Arvela Help & Support
Version 1.0.0 · macOS 15.0+
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If you have any questions, encounter a bug, or have a feature request regarding Arvela, please reach out through our online contact form.
System Requirements
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. How does offline photo browsing work?
When you add a drive or folder, Arvela scans your photos in read-only mode and generates a compact local index and cached thumbnails inside the application container. When the drive is detached, you can still seamlessly search, filter by year/month/day, inspect camera EXIF data, and preview photos. To open the original file in Finder or your default photo editor, simply reconnect the drive.
Q. Will Arvela modify or delete my original photos?
Never. Arvela requests only read-only sandbox permissions (com.apple.security.files.user-selected.read-only). The application does not possess the technical ability or permission to write, rename, move, or delete your source files.
Q. How do I update the catalog when new photos are added?
Click the Rescan button next to the source in the sidebar. Arvela uses file timestamp metadata to detect only newly added or modified files, performing incremental scans in seconds without re-processing unchanged photos.
Q. What RAW camera formats are supported?
Arvela leverages macOS native ImageIO and CoreGraphics engines, supporting RAW image formats natively recognized by Apple macOS, along with standard formats such as JPEG, PNG, HEIC, TIFF, and WebP.
Q. Where is the catalog data stored, and how can I free up space?
The SQLite database and thumbnail cache are stored securely inside ~/Library/Application Support/Arvela. If you remove a source folder in the app, its corresponding index entries and thumbnails are removed immediately.
Q. Can I use my purchase on multiple Macs?
Yes. As a standard Mac App Store one-time purchase, you can install and use Arvela on any Mac associated with your Apple ID without additional fees.
Q. How can I request a refund?
All payment processing and licensing is managed directly by Apple. If you need a refund, you can submit a request directly through Apple's Report a Problem page.