Slideshow Mode

Experience your photos in an immersive, full-screen slideshow with gaming-style controls and extensive customization.

What is Slideshow Mode?

Slideshow Mode transforms Rando into a full-screen photo viewing experience with:

• Immersive full-screen display
• Auto-advance with customizable timing
• Gaming-style overlay controls
• Comprehensive keyboard shortcuts
• Zoom and pan capabilities
• Animated GIF and WebP support

Starting a Slideshow

Quick Start

1. Select images from your folders
2. Click "Start Slideshow" button (or press S)
3. Slideshow begins in full-screen mode
4. Navigate using keyboard or mouse controls

Starting from Context Menu

Right-click any thumbnail → "Start Slideshow"

Starts slideshow from the selected image in sequential order (great for browsing from a specific photo).

Starting from Main Button

Click "Slideshow" in the main interface

Starts slideshow in random order for maximum variety and surprises. If a slideshow is already running, it takes you back to it with the current selection.

Slideshow Controls

Overlay Control Bar

When in slideshow, move your mouse to reveal the semi-transparent control bar at the bottom:

Navigation:

• ◀ Previous - Go to previous image
• ▶ Next / ⏸ Pause - Advance or pause auto-play
• ? Help - Show keyboard shortcuts cheat sheet

Zoom Controls:

• + Zoom In - Enlarge image
• - Zoom Out - Shrink image
• ⟲ Reset - Return to original size

Settings:

• Fade toggle - Turn cross-fade transitions on/off (macOS: wand icon, Windows: ON/OFF emoji)
• Duration +/- - Adjust slide timing (1-60 seconds)
• Progress counter - Shows "5 of 25"
• Image filename - Displays current photo name

Keyboard Navigation

Master slideshow with these shortcuts:

Mouse and Trackpad Controls

Click Navigation

Click the left 45% of screen - Previous image

Click the right 45% of screen - Next image

(10% dead zone in center for controls)

Zoom Gestures

Trackpad:

• Pinch to zoom - Two-finger pinch gesture
• Two-finger scroll to pan - When zoomed in
• Option + Scroll - Alternative zoom method

Magic Mouse:

• Option + Scroll - Zoom in/out
• Scroll - Pan when zoomed (if zoomed in)

Any Mouse:

• Click and drag - Pan around zoomed image
• Use UI zoom buttons - Always work reliably

Image Scaling Modes

Choose how images fill your screen:

Fit to Screen (Default)

• Entire image visible
• Maintains aspect ratio
• Black bars on sides or top/bottom
• Best for viewing full photos

Fill Screen

• No black bars
• Fills entire screen
• May crop edges
• Best for presentations and wallpaper-style viewing

Actual Size

• 1:1 pixel ratio
• No scaling
• May be smaller or larger than screen
• Best for inspecting image quality

Change in Slideshow Preferences → Display Settings → Image Scaling

Auto-Advance Settings

Control how slideshow automatically progresses:

Slide Duration

1-60 seconds - Time each image displays before advancing

• Quick review: 2-3 seconds
• Casual viewing: 5-10 seconds
• Contemplative: 15-30 seconds
• Background ambiance: 60 seconds

Auto-Advance Toggle

Enable/Disable automatic progression

• On: Slideshow advances automatically
• Off: Manual navigation only (great for presentations)

Loop Slideshow

Enable/Disable looping when reaching the end

• On: Returns to first image and continues
• Off: Stops at last image

Reshuffle Order Each Loop

Enable/Disable a fresh random shuffle every time a looping slideshow returns to the start (default: off).

By default, a Random slideshow shuffles your photos once and replays that same order each time it loops. With Reshuffle order each loop turned on, Rando generates a brand-new random order every time the slideshow wraps from the last image back to the first - so each pass through your photos is different.

• On: Each loop reshuffles into a new order. Every photo is still shown once before any repeats within a pass - the order just changes between passes.
• Off: The same shuffled order replays on every loop (the original behavior).

This option only takes effect when all of these are true:

• Sort order is Random
• Loop Slideshow is on (the toggle is disabled when looping is off)
• The slideshow is auto-advancing - stepping through manually with the arrow keys never reshuffles

Find it in Slideshow Preferences (right under Loop Slideshow) and in the Quick Settings panel.

Power Management

Screen Saver and Sleep Prevention

Rando automatically keeps your screen awake while viewing slideshows:

• During slideshow: Screen saver and system sleep are prevented
• When paused: Normal power management resumes (screen can sleep)
• After stopping: Automatic return to normal power settings

Zoom and Pan

Slideshow includes advanced zoom capabilities for detailed photo inspection.

Zooming In and Out

Methods:

1. UI Controls: Click +/- buttons in control bar
2. Keyboard: Press ⌘+ to zoom in, ⌘- to zoom out
3. Trackpad: Pinch gesture (if enabled)
4. Mouse/Trackpad: Hold Option and scroll (if enabled)

Zoom Range: 25% to 500% of original size

Panning When Zoomed

When zoomed beyond 100%:

• Click and drag to pan
• Two-finger scroll on trackpad
• Scroll wheel on mouse
• Natural scrolling option available

Zoom Settings

Slideshow Preferences → Display Settings:

• Enable Pinch to Zoom - Toggle trackpad pinch gesture
• Prevent Zoom Out Past 1:1 - Can't zoom smaller than original
• Enable Option+Scroll to Zoom - Mouse/trackpad scroll zoom
• Scroll Zoom Sensitivity - Adjust zoom speed (0.005-0.02)
• Natural Scrolling for Pan - Reverse pan direction

Animated Image Support (GIF and WebP)

Slideshow fully supports animated GIFs and WebP images:

• Full animation playback during slideshow for both GIF and WebP formats
• Works in all scaling modes (fit, fill, actual size)
• Maintains animation while zooming
• Smooth transitions between animated images
• All controls work while animations play

Animated images are automatically detected and rendered with their animations. Look for the "GIF" or "WebP" badge on thumbnails to identify animated images.

Video and Live Photo Support

Slideshow plays your videos and Live Photos right alongside your photos:

• Sampled poster frame with a play badge appears in the grid for every video
• Click the play badge to watch (Mac & Windows): the ▶ play badge on a video's poster frame in the grid is clickable. Click it to open that video in your default player (or the external player you picked in Preferences) — no right-click needed
• Pick a Different Preview Frame — right-click any video to re-roll the poster frame. Works in the grid and during slideshows; the new frame appears without restarting
• Open from the right-click menu too: right-click any video and choose "Open Externally" / "Open in [Player]" — the same one-click path the play badge gives you
• Mac & Windows: press O in the slideshow to open the current video in your preferred external player (QuickTime, IINA, VLC). The slideshow pauses and resumes when you return
• iOS: videos play inline with a scrub bar — drag the slider to seek, elapsed and remaining time labels show your spot
• Natural completion: videos play to the end before the slideshow advances (instead of cutting off at the photo interval)
• Live Photos: motion preview plays automatically with a small Live Photos badge in the corner (Mac & iOS)

Set global inclusion behavior (Always include / Ask each time / Never include) under Slideshow Preferences → Video, along with audio mode, a duration cap for very long videos, and your preferred external player.

Image Sort Orders

Control the order images appear in slideshow:

Random Order (Default)

• Stable shuffle: Same random order for navigation consistency
• Surprises every time: Different shuffle each slideshow
• Navigate freely: Previous/next work as expected
• Reshuffle on loop (optional): Turn on Reshuffle order each loop to get a fresh shuffle each time a looping slideshow returns to the start

Sequential Order

• File path alphabetical
• Predictable order
• Easy to find specific photos

By Creation Date

• Oldest to newest
• Timeline viewing
• Great for reminiscing chronologically

By Modified Date

• Last modified date
• See recent edits first
• Useful for workflow reviews

Change order:

• Slideshow menu → Image Sort Sequence
• Quick toggle R key (Random ↔ Sequential)

Slideshow Preferences

Customize every aspect of slideshow behavior.

Accessing Preferences

Three ways:

1. Menu bar: Slideshow → Slideshow Preferences
2. Keyboard: ⌘, then click Slideshow tab
3. Control bar: Click settings icon during slideshow

Timing Settings

• Default Slide Duration: 1-60 seconds (default: 5)
• Transition Duration: 0.1-2.0 seconds (default: 0.5)
• Enable Cross-Fade Transitions: Smooth blend between photos (default: off)
• Control Auto-hide Delay: 1-10 seconds (default: 3)
• Auto-advance: On/Off toggle
• Loop Slideshow: On/Off toggle
• Reshuffle order each loop: Fresh random shuffle on each loop (default: off; Random sort + Loop + auto-advance only)
• Always Start Full-Screen: On/Off toggle

Display Settings

• Background Color: Black / Dark Gray
• Control Size: Small / Medium / Large
• Control Opacity: 10-100% transparency (default: 40%)
• Image Scaling: Fit / Fill / Actual Size
• Image Source: Selected Only / Entire Folder
• Show Image Info: Display filename overlay
  • Always Show Image Info: Keep filename visible even when controls auto-hide (nested under Show Image Info)
• File Display Format: Filename / Full Path / Folder+Filename
• Show Progress Indicator: Image counter (e.g., "5 of 25")

Zoom & Pan Settings

• Enable Pinch to Zoom: Trackpad pinch gesture
• Prevent Zoom Out Past 1:1: Minimum zoom limit
• Natural Scrolling for Pan: Reverse pan direction
• Enable Option+Scroll to Zoom: Mouse scroll zoom
• Scroll Zoom Sensitivity: Adjust zoom speed

Advanced Options

• Preload Images: Number of images to cache (1-10, default: 3)
• Memory Management: Automatic cleanup settings

Keyboard Shortcuts Customization

All slideshow shortcuts are customizable.

Customizing Shortcuts

1. Open Slideshow Preferences
2. Scroll to Keyboard Shortcuts section
3. Click the shortcut you want to change
4. Press your desired key combination
5. Save automatically

Conflict Detection

If your chosen shortcut conflicts with another action:

• Warning appears: Shows conflicting action
• Resolve conflict: Change one or both shortcuts
• System shortcuts: Some reserved by macOS

Reset to Defaults

Click "Reset to Defaults" to restore original key bindings.

Interactive Help Modal

Never forget a shortcut with the built-in help screen.

Accessing Help

During slideshow, press / or ?

A modal window appears showing:

• All available shortcuts organized by category
• Current key bindings (including customizations)
• Link to preferences for modifying shortcuts
• Clean, easy-to-read layout

Auto-Pause

• Slideshow pauses when help modal opens
• Auto-resumes when you close the modal
• Browse shortcuts without missing images

Collage Slideshow

New in 5.0, the Collage slideshow fills your whole display with a living wall of photos instead of showing one at a time. It is a display mode of the regular slideshow, so everything you already know (pacing, multi-monitor, the free-user preview) still applies.

Starting a Collage

1. Open the Slideshow menu (or the slideshow overlay's Mode menu).
2. Choose Collage Flow or Collage Scatter.
3. The wall fills your screen and keeps refreshing on its own.

A one-time intro overlay explains the controls the first time you open a Collage, with a "Don't show this again" option.

Two looks

• Flow (the default): a Pinterest-style masonry wall that keeps every photo's full shape, so tall and wide photos all look right and nothing gets cropped. Tiles quietly swap in new photos as the wall refreshes, and the whole wall slowly scrolls on its own (see Infinite scroll below). Size the tiles up or down with the +/- on-screen buttons or the minus and equals keys (fewer columns means larger photos).
• Scatter: your photos tossed onto the screen like printed snapshots, complete with white borders and a gentle drop-in.

(The old fixed Grid and Varied layouts were removed. Fewer Flow columns now gives you those bigger, equal tiles, without cropping.)

Infinite scroll (Flow only)

On by default, infinite scroll slowly and continuously scrolls the Flow wall so it always feels alive. It pauses the moment you move the mouse or interact, then resumes when you are idle. Press the Up arrow to reverse the scroll (handy for going back up to a photo that caught your eye) and the Down arrow to return to forward; there is also a Reverse button in the collage overlay controls. You can turn infinite scroll off in Slideshow Preferences to keep the wall stationary.

By default the scroll is bidirectional: neighboring columns drift in opposite directions for a livelier, woven look. Prefer the whole wall moving together? Turn off Bidirectional scroll (just under Infinite scroll) in Slideshow Preferences. The Up/Down reverse still works either way.

The collage controls include a Scroll menu where you can pause or resume the drift, set its direction, toggle Bidirectional, and pick a speed (Slow / Normal / Fast / Faster). For fine speed control there's a Scroll Speed slider in Slideshow Preferences. Pausing the scroll just freezes the drift; your photos keep refreshing in place.

Interacting with the wall

• Click the left or right side of any photo to step it back or forward ("back" returns the exact photo that was just in that spot).
• Double-click any photo to jump straight into a full Standard slideshow starting from that moment.

On every screen

When you have more than one display, you can mirror the same wall across every screen or run an independent collage on each. Animated GIFs and WebP images play right inside their tiles in both Flow and Scatter.

Collage settings

Default layout, Flow tile size, infinite scroll, refresh pace, and how many tiles swap at a time all live in the Collage section of Slideshow Preferences. See Preferences for details.

Free User Limits

Free users can experience the slideshow for 5 minutes of viewing time per app session.

How the Limit Works

• 5 minutes of slideshow time per app session
• One shared budget across both Standard and Collage slideshows, so the two modes draw from the same 5 minutes (not 5 minutes each)
• Time accrues while a slideshow or collage is running and adds up across every run in the session
• Resets only when you close and reopen Rando, so restarting a slideshow or switching between Standard and Collage does not give you more time
• Pausing the app entirely is the only way to stop the clock; the timer counts whenever something is playing

When the Limit is Reached

After 5 minutes, a beautiful upgrade modal appears (it covers the Collage wall too, and the wall stops refreshing):

• Value proposition: Shows benefits of unlimited slideshows
• Feature highlights: Pro features list
• 7-day free trial: No credit card required
• "Maybe Later" returns to main view

Pro Subscription

$4.99/month, $49.99/year (save ~17%, best value), or $109 lifetime

Unlocks:

• Unlimited slideshow
• Advanced tagging system
• Tag-based slideshows
• Animated GIF support
• Export/import tags

(Multi-folder mixing is now free for everyone.)

Slideshow Workflows

Quick Casual Viewing

1. Select folder
2. Click "Start Slideshow"
3. Let it auto-play (5-10 second timing)
4. Lean back and enjoy

Photo Review Session

1. Select folder or tag
2. Start slideshow
3. Disable auto-advance (manual control)
4. Navigate with arrow keys
5. Tag favorites as you go
6. Zoom to inspect quality

Presentation Mode

1. Configure slideshow preferences:
   • Longer slide duration (15-30 seconds)
   • Fill screen mode
   • Hide image info
   • Black background
2. Start slideshow
3. Use arrow keys to control pace
4. Full-screen immersive experience

Background Ambiance

1. Select diverse photo collection
2. Set long duration (30-60 seconds)
3. Enable loop
4. Start slideshow
5. Let it run in background

Troubleshooting Slideshow

Slideshow Won't Start

Possible causes:

• No images loaded
• Free user limit reached
• System resources low

Solutions:

• Select a folder with images
• Restart app to reset free limit
• Close other applications

Images Loading Slowly

Possible causes:

• Network drive with slow connection
• Very large image files
• Preload count too low

Solutions:

• Increase preload count in preferences
• Copy photos to local drive
• Use smaller image files

Zoom Not Working

Possible causes:

• Zoom gestures disabled in preferences
• Zoom limit reached (1:1 minimum if enabled)
• Image is at maximum zoom (500%)

Solutions:

• Enable zoom gestures in preferences
• Check current zoom level
• Reset zoom with ⌘0

Auto-Hide Too Fast

Solution: Adjust Control Auto-hide Delay in preferences (1-10 seconds).

Keyboard Shortcuts Don't Work

Possible causes:

• Another app captured the shortcut
• Conflict with system shortcuts
• Slideshow not in focus

Solutions:

• Customize shortcuts to avoid conflicts
• Click slideshow window to focus
• Check for other apps using same shortcuts

Multi-Display Slideshows (macOS)

Run independent slideshows on multiple displays simultaneously - perfect for digital picture frames, presentations, or ambient photo walls across your workspace.

Starting Multiple Slideshows

From the slideshow overlay:

1. Start first slideshow on your main display
2. Click the "New" button in the control bar to create an additional slideshow
3. When viewing a folder or tag subset, you'll see options:
   • Same Folder / Same Tag - New slideshow with current images
   • All Selected - New slideshow with your original main selection

From the menu bar:

1. Slideshow menu → Start Slideshow on Monitor → Select specific display
2. (This menu only appears when multiple displays are connected)

Each slideshow runs independently with its own timing and controls.

Controlling Multiple Slideshows

Scope Toggle (in control bar):

When multiple slideshows are running, a Scope selector appears in the control bar with three modes:

• Independent (1 icon): Independent mode - each slideshow controlled separately, with its own timing
• Linked (circular arrows icon): Linked mode - all slideshows advance together, but show different images
• Mirror (overlapping rectangles icon): Mirror mode - all slideshows display the exact same image

The active mode is highlighted, and the mode name appears below the toggle buttons. Click any icon to switch modes.

Independent mode:

• Keyboard shortcuts and menu commands affect only the focused slideshow window
• Click a slideshow window to focus it before using controls
• Each slideshow advances at its own pace

Linked mode:

• All slideshows respond to Play/Pause and navigation commands together
• Each slideshow shows different images (useful for variety across displays)
• Sort order and image scaling stay independent per display (great for different screen orientations)
• Duplicate image avoidance prevents the same image showing on multiple screens
• Subfolder slideshows have independent play/pause (drilling into a folder on one display doesn't affect other displays)
• All keyboard shortcuts and menu commands affect all slideshows

Mirror mode (Same Image):

• All slideshows display the exact same image with identical settings
• When you navigate in any slideshow, all others update to show the same image
• New slideshows automatically sync to match the current image
• All keyboard shortcuts and menu commands respect Mirror mode
• Great for mirrored display setups or presentations

ESC Key Behavior

Configure how ESC works with multiple slideshows:

Slideshow Preferences → Multiple Slideshows → ESC Key Behavior:

• Stop Current Slideshow - Only stops the focused window
• Stop All Slideshows - Stops every running slideshow (default)
• Exit Fullscreen First - First ESC exits fullscreen, second ESC stops slideshow

Duplicate Image Avoidance

By default, different slideshows avoid showing the same image at the same time:

• Prevents visual confusion when viewing multiple displays
• Each slideshow automatically skips to the next available image
• Toggle on/off in Slideshow Preferences → Multiple Slideshows → Avoid duplicate images

Slideshow Limit Setting

Control how many slideshows can run simultaneously:

Slideshow Preferences → Multiple Slideshows → Limit slideshows to display count

• Enabled (default): Maximum slideshows equals the number of connected displays
• Disabled: Allows multiple windowed slideshows on the same screen

Display Disconnect Handling

When a display is unplugged while running slideshows:

• Slideshows on the disconnected display automatically close
• Prevents orphaned windows from stacking on remaining screens
• No action needed - Rando handles this automatically

Multi-Display Tips

• Different folders: Start each slideshow from different folders for variety
• Different timing: Set different slide durations on each display
• Different orientations: Use Linked mode to keep sort/scaling independent per screen
• Presentation mode: Use one display for presenting, another for previewing
• Ambient display: Set long durations (30-60s) for background ambiance

Advanced Tips

Tag-Based Slideshows (Pro)

Create themed slideshows:

1. Tag photos by theme (e.g., "Vacations", "Family", "Favorites")
2. Tags menu → "Start Tag Slideshow" → Choose tag
3. Slideshow shows only photos with that tag
4. Mix multiple tags for variety

Context Menu Slideshow

Right-click any image → "Start Slideshow of This Folder"

Scans and starts slideshow of that image's containing folder - great for exploring directory structure.

Quick Delete (Move to Trash)

Cull unwanted photos directly during slideshow without switching to Finder:

Using Keyboard:

• Press Delete or Backspace during slideshow
• A confirmation dialog appears
• Image is moved to Trash (not permanently deleted)
• Slideshow advances to the next image automatically

Using Context Menu:

• Right-click the current image
• Select "Move to Trash"
• Confirm in the dialog

Return to Selection

When you drill down into a specific folder's slideshow (using "Start Slideshow of This Folder"), you can easily return to your original selection:

From the control bar:

• Look for the "Return" button (↩ icon) that appears when viewing a folder subselection
• Click it to instantly return to your original selection

From the context menu:

• Right-click anywhere on the slideshow image
• Select "Return to Selection"

This preserves your pause state and starts fresh from the beginning of your original selection - no need to stop and restart the entire slideshow!

Quick Duration Adjustments

Instead of opening preferences:

• Press + to increase by 1 second
• Press - to decrease by 1 second
• Real-time adjustment during playback

Optimal Preload Settings

Preload Images setting determines cache size:

• 1-2 images: Fast startup, possible lag between images
• 3-5 images (default): Good balance
• 6-10 images: Smoothest transitions, more memory

Recommendation: Start with 3, increase if you see loading delays.

Next Steps

• Try Navigation to master browsing controls
• Learn Tagging for themed slideshows (Pro)
• Explore Keyboard Shortcuts reference
• Read Tips & Best Practices for optimal workflows