NameGnome
Files renamed by what's inside them. No API key, no setup, no subscription.
Watches the folders you choose and renames new files based on their contents — Scan_20260714_0031.pdf becomes “Swisscom Rechnung 2026-07-14 79.90.pdf”, and a photo becomes “IMG_3336 child eating pizza”. Runs on on-device models — Apple's built-in one, plus a small optional photo model NameGnome downloads once — and your files never leave your Mac. Every rename is recorded and can be undone with one click. Free to use — pay what you want, from CHF 9.
Requires: A Mac with Apple Intelligence — Apple Silicon (M1 or later), macOS 26 (Tahoe) or later. Changelog
A scanned invoice becomes its sender, subject, date and amount — read from the document itself.
A photographed receipt — OCR reads the words, and the words become the name.
A screenshot is named by what it shows.
A photograph keeps its number — and gains what the picture shows.
Not sure? The file is left alone. Renamed or untouched — never a queue to review.
Every rename lands in History with Undo beside it — the file stays where it is, only the name changes.
Images, screenshots, invoices
Whatever lands, in whatever number: five photos, five screenshots, five receipts — each gets its own name, all at once.
Files that name themselves.
No model to install, no key to paste, no account to make. Install NameGnome, pick a folder — that was the setup.
Wrong name? One click back.
Undo restores the old name — and NameGnome will not rename that file again.
Or type the name you wanted
Every name is a text field — in History and in the menu bar dropdown alike. Click it, type, done: the extension comes back on its own, and a name you typed is yours — NameGnome will not change it again.
No cloud, private by design
The models run on this Mac — not in a data centre. One is Apple’s, part of macOS already; the other is the optional photo model, and it runs here too. No cloud service reads your files, and there is no account or key that could give anyone access: your files never leave your Mac. The little that does leave is counted, switchable, and listed here.
- Sends
- Anonymous usage counts — how many folders are watched, how many files were renamed. Counts, not names, and you can switch them off in Settings.
- Sends
- A check for updates — the NameGnome version and the macOS version, nothing else.
- Fetches
- If you switch on Better photo names: the photo model, once — about 500 MB. A download, not an upload; nothing about your files goes with it. How that model was chosen, and what it was measured against.
- Never
- Your files. They are read on this Mac, by on-device models — your files never leave your Mac.
- Never
- A filename, a path or a file’s contents — the usage counts carry none of them.
- Never
- Your name or an account — there is no account. The privacy page lists everything.
The gnome in your menu bar
No Dock icon, no window to manage. Click the gnome to see what has been renamed — Undo right beside each name — and to pause everything when you want quiet.
FAQ
Does NameGnome need an API key or a subscription?
No. It runs on on-device models — Apple’s, which is already part of macOS, plus an optional small photo model it downloads once. No account, no API key, no metering. It is free to use — pay what you want, from CHF 9, if it earns its keep.
What is the “Better photo names” download?
A small image-description model, about 500 MB, that describes photographs on your Mac — “IMG_3336 child eating pizza” instead of a list of labels. NameGnome offers it on first launch and fetches it once from Hugging Face, pinned to an exact version and checked against checksums built into the app. Your pictures are never uploaded — the model runs entirely on this Mac. Switch it off any time; “Remove download” frees the space.
Is NameGnome really free? What’s the catch?
It is free to use, whole and forever — no account, no card. The catch is stated plainly: after 14 quiet days, once a month a support notice stands in front of the folder and history panes until you dismiss it. Renaming never stops and Undo always works. Paying what you want — from CHF 9, suggested CHF 29 — turns the notice off, on up to three of your own Macs; the terms page has the fine print.
Can I review names before they are applied?
No — renames apply automatically, and that is the design. A file NameGnome is not sure about is simply left alone, and every rename lands in History with Undo beside it. Undo also covers the rename you would have approved and then regretted.
What kinds of files can it read?
PDFs — digital and scanned, via OCR — images and screenshots, plain text, and the metadata of photos and videos. Photographs without readable text are named from what is in the picture — at their best with Better photo names switched on.
Can’t Apple Intelligence already rename files?
With a Shortcut you build yourself and run by hand, one batch at a time. NameGnome is that idea finished as an app: it watches your folders, names files as they arrive, and keeps a history with Undo.
What happens when Apple Intelligence is off?
NameGnome keeps working from dates and file information and says so in a banner. Names drawn from the content need Apple Intelligence switched on.
Why does it need macOS 26?
Apple Intelligence needs Apple Silicon, and the Foundation Models framework NameGnome is built on ships with macOS 26. Both halves are required — an M1 Mac on an older macOS cannot run it.
Does it rename the files already in a folder?
Yes — adding a folder tidies what is already in it, subfolders included, unless you tick “Do not rename existing files” when adding it.
Does it move or organise my files?
No. The file stays where you put it — only the name changes. There is no auto-filing and no content search; NameGnome does one job.
Is there a Windows version?
No — NameGnome is built on Apple’s Foundation Models framework, which exists only on the Mac.
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