Grid Sort Mode

Sort the thumbnail grid view by filename, folder, date, or file size — while keeping Random as the default experience.

Overview

When you choose a sort mode, Rando shows your entire scanned library sorted — not just a random batch. This lets you browse all your photos in order by filename, folder, date, or file size. Switch back to Random anytime to return to a batch of random picks.

Random is still the default

Random mode picks a batch of images from your collection. Sort modes show everything sorted. Clicking Randomize always returns to a fresh random batch.

Opening the Sort Menu

There are two ways to access sort options:

  1. Toolbar button: The sort button lives in the main toolbar, between the Previous/Next navigation controls and the Slideshow button.

    • Icon: Two arrows pointing up and down (↑↓)
    • Tooltip: "Sort order for the image grid"
    • The button is disabled until images are loaded

  2. Right-click menu: Right-click any image in the grid and select Sort Grid to access the same sort options as a submenu.

Sort Modes

Random (Default)

The original shuffled order. This is what Rando does best — genuine surprise from your entire archive.

Filename

Sorts images alphabetically by filename.

  • Ascending: A → Z
  • Descending: Z → A
  • Uses natural sort order, so img10.jpg comes after img9.jpg (not after img1.jpg)

Folder Name

Groups images by their parent folder, then sorts alphabetically within each group.

  • Ascending: A → Z (folders and filenames)
  • Descending: Z → A

Useful when you want to see all photos from the same folder together.

Date

Sorts by the file creation date read from the filesystem.

  • Ascending: Oldest First
  • Descending: Newest First

After catching a random photo

Switch to Date → Ascending to find photos taken around the same time as the one that caught your eye.

File Size

Sorts by file size in bytes.

  • Ascending: Smallest First
  • Descending: Largest First

Useful for finding high-resolution originals versus compressed copies.

Changing Direction

Every sort mode (except Random) supports ascending and descending order. There are two ways to toggle direction:

  1. Click the active mode again — clicking the already-selected mode flips the direction.
  2. Use the direction section at the bottom of the sort menu (below the divider) — click Ascending or Descending directly.

The active direction shows a checkmark. Direction options are disabled when sort mode is set to Random.

How Sort Interacts with Other Actions

ActionEffect on Sort
Click RandomizeSort resets to Random (new random batch)
Click ResetSort resets to Random
Navigate history (Previous/Next)Sort resets to Random
Apply or clear tag filterSort stays active — filtered results are re-sorted

Switching from a sort mode back to Random restores the exact random batch you had before sorting.

Cloud Images and Sort

When an image comes from a cloud source and its filesystem metadata is unavailable, sort fields like Date and File Size cannot be read. These images are pushed to the end of the sorted list regardless of direction, so they don't interfere with the ordering of locally accessible photos.

Sort Preference

Rando always starts in Random mode when you launch the app. This keeps the random-discovery experience front and center every time you open the app.

Visual Feedback

When you switch sort modes, Rando provides two visual cues:

  • Status bar: The image count text below the source chips updates to show the current sort (e.g., "25 of 2,347 images · Random" or "2,347 images · Date Oldest First · tagged").
  • Toast notification: A brief overlay appears at the top of the grid for 2 seconds showing the change (e.g., "Showing all images · Filename A→Z" or "Showing 25 random images").

Platform Availability

PlatformStatus
macOSAvailable (v4.2.0+)
WindowsPlanned as a future release

Practical Examples

Browsing your full library sorted:

  1. Scan a folder with thousands of photos
  2. Open sort menu → Filename → Ascending (A → Z)
  3. Your entire library appears sorted — scroll through all images in order
  4. Click Randomize to return to a random batch

Exploring a moment after a random find:

  1. Rando surfaces a photo from a vacation in a random batch
  2. Open sort menu → Date → Ascending (Oldest First)
  3. Your full library appears chronologically — scroll to find that trip's photos
  4. Click Randomize to return to your original random batch

Filtering by tag while sorted:

  1. Sort your library by Folder Name to group images
  2. Apply a tag filter — only tagged images show, still sorted by folder
  3. Clear the filter — all images reappear, still sorted
  4. Click Randomize to return to random discovery

Next Steps

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