Can I use Hive offline, and how private is it?

What works offline

Anything that happens inside the library works without a connection: opening folders, searching, filtering, adding tags and notes, marking up an image, running a slideshow. That's useful on a flight, on location, or in a studio with poor reception.

If your library is in iCloud Drive, turn on Keep Downloaded for the library folder before you go somewhere without signal. Otherwise iCloud may have removed some original files from the device to save space.

What needs a connection

Two things. Sync has to reach iCloud to move changes between devices. Importing a link has to reach the page, because Hive fetches the image or video from it.

How private it is

Your library is a folder in a place you chose, and Hive has no servers holding a copy. There are no public boards, no profiles, no followers, and nothing recommends your references to anyone. In the privacy settings you can also decide whether diagnostic data is shared.

Locked folders

If some references need more protection, such as work for a client under a confidentiality agreement, you can lock a folder with a password. Locked content disappears from the All view until you unlock the folder.

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