lets you add images from your camera roll. The two can also be used entirely independently. To see the same library on both, connect it to your own iCloud or Google Drive and choose which libraries to sync.
Why does the phone need my Mac?
Because the AI runs on the Mac and nowhere else. Your Mac does the tagging, the visual matching and the indexing, and syncing carries the results to your phone. It is the same reason nothing is uploaded for processing: there is no server doing this work, only your own machine.
Can I collaborate with others?
Fauna is a personal archive and workspace. Collaboration may be explored later, but the core experience is built as a quiet space for one creative mind.
Buying and Licences
The trial, the price, and licences for you or your team.
How many Macs can I use Fauna on?
A personal licence covers up to 3 of your own Macs. A team licence is one Mac per seat, so buy a seat for each person who needs it.
Is there a subscription?
No subscription to use it. You pay $59 once and Fauna 1.x is yours, including every 1.x update.
How does team pricing work?
Each seat is $59, with a volume discount as the team grows: 10% off from 5 seats, 15% off from 10 seats, 20% off from 15 seats. You can add seats or reassign them later.
What happens when the trial ends?
Nothing is deleted. Your library stays exactly where it is on your Mac, and buying a licence unlocks it again.
What do I need to buy it?
Just an email address. Your licence is linked to it, so we can send you the link that activates Fauna and you can always get your licence back. You never sign in to use the app.