---
title: "Appears: the files you forgot you had, when they matter"
description: "Appears is an open-source Mac menu bar app that notices what you're working on and quietly shows related files you already have: old screenshots, photos, PDFs. It runs on the Mac, and nothing leaves it."
url: "https://appea.rs/"
---

# What you already have, before you think to look for it.

Appears lives in your menu bar and follows along while you work. When you already have something that helps, like an old screenshot, a photo of a quote or a PDF from two years ago, it shows up. No searching, no typing.

[Download for Mac](https://appea.rs/Appears.dmg). Free and open source. Needs a Mac with Apple silicon running macOS 26 or later.

You're replying to Dana about her kitchen. Appears finds the photo you took of her handwritten quote last year, the city permit (page 3 has the scope of work), and your measurements note. You didn't ask for any of it. The panel shows (a made-up example):

- **IMG_4471.jpg:** Mentions Dana Ruiz · May 2025
- **permit-BLD-2024-0457.pdf:** Page 3: scope of work · May 2025
- **Kitchen measurements:** Mentions Dana · April 2025

## It does the remembering, so you don't have to.

### It follows what you're doing

Writing an email, reading a doc, planning a trip: Appears picks up on what's in front of you and looks for anything related. It doesn't keep a copy.

### It knows your files, photos included

It understands what's inside your documents, notes, screenshots and photos, not just their names. So a photo of a handwritten quote can turn up next to the email about it.

### It finds what you forgot

It favours things you haven't opened in a while. The note you wrote yesterday isn't news. The quote from two years ago is.

### It tells you why

Up to three things at a time, each with a short reason, like “mentions Dana Ruiz · page 3”. Open one, preview it, or drag it straight into what you're writing.

## It never interrupts.

No notifications, no sounds, no pop-ups. When Appears finds something worth a look, the little ring in your menu bar gets a dot. Glance at it when you're ready, or press a shortcut to ask any time.

The ring in the menu bar has 5 states: nothing to show, getting to know your files, something's here, paused, needs setup.

## Your stuff stays on your Mac.

Appears sees a lot of what you do, so it's built to keep all of it to itself.

- **Everything happens on your Mac:** Appears does all its work on your Mac. No account, no cloud, nothing uploaded.
- **It forgets what it sees:** It reads what you're working on, uses it, and lets it go. The only thing it remembers is which suggestions you found useful.
- **It skips private things:** Password managers, password fields and private browser windows are off limits. Pause it from the menu bar whenever you like.
- **Anyone can check:** It's open source under the MIT license, so these promises aren't just promises.

## Try it on your Mac.

Download Appears, give it a few minutes to get to know your files, and get back to work. It'll speak up when it has something.

[Download for Mac](https://appea.rs/Appears.dmg). Free and open source. Needs a Mac with Apple silicon running macOS 26 or later.

## Links

- [MIT license](https://opensource.org/license/mit)
- [llms.txt](https://appea.rs/llms.txt): Appears in brief, for agents

Appears is made by [Colin Armstrong](https://armstr.ng).