Offline · No cloud

View photos from your external hard drive on your phone — offline

If your photo library lives on external drives, you don't have to upload it to the cloud to see it on your phone. CachePix catalogs your drives on your computer and lets your iPhone or Android browse the whole library offline, over your own Wi-Fi.

The short answer

Install the CachePix desktop app on your Mac or Windows computer and point it at the drive that holds your photos. It builds a fast, searchable catalog. Then you pair your phone by scanning a code, and the catalog syncs to your phone over your local Wi-Fi. From then on you can browse and search every photo on your phone — even with the drive unplugged and the computer at home — and nothing is ever uploaded to a cloud.

Why not just use the cloud?

Uploading a large archive to iCloud or Google Photos is slow, can cost a monthly storage fee that grows forever, and hands your private photos to a third party. Many libraries are simply too big to sync. CachePix keeps everything on your own devices: the originals stay on your drive, and only a lightweight catalog and previews travel to your phone across your home network.

How it works — three steps

1. Catalog. The Mac or Windows app scans the photos on your drives and builds the catalog. 2. Pair. Open CachePix on your phone and scan the code the desktop shows. 3. Browse. Your phone downloads thumbnails for your whole library and previews for recent photos; older ones load on demand while you're on your Wi-Fi. Search by filename, person, or keyword, browse by folder, and save favorites.

For photographers with a big archive

If you keep a large Lightroom-style catalog or a RAW archive on external drives, CachePix lets you carry the whole thing in your pocket without carrying the drives. Show a client your back catalog on the go, check whether you already shot something, or just browse years of work — all offline, all private.

Common questions

Can I view photos from an external hard drive on my iPhone or Android?

Yes. CachePix catalogs the photos on your external drive from your Mac or Windows computer, and your phone browses that catalog offline — no cloud upload and no importing the files onto the phone.

Do my photos get uploaded anywhere?

No. The catalog syncs from your computer to your phone over your local Wi-Fi. Your original files never leave your drive, and there is no cloud service involved.

Do I have to keep the drive plugged in or the computer on?

Not for browsing. Once the catalog syncs, thumbnails for your whole library and previews for recent photos live on your phone. Older full-size photos load on demand when your phone and computer are on the same Wi-Fi.

Start your 14-day free trial

CachePix is a paid app with a 14-day free trial. One subscription unlocks your phone and the Mac & Windows desktop apps. Learn more about CachePix.