Requirements and supported files
The desktop app runs on macOS, Windows, and Linux. The npm package requires Node.js 22 or newer.
Foldnize scans .jpeg, .jpg, .png, .mov, .mp4, and .mp3 files. Install ExifTool to read embedded metadata and FFprobe as an additional fallback for MOV and MP4 videos.
Safe desktop workflow
- Choose the folder that contains your media.
- Select Prefix, Replace, or Custom naming.
- Enable Year/Month folders if you want a
YYYY/MM/structure. - Keep Dry run enabled and review every proposed change.
- Disable Dry run only when the preview matches what you want.
Renaming modes
| Mode | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Prefix | IMG_1234.jpg | 20230715-IMG_1234.jpg |
| Replace | IMG_1234.jpg | 20230715-142310.jpg |
| Custom | IMG_1234.jpg | vacation-20230715-142310.jpg |
How Foldnize chooses a date
For images, Foldnize looks for original-date fields such as DateTimeOriginal and CreateDate. For MOV and MP4 files, it also reads QuickTime creation metadata and can use FFprobe as a fallback. Files without a parseable embedded date are skipped.
Collision and safety behavior
- Dry run performs no file writes.
- Name collisions receive
-1,-2, and subsequent suffixes. - Already formatted files are not renamed again.
- Empty source folders are not deleted after moves.
- Files remain on your machine and are never uploaded.