Retriever for Mac
Find anything
on your Mac.
Retriever is what Spotlight would be if it was built around how you actually search your computer.
Apple Silicon · macOS 14 or later
See what it can doSearch by meaning
Describe it.
Retriever finds it.
Type a few words about what you remember, a detail from inside the file, where it came from, roughly when you saw it, and the right result is at the top. Names and keywords still work, you just no longer need them.
Inside your files
It finds the passage,
not just the file.
Long PDFs and documents hide the one paragraph you need. Retriever takes you straight to it, so you never scroll through pages hunting for a single clause again.
11. Quiet enjoyment
The Tenant shall not disturb the reasonable use and enjoyment of neighbouring units and shall keep noise to a minimum between 10 pm and 7 am.
12. Pets
Tenants may keep one cat or one dog under 25 kg, subject to the landlord's prior written approval and a refundable pet deposit. Any damage caused by a pet is the Tenant's responsibility and may be deducted from the deposit.
13. Smoking
Smoking is not permitted inside the unit or in any shared area of the building.
The Search window
Browse when you
want to look around.
Open the Search window to filter by documents, images, video or audio and preview a result before you open it. The panel is for speed, the window is for exploring.
Screenshot 2026-03-14 at 9.41.02.png
Everything on your Mac
One search for all of it.
Documents, notes, spreadsheets, slides, images, screenshots and apps, all from the same ⌘ Space window.
Documents and PDFs
PDF, Word, Pages, Keynote, Numbers, Excel, PowerPoint, Text Files, Markdown and more, searched by what they say and mean.
Images and screenshots
Find a picture by what it shows, or by the words written inside it. Great for people who take a lot of screenshots.
Apps
Launch anything you have installed by name, even if you type it wrong.
Every file by name
Type the name, a kind like "pdf" or "zip", or a date like "last week", and it is there.
Audio and video
Find the clip from your holiday or the voice recording you are thinking of, the same way you find everything else.
Always up to date
New and changed files are picked up in the background, so what you saved a minute ago is already searchable.
Retriever vs Spotlight
Spotlight finds names.
Retriever finds what you meant.
Everything you use Spotlight for, plus the searches it was never built for.
Built for your Mac
Private, offline and fast.
Stays on your Mac
The index and everything Retriever reads live on your Mac. Nothing you index is sent anywhere.
Works offline
After a one-time download of the model that powers the search, it needs no internet connection at all.
Fast and light
Search is quick, and indexing stays out of your way, pausing for low power mode, heat and a low battery.
You are in control
You choose
what it searches.
Pick the folders Retriever should read and change them any time in Settings. macOS asks before Retriever can open folders like Desktop and Documents, and Retriever only reads files: it never changes, moves or uploads them.
What should Retriever search?
Pick folders, or open one to pick some of its subfolders. You can change this anytime in Settings.
macOS will ask before Retriever can read folders like Desktop, Documents and Downloads. Retriever only reads files: it never changes, moves or uploads them.
One shortcut
Press ⌘ Space.
Skip Spotlight.
Retriever takes over the shortcut your fingers already know, so there is nothing new to learn. Turn off Spotlight's shortcut once and ⌘ Space opens Retriever from anywhere on your Mac.
Command + Space
From any app
Press it wherever you are and start typing. There is no window to find first.
The keys you know
The same shortcut as Spotlight, so your muscle memory carries straight over.
Preview before you open
Press Space on any result for a Quick Look, then hit Return to open it.
Stop digging through folders.
Retriever for macOS is coming soon, as a direct download and on the Mac App Store.
FAQ
Questions, answered.
What is Retriever for macOS?
Retriever for macOS is a native search app for macOS that finds your files by what is in them. Press ⌘ Space, describe what you are looking for in plain words, and open the file, note, image or app. It takes over Spotlight's shortcut, so there is nothing new to learn.
How is it different from Spotlight?
Spotlight is built around names and keywords. Retriever also understands meaning, so a description of what is inside a file is enough, and in long documents it takes you to the exact passage. It launches apps and finds files by name too, so there is nothing to give up.
How do I use ⌘ Space for Retriever?
Retriever opens with ⌘ Space by default. Spotlight uses the same shortcut, so turn its shortcut off once in System Settings, under Keyboard, Keyboard Shortcuts, then Spotlight. You can also choose a different shortcut for Retriever in its settings.
Does it work offline?
Yes. Everything runs on your Mac, and once the model that powers the search has downloaded, which happens once, Retriever needs no internet connection.
Is my data private?
Nothing you index leaves your Mac. The index and the model are stored in a folder on your Mac, and the only network use is the one-time model download. Retriever searches the folders you choose and skips hidden files, code projects, and key or secret files.
What can it search?
Documents and PDFs, spreadsheets, slides, notes, images and screenshots including the text in them, audio and video, apps, and every file by name, across the folders you choose.
What do I need to run it?
A Mac with Apple Silicon running macOS 14 or later.
When can I get it, and is it related to Retriever for iOS?
Retriever for macOS is coming soon, as a direct download and on the Mac App Store. It is a separate product from Retriever for iOS, which turns voice notes into searchable text, while the macOS app searches the files already on your computer.