FAQ
Questions.
About Filamama, the home media server for your photos and videos.
Is Filamama a media server like Plex or Jellyfin?
Yes, it's a home media server, but for the photos and videos your family takes. It doesn't organise movies, TV shows or music. See how it compares.
How is Filamama different from Immich or PhotoPrism?
All three are photo servers you run at home. Filamama installs natively without Docker, resumes interrupted uploads at the exact byte, checks for duplicates before sending and makes no outbound calls. Immich and PhotoPrism recognise faces and share albums today; Filamama has those only as planned features. See the full comparison.
Is Filamama really free?
Yes. Free to download and use, with no subscription, no paid tier and no account to create with us. The licence will be published with the download.
When can I download it?
The public download is coming soon. Until then, the install guides show what it takes on each platform.
Does it work away from home?
No, by design. Filamama answers on your home network only: phones back up and people browse when they're at home. Nothing goes out to the internet.
What do I need to run it?
A Mac mini, a Linux machine or a Spark that stays on at home, and an Android phone for backups. Any browser at home opens the library.
Which videos play?
Videos play in the browser. When a browser can't play a video, the server makes a playable copy, using the Mac's hardware encoder when it has one.
Is there an iPhone app?
Not yet. Sync is Android only for now, with Piktures; an iPhone app is planned. The web library works in any phone browser.
Do iPhone HEIC photos show?
On a Mac, yes, with previews. On Linux, HEIC files are backed up and downloadable, but previews aren't there yet.
Where are my photos stored?
On the disk of the computer that runs Filamama, in plain folders by person, year and month, with one database beside them. You can read them without Filamama.
Does Filamama send anything to the internet?
No. The server makes no outbound calls: no telemetry, no update checks, no CDNs. It talks to your devices on your network and nothing else.
Can the whole family use it?
Yes. Each person gets their own account and library. An administrator creates accounts and can set a storage limit for each.
Can an AI agent use Filamama?
Yes. The dmsp command line pairs a device, runs a backup, reports deletions and checks status, with JSON answers.
What is DMSP?
The protocol between phones and the server: resumable uploads, duplicate checks before anything is sent, pairing with a QR code, and TLS with the server's key pinned on the phone.
Does it run in Docker?
No. Filamama installs natively on macOS and Linux: one program and one database file. Synology and Umbrel are not supported yet.