# Install Anthora

## Requirements

- Apple silicon Mac, including M1 or newer
- macOS 14 Sonoma or later
- At least 1 GB of free space for the app, its index, and preview cache
- Read access to the photo and video folders you choose

Anthora indexes media where it already lives. It does not copy your library
into a proprietary container.

## Install

1. Unzip the Anthora download.
2. Drag `Anthora.app` into Applications.
3. Control-click Anthora in Applications and choose Open.
4. Confirm that you want to open it.

This direct-sale release is signed for integrity but is not notarized by Apple.
macOS may show an extra confirmation the first time it opens. If Open is not
offered, go to System Settings, Privacy & Security, then choose Open Anyway for
Anthora. Do not disable Gatekeeper.

## Add media

1. Wait for Anthora to open your local library.
2. Open **Sources** in the sidebar. Drag folders from Finder into Anthora, or
   choose **Add Folder**.
3. Pick a folder that contains images or videos.
4. Leave Anthora open while the first index and previews are created.

Large folders can take time. Anthora scans in the background and shows media as
it becomes available. The Sources screen shows how many items have been indexed.
Choose **Stop scan** there if you need to stop indexing. Items already found
remain in the library. A later rescan checks the folder again from the beginning.
Your original files remain in their current folders.

## Free edition and lifetime license

The free edition has no photo or video count limit. Browsing, playback, search,
people, albums, Smart Searches, favorites, and duplicate analysis are available
before purchase. Preview every book design for free. A $29 lifetime license
unlocks creating and exporting books and cleanup actions on up to two Macs.
Existing Anthora lifetime licenses unlock these features too.

After purchasing, open the license panel from the Free edition banner or
Settings, paste the key from the Lemon Squeezy receipt, and choose **Activate**.
Activation requires an internet connection once. Normal library use remains
offline afterward. If an older free version stopped a scan at 500 items, rescan
that source after updating to index the rest; no purchase is needed.

## Remove Anthora

Move Anthora from Applications to Trash. To remove its local index and preview
cache too, delete these folders:

- `~/Library/Application Support/Anthora`
- `~/Library/Caches/AnthoraService`
- `~/Library/Logs/Anthora`

Deleting those Anthora folders does not delete the original media folders you
indexed.