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Browsing Media

Media Viewer provides an intuitive interface for navigating and viewing your media library.

The gallery displays your media in a responsive grid layout. The number of columns adjusts based on your screen size.

Item Types

Items in the gallery are indicated by visual cues:

Type Indicator
Folder Folder icon or folder thumbnail
Image Image thumbnail
Video Image thumbnail with play icon overlay
Playlist List icon

Item Information

On desktop, each item displays:

  • Thumbnail or icon
  • File name
  • Type badge (folder, image, video, playlist)
  • File size (for files) or item count (for folders)
  • Tags (up to 3 visible, with +N indicator for more)

On mobile, items show a compact view with the name overlaid on the thumbnail.

Opening Items

  • Folders: Click to enter the folder
  • Images: Click to open in lightbox
  • Videos: Click to open in lightbox
  • Playlists: Click to open in playlist player

Folder Navigation

Use these methods to navigate between folders:

  • Click folders in the gallery to enter them
  • Click breadcrumb segments to jump to parent folders
  • Press ++escape++ to go to the parent folder (when no overlay is open)
  • Use browser back/forward buttons

Sorting

Control the display order using the sort controls:

Sort Fields:

  • Name: Alphabetical order
  • Date: By modification date
  • Size: By file size
  • Type: Grouped by file type

Sort Order:

Click the arrow icon to toggle between ascending and descending order.

Filtering

Use the filter dropdown to show specific media types:

  • All: Show all items
  • Images: Show only images
  • Videos: Show only videos
  • Playlists: Show only playlists

The lightbox provides a full-screen viewing experience for images and videos.

Opening the Lightbox

Click any image or video thumbnail to open it in the lightbox.

Control Action
Left/Right arrows Navigate to previous/next item
Close button (X) Close lightbox
Star icon Toggle favorite
Tag icon Open tag manager
Play icon Toggle autoplay (images)
Loop icon Toggle video loop
Download icon Download current file

Auto-Hide Interface

After 3 seconds of viewing, control buttons and interface elements automatically fade away for an unobstructed view. Tap or click anywhere on the image or video to show or hide them. On desktop, moving your mouse shows controls automatically. Navigation arrows remain visible based on your settings.

You can configure the clock to always stay visible (even when other controls fade) in Settings → Display → "Always Keep Clock Visible".

  • Keyboard: Use ++left++ and ++right++ arrow keys
  • Mouse: Click the left/right edges of the screen
  • Touch: Swipe left or right

Closing the Lightbox

  • Press ++escape++
  • Click the X button
  • Click outside the media

Infinite Scroll

The gallery uses infinite scroll to load content as you browse. As you scroll down, additional items load automatically. A loading indicator appears while new items are being fetched.

If infinite scroll is unavailable, pagination controls appear at the bottom of the gallery.

Mobile Considerations

Touch Gestures

  • Tap: Open item
  • Double-tap: Toggle favorite
  • Long-press: Enter selection mode
  • Swipe (in lightbox): Navigate between items

Landscape Mode

When viewing videos in landscape orientation, the interface adapts to maximize the viewing area. Controls appear on tap and auto-hide after a few seconds.

Installing as PWA

For the best mobile experience, install Media Viewer as a Progressive Web App:

  1. Open Media Viewer in Safari (iOS) or Chrome (Android)
  2. Tap the share button (iOS) or menu button (Android)
  3. Select "Add to Home Screen"
  4. Launch from your home screen

The PWA provides:

  • Full-screen experience without browser chrome
  • Faster loading
  • Offline access to cached thumbnails