Searching Screenshots
Updated
How Search Works
When a new image lands in a watched folder, Recall runs Apple’s Vision framework OCR engine on it. The extracted text is stored in a local SQLite FTS5 (full-text search) index. When you type in the search bar, Recall queries that index using prefix matching — so searching for func also matches function, and http matches https://.
All of this happens on your Mac. There are no API calls and no network requests.
Using the Search Bar
The search bar is in the toolbar of the main window. You can also focus it with ⌘ F.
- Type any word or phrase that appeared on screen when the screenshot was taken
- Results update as you type — you don’t need to press Return
- Clear the search to return to the full library
What You Can Search For
| Example query | What it finds |
|---|---|
TypeError | Screenshots containing that exact error |
stripe.com | Screenshots of Stripe pages or receipts |
func viewDidLoad | Screenshots of that Swift method |
$49.99 | Receipts or pricing screenshots |
git commit | Terminal or Git UI screenshots |
OCR Accuracy
Recall uses Vision’s accurate recognition level with language correction enabled. It performs well on:
- macOS UI screenshots (sharp, high-contrast text)
- Web page screenshots
- Terminal output
- Code editor content
It may produce lower accuracy on:
- Handwriting or stylised fonts
- Very small text (below ~12pt in a retina screenshot)
- Dark-on-dark text with poor contrast
If a screenshot isn’t turning up in search, select it and check the detail panel — the OCR preview line shows the first two lines of extracted text, so you can see what was captured.
Combining Search with Filters
Search works within whatever filter is active in the sidebar. To search only screenshots from this week, click This Week in the sidebar before typing your query. To search only code screenshots, click the code tag in the sidebar.
Re-indexing
Recall indexes new files automatically. If you need to re-index an existing file (for example after a Recall update), trash the screenshot and re-save it — Recall will pick it up as a new file and re-process it.