Dropfix FAQ
Questions, answered.
Everything people ask about Dropfix before and after installing it. If yours isn’t here, email support@caninodigital.com.
What is a HEIC file, and why can’t I upload it?
HEIC is the format iPhones and iPads use for photos. It makes smaller files than JPEG at the same quality, but many websites, forms, CMSs and older tools only accept JPEG or PNG, so a HEIC upload is refused or shows as a blank image. Dropfix turns HEIC files into JPEG or PNG the moment they arrive on your Mac.
How does Dropfix work?
You choose folders to watch, such as Downloads or Desktop, and add a rule to each, like “HEIC to JPEG, Best quality”. When a file matching a rule lands in that folder, Dropfix waits for it to finish arriving, then converts it. The converted file is written next to the original. Files Dropfix makes never trigger another rule, so rules can’t loop.
Does it convert automatically or ask me first?
Your choice. By default a small panel opens from the menu bar icon showing the stages, Reading, Converting, Originals and Done, so you can confirm the output and decide what happens to the originals. With Dropfix Pro you can choose Brief notification only instead, and conversions run silently with a short note you can click to reveal the files.
What happens to the original photos?
Nothing, unless you ask. Converted files never overwrite anything. You can have the originals moved to the Bin, which is Finder’s own Move to Bin, so they can be recovered until you empty it. The first time, Dropfix shows how to get them back. Doing that automatically, without confirming each time, is part of Dropfix Pro.
Which formats does it handle?
In: HEIC, PNG, JPEG, TIFF and WebP. Out: JPEG or PNG. Each rule picks one input format and one output.
Can I control the size and quality?
Yes. Each rule has a quality preset: Maximum (original size, 85% JPEG quality), High (original size, 75%, the default), Medium (2048 px on the longest side, 60%) or Low (1280 px, 50%). PNG is lossless, so for PNG only the pixel limit applies. Dropfix never upscales.
Does it keep the photo’s date, location and colours?
Yes. EXIF data, GPS location, the colour profile and rotation are carried across to the converted file.
Does it work with AirDrop?
Yes. AirDrop saves to your Downloads folder by default, so a rule on Downloads converts AirDropped photos as they arrive. The same goes for files saved from browsers, Messages or Photos into a watched folder.
Can I use it as a drop folder?
Yes. Make a folder, give it a rule, and anything you drag into it is converted to your preferred format. Several people set up one folder per output, for example “To JPEG” and “To PNG”.
Does Dropfix send my photos anywhere?
No. Conversion uses macOS’s own image libraries on your Mac. Dropfix has no account and no analytics. The only thing it contacts is the App Store, to confirm a Dropfix Pro purchase. The only link in the app opens this website.
Does it need any special permissions?
Only access to the folders you choose. Dropfix runs in Apple’s App Sandbox, so it can reach a folder only after you pick it in the app’s own folder chooser, and it remembers that choice between launches. It runs in the menu bar with no Dock icon and can launch at login.
What does it need to run?
A Mac running macOS 13 Ventura or later with Apple Silicon.
How much does it cost?
Dropfix is free to download. The free version watches one folder with one rule, using the step-by-step panel. Dropfix Pro is a one-time purchase inside the app, with no subscription, and unlocks any number of folders and rules, Brief notification mode, moving originals to the Bin automatically, and Convert existing files here. The price is shown in the app.
I bought Dropfix Pro on one Mac. What about my other Mac?
Pro is tied to your Apple Account, so on another Mac choose Restore Purchases on the unlock sheet.
Can I convert the photos already in a folder?
Yes. Convert existing files here, part of Dropfix Pro, converts everything in a folder that matches its rules. It always opens the step-by-step panel so a large batch of originals never moves to the Bin unconfirmed.
How do I know what Dropfix did to a file?
Every conversion, move and setting change is written in plain English to a log on your Mac, for example “Converted IMG_8223.HEIC to IMG_8223.jpg (JPEG, High, 2.6 MB to 1.9 MB)”. Choose Show Log in Finder from History to see it. It never leaves your Mac.
How do I remove it?
Quit Dropfix from the menu bar, delete the app from Applications, and remove it from Login Items in System Settings if you turned that on. Its settings and log live in ~/Library/Containers/com.caninodigital.dropfix; delete that folder to clear them.
See also: Dropfix privacy policy · About Dropfix