There are times people want to use Apple’s Spotlight to search for a file in a DEVONthink database. Without going too deeply in technical matters, Spotlight doesn’t index inside the type of file a DEVONthink database is. Due to this, we use a technique to write out some of the metadata for Spotlight to index. (more)

As mentioned last week, we sometimes receive support requests from people where the best option is to restore data from backups. All too often we find out they have not been diligent in keeping their backups current, and some have never even started them! Is there really no solution for them? For people who have used Time Machine but haven’t connected their backup drives in some time, there may be hope as Time Machine keeps a local hidden backup too. (more)

If there’s one difficult question to ask in Support, it’s: “Do you have current local backups of your DEVONthink databases?” Too often, the answer is, “No” or “I’ve been thinking about starting backups, but I need to restore my data now!” This is a heartbreaking response to hear, and one we want to hear less and less. (more)

When syncing DEVONthink on macOS, you have the option of using a local sync location, called a local sync store. Technically it’s a folder on a volume that keeps databases in syncable form. Since it’s writing directly to a local disk, it’s by far the fastest and most transparent sync option. (more)

With the announcement of Box to discontinue WebDAV, here are some tips on switching DEVONthink to a new cloud service.

If you’re syncing DEVONthink on a Mac, it’s a simple process: … (more)

Split Screen mode in macOS has been around for some time and it’s a great way to view two documents at once, but in a fullscreen mode. This even works with two applications, as long as the windows are in the same Space. (more)

Many of us have files from word processing applications, like Word or Pages, in our databases. These kinds of files are proprietary and not editable in DEVONthink. However, you can preview them. But what if you need to copy some text from one of them? Do you need to fire up your word processor just to make a quick copy of some text? (more)

Day in and day out, we look at the same apps and folders on our machines. Same stuff, different day. To make things a little “more my own”, we like to personalize our computers with things like desktop wallpapers. But another way we can add some flair, and arguably visual distinction, to our user experience is with custom icons. (more)

If you need to merge some documents in DEVONthink, select all the documents you want to concatenate and choose Data > Merge from the main menu. Alternatively there’s also a contextual menu command for it. (more)

Just like a smart folder in the Finder, smart groups in DEVONthink are a handy way to isolate items based on common criteria. But sometimes you may need a similar, but not exact set of criteria to use — a temporary and reusable smart group. For example, if you wanted to search for groups by name, you could create a smart group via Data > New > Smart Group, with criteria of… … (more)