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goodbug edited this page Apr 13, 2026 · 2 revisions

Frequently Asked Questions

This page covers the most common questions about Unifyl, organized by category. If your question is not answered here, check the specific feature wiki pages for detailed documentation.


Table of Contents

  1. Installation and System Requirements
  2. Getting Started
  3. Free vs Pro
  4. Keyboard Shortcuts
  5. File Operations
  6. Search and Filtering
  7. Cloud and Remote Connections
  8. AI Features
  9. Performance
  10. Updating
  11. Licensing
  12. Privacy and Security
  13. Developer Tools
  14. Customization

Installation and System Requirements

Q: What are the minimum system requirements for Unifyl?

A: Unifyl requires:

  • macOS 14 Sonoma or later
  • Apple Silicon (M1, M2, M3, M4 series) is recommended and optimized for, but Intel Macs are also supported
  • At least 4 GB of RAM (8 GB or more recommended for AI features)
  • 150 MB of disk space for the application itself; additional space for AI model files

Q: Does Unifyl run on Intel Macs?

A: Yes. Unifyl supports Intel Macs running macOS 14 Sonoma or later. However, Apple Silicon Macs provide significantly better performance for AI features (which leverage the Neural Engine) and general file operations.

Q: How do I install Unifyl?

A: Download the latest .dmg file from the official website or purchase through the Mac App Store. For the direct download version:

  1. Open the .dmg file
  2. Drag Unifyl to your Applications folder
  3. Launch Unifyl
  4. On first launch, macOS may ask you to confirm opening an app from an identified developer -- click Open

Q: Unifyl says "damaged and can't be opened"

A: This usually means macOS Gatekeeper is blocking the app. Right-click the app in Finder and select "Open" to bypass the initial Gatekeeper check. If that does not work, try:

xattr -cr /Applications/Unifyl.app

This removes extended attributes that Gatekeeper uses.


Getting Started

Q: How do I switch between single and dual pane mode?

A: Press Cmd+2 for dual pane or Cmd+1 for single pane. You can also use View > Layout > Dual Pane from the menu.

Q: How do I create a new tab?

A: Press Cmd+T to create a new tab in the active panel. Close a tab with Cmd+W.

Q: How do I access the Command Palette?

A: Press Cmd+Shift+P to open the Command Palette. Type any command name or action to quickly access it.

Q: What does the function key bar at the bottom do?

A: The function key bar mirrors the Total Commander convention:

  • F3: View / Hex Editor
  • F4: Edit
  • F5: Copy
  • F6: Move
  • F7: New Folder
  • F8: Delete These can be customized in Settings > Key Bindings.

Free vs Pro

Q: What features are available in the Free tier?

A: The Free tier includes: single/dual pane layout, basic search and filter, FTP/SFTP (basic), ZIP browsing, bookmarks, Command Palette, inline terminal, file history, checksum verification, file permissions editor, and Git status badges.

Q: How much does Unifyl Pro cost?

A: Unifyl Pro is a one-time purchase of $39.99. There is no subscription.

Q: Is there a free trial?

A: Yes. New users receive a 3-day free trial of all Pro features. No credit card required.

Q: Can I try Pro features before buying?

A: Yes, the 3-day trial gives you full access to all Pro features. Pro-only features show a lock overlay after the trial expires.

Q: Is there an educational or non-profit discount?

A: Contact support through the LemonSqueezy order page for educational and non-profit pricing inquiries.

Q: How many devices can I use Pro on?

A: Up to 3 Macs per license. You can deactivate a device from Settings to free up a slot for a new machine.


Keyboard Shortcuts

Q: Keyboard shortcuts are not working when I type in Korean (Hangul)

A: This is a known interaction between macOS input methods and keyboard shortcuts. When using the Korean IME:

  1. Shortcuts that use letter keys (e.g., Cmd+C) should work regardless of input method
  2. If a shortcut is not responding, press Cmd+Space to switch to the English input source, perform the shortcut, then switch back
  3. Function keys (F1-F12) and modifier-only shortcuts work in all input methods
  4. You can customize shortcuts in Settings > Key Bindings to use combinations that work better with Korean IME

Q: How do I customize keyboard shortcuts?

A: Go to Settings > Key Bindings. Unifyl supports remapping of 120+ commands. The KeyBindingManager includes conflict detection to warn you when two commands share the same shortcut.

Q: What is the macOS standard for renaming files?

A: Press Return (Enter) to rename a file, following the macOS Finder convention. This is different from Windows, where Enter opens a file.

Q: How do I delete files?

A: Press Cmd+Delete to move selected files to the Trash (macOS standard). Press F8 for the Total Commander-style delete.

Q: How do I Quick Look a file?

A: Press Space to toggle Quick Look preview, just like in Finder.


File Operations

Q: Can I undo file operations?

A: Yes. Press Cmd+Z to undo the last file operation. Unifyl tracks file operations with full undo/redo support:

  • Copy: Undo removes the copied files
  • Move: Undo moves files back to their original location
  • Delete (to Trash): Undo restores files from the Trash
  • Rename: Undo reverts to the original name

Q: Can I copy files to/from cloud storage?

A: Yes. Cloud drives that are mounted locally (Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, iCloud Drive) work like regular directories. For remote connections (S3, SFTP, etc.), drag and drop between the local and remote panels to upload/download.

Q: How does the Smart Folder (file cart) work?

A: Smart Folder lets you collect files from multiple directories into a virtual folder for batch operations:

  1. Browse to any directory and add files to the Smart Folder cart
  2. Repeat for files in other directories
  3. Open the Smart Folder panel to see all collected files
  4. Perform batch operations (copy, move, rename, etc.) on all collected files at once

Q: Can I pause and resume file copy/move operations?

A: Yes. Active file operations appear in the Operation Queue bar at the bottom. Click the pause button to pause, and the resume button to continue. You can also set speed limits.

Q: How do I create an archive?

A: Select files, then use File > Compress or right-click > Compress. Supported formats include ZIP, 7-Zip, TAR, GZ, BZ2, XZ, and ZSTD. Password-protected archives are supported for ZIP and 7z.

Q: Can I browse inside archives without extracting?

A: Yes. Double-click an archive file to enter it as if it were a folder. You can browse, copy files out, and navigate the archive structure. Supported formats: ZIP, 7-Zip, TAR, GZ, BZ2, XZ, RAR, ZSTD.


Search and Filtering

Q: What is the difference between Filter, Search, and Content Search?

A:

  • Filter (Cmd+F): Filters the current file list by name in real-time (only shows matching files in the current directory)
  • Search: Searches for files by name across subdirectories
  • Content Search: Searches inside file contents (text files, PDFs, etc.)
  • Advanced Search: Multi-criteria search with conditions (name, size, date, type, etc.)

Q: How does AI Semantic Search differ from regular search?

A: Regular search matches exact text in filenames or content. Semantic Search understands meaning -- searching for "vacation photos" can find files named "Hawaii_Trip_2024" even though the words do not match. This requires the AI index to be built (Pro feature).


Cloud and Remote Connections

Q: Which protocols are supported in the Free tier?

A: FTP and basic SFTP (password authentication) are available in the Free tier. All other protocols (FTPS, WebDAV, SMB, AFP, NFS) and cloud providers require Pro.

Q: How do I connect to an SFTP server with an SSH key?

A: Create a new connection in the Connections panel, select SFTP, enable "Use Key Auth", and provide the path to your private key file (e.g., ~/.ssh/id_rsa). Pro tier required for key authentication.

Q: Is iCloud Drive supported?

A: Yes. iCloud Drive is automatically detected and appears in the Cloud Drives section of the Connections panel. It is accessed through its local mount point and is available in the Free tier.


AI Features

Q: Does Unifyl send my files to the cloud for AI processing?

A: No. All AI processing runs locally on your Mac using Apple's CoreML and Neural Engine. No file content, metadata, or usage data is transmitted to any server. See the AI Features page for details.

Q: Do I need an API key for AI features?

A: No. Unifyl uses on-device models that are included with the application. No cloud API keys (OpenAI, Google, etc.) are needed.

Q: AI features are slow on my Mac

A: AI performance depends on your hardware:

  • Apple Silicon M1+: Best performance via Neural Engine
  • Intel Macs: Slower, uses CPU fallback
  • First-time indexing may take a while; subsequent searches use cached indexes
  • Check Settings > AI Models to adjust processing priority

Q: How much disk space do AI features use?

A: The AI models require approximately 200-500 MB of disk space. The vector index size depends on the number of indexed files (approximately 1 KB per file).


Performance

Q: Unifyl is slow when opening a folder with many files

A: Unifyl is optimized to handle 100,000+ files in under 0.5 seconds. If you experience slowness:

  • Check if the folder is on a network drive (network latency adds overhead)
  • Hidden files and Git status checks add slight overhead; disable if not needed
  • Try disabling thumbnail generation for very large directories
  • Ensure your Mac has sufficient free RAM

Q: Memory usage seems high

A: Unifyl targets under 150 MB for base memory usage. Memory may increase with:

  • Multiple open tabs and panels
  • Thumbnail caching for large directories
  • AI vector indexes loaded in memory
  • Active file operations Close unused tabs and panels to reduce memory usage.

Q: Large file copies are slower than Finder

A: Unifyl targets 95%+ of native file copy speed. If copies seem slow:

  • Check if there is a speed limit configured in the Queue Manager
  • Ensure the operation queue is not overloaded with many concurrent operations
  • For network transfers, bandwidth is typically the bottleneck

Updating

Q: How does Unifyl update itself?

A: Unifyl uses the Sparkle framework for automatic updates:

  • On launch, Unifyl checks for updates in the background
  • When an update is available, a notification appears
  • Click "Install Update" to download and install
  • The app restarts after updating
  • You can check manually via Unifyl > Check for Updates

Q: Can I disable automatic update checks?

A: Yes. Go to Settings > General and uncheck "Automatically check for updates." You can still check manually via the menu.

Q: I am on the Mac App Store version. How do I update?

A: Mac App Store updates are handled by macOS automatically. Open the App Store and check the Updates tab.


Licensing

Q: Where is my license key stored?

A: Your license key is stored securely in the macOS Keychain, encrypted at rest. It is not stored in a plain text file or in UserDefaults.

Q: Can I use my license on multiple Macs?

A: Yes. Each license supports up to 3 simultaneous activations. If you need to move a license to a new Mac, deactivate it on the old device first.

Q: What happens if I reinstall macOS?

A: If the Keychain was migrated (e.g., via Time Machine), your license is preserved. If not, simply re-enter your license key. This counts as a new activation.

Q: What happens if I am offline for a long time?

A: Unifyl validates your license on each launch. If you are offline, a 30-day grace period applies from the last successful validation. After 30 days, Pro features are locked until you can connect to the internet.


Privacy and Security

Q: Does Unifyl collect any user data?

A: No. Unifyl does not collect analytics, usage telemetry, crash reports, or any personal data. The only network communication is:

  • License validation with LemonSqueezy (sends only the license key)
  • Update checks with the Sparkle update server (sends only the app version)
  • Cloud/remote connections that you explicitly configure

Q: Is my license key transmitted securely?

A: Yes. All communication with the LemonSqueezy API uses HTTPS (TLS 1.2+). Your license key is stored in the macOS Keychain, which is encrypted.

Q: Does Unifyl require Full Disk Access?

A: Unifyl requests file access permissions as needed using Security-Scoped Bookmarks. Full Disk Access is not required for basic operations but may be needed for:

  • Accessing restricted directories
  • App Uninstaller support file detection
  • Process File Map

Developer Tools

Q: Where is the terminal variable reference?

A: The inline terminal supports these variables:

  • $F = Full file path
  • $D = Current directory
  • $S = All selected file paths
  • $f = Filename with extension
  • $n = Filename without extension
  • $e = File extension

Q: Can I use a different shell in the terminal?

A: Yes. Go to Settings > Terminal to select your preferred shell (zsh, bash, fish, etc.).

Q: How do I monitor a log file in real time?

A: Right-click a log file and select "Open in Log Viewer", or use Developer > Log Viewer. The viewer tails the file in real time (like tail -f) with color-coded log levels and filtering.


Customization

Q: How do I change the theme?

A: Go to Settings > Appearance or use View > Theme. Unifyl includes 12 built-in presets (Classic Navy, Midnight, Nord, Solarized, etc.) and supports custom themes via the Theme Editor.

Q: Can I share custom themes?

A: Yes. Custom themes can be exported as .ultratheme files and shared with other Unifyl users.

Q: How do I change the font size in the file list?

A: Use View > Font Size or Cmd+Plus/Cmd+Minus to adjust the font size.

Q: Can I change the icon theme?

A: Yes. Go to Settings > Icons to choose between different icon themes, including the default system icons and custom icon sets.

Q: How do I set up workspaces?

A: Workspaces save the entire panel layout (tabs, paths, pane arrangement). Use Automation > Save Workspace to save the current layout, and Automation > Load Workspace to restore it.

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