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Support

Support

We're here to help with PhotoCaptioner AI.

Contact us

Have a question, found a bug, or need help getting set up? Email us and we'll get back to you, typically within 2 business days.

Email Support

Or write to us directly at support@gottschalkgroupllc.com.

To help us resolve your issue quickly, please include:

  • Your macOS version (e.g. macOS 15 Sequoia)
  • The PhotoCaptioner AI version (shown at the bottom of Settings)
  • A description of what you were doing and what happened
  • The exact text of any error message, if you saw one

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a Google account or API key?

No. Your 25 free photos and any photo packs you buy are captioned on our account, with no Google account or setup needed. If you prefer to use your own Google Gemini API key, for example to choose a different Gemini model, you can create one at Google AI Studio and enter it in Settings → API Keys. Captioning more than the 25 free photos on your own key requires the Own Key Unlock. A Google Places API key is optional: nearby place names come from Apple Maps unless you add one.

Why am I seeing a quota or "429" error?

That only happens with your own Google API key: it has hit its usage limit for the current period. Google's free tier has a small daily and per-minute request allowance. You have two options:

  • Wait for the quota to reset — free-tier limits reset automatically (per-minute limits reset within a minute; daily limits reset each day).
  • Set up billing for your Gemini key (prepaid credits in Google AI Studio) for higher limits, then turn on Settings → Model → "Billing set up for my Gemini key" in the app.

Creating additional Google accounts is not a supported workaround and may cause Google to suspend your account — please use one of the two options above.

What's free, and what does it cost after that?

Your first 25 photos are free, with no account required. After that you can buy a photo pack: 50 photos for $4.99, 125 for $9.99, or 300 for $19.99. Photos never expire, and there is no subscription. If you would rather use your own Google key, the one-time Own Key Unlock ($24.99) lets you caption without limits on it. Google then bills you directly for its use (about 1¢ per photo, with a $10 prepaid minimum).

Do my photos work on all my Macs?

Yes. Photos you buy belong to your Apple Account, not to one Mac. Every Mac signed in with the same Apple Account shares the same balance, and reinstalling the app doesn't lose them. The sidebar shows how many photos you have left.

What counts as a photo?

Each photo captioned on our account uses one photo, including when you re-process its caption. Photos the app has already captioned (from its cache), refreshing nearby places, and photos Google couldn't caption don't count.

How do I buy more photos or restore a purchase?

Click Buy More in the sidebar. The photo packs also appear when you run out. Photo packs never need restoring: they are kept on your Apple Account automatically. To restore the Own Key Unlock (for example on another Mac signed in to the same Apple Account), open Settings → General → Restore Purchase.

I bought PhotoCaptioner Pro before. What changes?

Nothing you paid for goes away. It is now called the Own Key Unlock and still captions without limits on your own Google key. As a thank-you, version 1.1 adds 100 photos captioned on our account, so you can also caption without your own key. Choose which one to use with Caption With in the sidebar.

Where are my captions saved?

Captions are written directly into each image's EXIF and IPTC metadata and saved alongside your original files — there's no proprietary database and no lock-in. Your original files are preserved.

Are my photos and API key private?

Yes. Photos captioned on our account, free or bought, pass through our server on their way to Google, which writes the caption. The server keeps only how many photos you have used and a record of the packs you bought, never your photos, locations or captions. With your own key, photos go directly from your Mac to Google and never pass through our server. Your API key is stored only in the macOS Keychain. See our Privacy Policy for full details.

Which formats and macOS versions are supported?

PhotoCaptioner AI runs on macOS 15.4 or later and supports JPEG, HEIC, PNG, TIFF, and DNG/RAW images.

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