Which regions are supported?+
Bird lists are currently available for Singapore and Malaysia. Choose the region that matches your shooting location. Global coverage and identification by birdsong are not available. Species outside the selected list may not receive reliable suggestions.
Are there identification limits or an expiry date?+
Bird identification is unlimited, including refreshes and region changes. The entire app is usable through 31 December 2026 (Singapore time, UTC+8). From 1 January 2027 at 00:00, you will need an updated version to continue. Expiry does not delete original photos or saved library data.
Are usage statistics required during the beta?+
Yes. To help improve the product, usage statistics stay enabled throughout the beta, with a visible in-app reminder. TelemetryDeck receives feature usage, counts and duration ranges, plus a randomly generated installation identifier hashed on your Mac. Photos, filenames, paths, species, searches, EXIF and locations are excluded. Offline bird identification remains available during the beta’s validity period.
Can I treat an identification as definitive?+
No. Image clarity, obstructions, the bird’s size in the frame and similar species can affect the model. Check the bird outline, similar candidates and visible field marks, and consult eBird when needed. Manual species correction is not available in this beta.
How does it pick the best frame of a burst?+
Photos one camera took less than a second apart are grouped into a burst automatically. Pick best frames compares every frame on your Mac: frames with a bird by the bird’s sharpness, exposure and detail, other frames by the whole picture. The best frame of each burst is marked Best in burst. Mark the rest for Trash only marks frames; favorites and rated photos are left alone, and nothing moves until you confirm. Scores measure technical quality, not pose or composition.
Are my photos uploaded? Can I use it offline?+
Bird detection and identification run on your Mac without uploading photos or requiring an account. The beta includes the models for offline analysis. Address lookup uses Apple’s online geocoding, and opening eBird resources also requires internet access.
What about Intel Macs, iPhone or cloud sync?+
This beta is for Apple Silicon Macs (arm64) running macOS 14 or later. There is currently no iPhone app or cloud sync, and no Intel Mac installer is provided for this beta.
Will it change my originals? Can I import videos?+
Normal browsing, analysis, ratings and favorites leave originals untouched. You explicitly choose when to export edits, organize files or move them to the Trash. Videos can be played, rated and organized, but are excluded from bird identification.
Is the beta notarized by Apple?+
Yes. This beta is signed with Developer ID. Both the app and DMG are notarized by Apple with stapled tickets. You can verify your download using the SHA-256 checksum on this page. On first launch, macOS may still ask you to confirm opening an app downloaded from the internet.
