User profile for user: morc_37
morc_37 Author
User level: Level 1
18 points

Preview in Tahoe much harder to use to review pictures

Preview has always been an easy way to review photographs. One could open an entire folder of pictures and then open the Information/Inspector widow. This showed the Exif and other data for the picture in a separate window. Then it was easy to use page up/down to quickly review all the pictures and their Exif settings.


The new Preview App in Tahoe has changed this behavior. Now showing information opens a tab on the right side of the window. Exif and other data is available but only when the Exif toggel is clicked. And the Exif data is re-hidden everytime(!) a new picture is shown.


Is there anyway to change the defaults so that the information tab doesn't reset for each picture? This change has made Tahoe Preview much less useful.

Mac Studio, macOS 26.1

Posted on Nov 8, 2025 8:58 AM

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User profile for user: VikingOSX
VikingOSX
User level: Level 10
123,254 points

Posted on Nov 9, 2025 4:16 AM

I suggest that you download the free trial of GraphicConverter. When it launches, it will offer a dialog that includes Browse… That allows you to open a dialog where you select the desired folder of images and then click Select.


This presents a full-screen interface with other folder locations in the left, the contact sheet of images in the middle, and a right panel that displays the selected photo. Beneath that photo is tabs for Image, Exif, ExifTool, and map. Click the Exif tab and you see scrollable Exif data. If you happen to have the free ExifTool installed, you can click that tab and see a great deal more image metadata. If there is any GPS data in the image, the map tab shows you where.


GraphicConverter has been continously developed by the same individual since the 1990's. It is inexpensive, amazingly useful. Although I own my copy, I have no financial interest in the business, or compensation for recommending it here. I also have ExifTool installed with no affiliation with its developer. Very powerful tools for those working with images.


When you install ExifTool (/usr/local/bin/exiftool), it will likely throw a dialog when you first run use it that it is essentially unsigned and macOS asks if you want to delete it. Click cancel on that dialog and then visit System Settings > Privacy & Security panel. Scroll down on than panel where it mentioned ExifTool and click Install anyway. That will open a new dialog to install it, you enter your administrator password, and it is installed.


Here is the right panel of GraphicConverter with Exif data shown. The puppy is Addy, a purebred Vizsla.


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User profile for user: VikingOSX
VikingOSX
User level: Level 10
123,254 points

Nov 9, 2025 4:16 AM in response to morc_37

I suggest that you download the free trial of GraphicConverter. When it launches, it will offer a dialog that includes Browse… That allows you to open a dialog where you select the desired folder of images and then click Select.


This presents a full-screen interface with other folder locations in the left, the contact sheet of images in the middle, and a right panel that displays the selected photo. Beneath that photo is tabs for Image, Exif, ExifTool, and map. Click the Exif tab and you see scrollable Exif data. If you happen to have the free ExifTool installed, you can click that tab and see a great deal more image metadata. If there is any GPS data in the image, the map tab shows you where.


GraphicConverter has been continously developed by the same individual since the 1990's. It is inexpensive, amazingly useful. Although I own my copy, I have no financial interest in the business, or compensation for recommending it here. I also have ExifTool installed with no affiliation with its developer. Very powerful tools for those working with images.


When you install ExifTool (/usr/local/bin/exiftool), it will likely throw a dialog when you first run use it that it is essentially unsigned and macOS asks if you want to delete it. Click cancel on that dialog and then visit System Settings > Privacy & Security panel. Scroll down on than panel where it mentioned ExifTool and click Install anyway. That will open a new dialog to install it, you enter your administrator password, and it is installed.


Here is the right panel of GraphicConverter with Exif data shown. The puppy is Addy, a purebred Vizsla.


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User profile for user: VikingOSX
VikingOSX
User level: Level 10
123,254 points

Nov 8, 2025 1:40 PM in response to morc_37

Apple is always changing something… and yes, you are correct that the Tahoe Preview Inspector now opens a right-side panel with the image metadata organized by ( > ) category. There is no setting to revert this misadventure to pre-Tahoe functionality.


This is why I wrote separate Swift and Python applications to display all EXIF data in a scrollable window. Not dependent upon Apple changing user functionality without understanding user-friendly interface design.


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Preview in Tahoe much harder to use to review pictures

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