Preferences let you set up Narrative to suit the way you work, from how ratings behave to how the app looks.
How do I open Preferences in Narrative?
To open Preferences, click the profile icon in the top-right corner of Narrative. You can also press ⌘, on Mac or Ctrl+, on Windows.
What can I change in General preferences?
The General tab in Preferences controls how ratings behave. You can choose whether Narrative:
Moves to the next photo after you add, change or clear a rating.
Clears a rating when you press the same rating key again.
Shows a notification when you rate, with keyboard shortcut reminders, and when you're in zoom mode.
The General tab is also where you set your default formula for renaming photos, and turn automatic archiving of old projects on or off.
Why does Narrative jump to the next photo after I rate?
That's Auto Advance. When it's on, Narrative moves to the next photo after you add, change or clear a rating. There's one Auto Advance setting, and you can turn it on or off in three places:
Preferences → General → Ratings: tick or untick Auto-advance to the next image after adding, changing or clearing a rating.
The Photo menu: click Photo → Auto Advance After Rating. A tick shows when it's on.
Caps Lock: pressing Caps Lock while a project is open turns Auto Advance on or off. A message shows Auto Advance on or Auto Advance off.
If Narrative keeps moving to the next photo after you've turned Auto Advance off, check you haven't pressed Caps Lock since, as that turns it back on.
How do I change the language in Narrative?
To change Narrative's language, go to Preferences → General → Language and choose English, Spanish or German.
How do I change keyboard shortcuts in Preferences?
The Keyboard Shortcuts tab in Preferences lets you choose which keys move you between photos and Scenes. If a shortcut doesn't work the way a help article describes, check your mappings here.
To learn more, see Customize your keyboard shortcuts.
What can I change in Assessments preferences?
The Assessments tab in Preferences controls how face and focus assessments look. You can:
Change the colors of the eye and focus indicators.
Choose what shows on the main photo: eyes only, focus only, both (Eye and Focus) or none.
Choose what shows in the Close-ups panel, including Eye and Focus (Detailed) for more detail.
Choose whether assessment icons show when you're zoomed in.
Set how strict AI First Pass is: Ruthless, Balanced or Cautious. This changes how critical First Pass is, not how many photos it keeps.
To learn more, see Face and Focus Assessments and AI First Pass Image Assessments.
What can I change in Import preferences?
The Import tab in Preferences controls what happens when you bring photos into Narrative. You can:
Use the folder's name as the project name, or turn this off to name each project yourself when you import.
Choose your default settings after import, like sort order.
Turn memory card detection on or off, so Narrative opens ingest when you insert a card.
Generate high-resolution previews on import for RAW files (the unprocessed files from your camera) that only have a small built-in preview.
If your RAW files look blurry or pixelated in Narrative, see DNG or ARW files look blurry or pixelated.
What can I change in Interface preferences?
The Interface tab in Preferences controls how Narrative's workspace looks. These settings apply across all your projects. You can:
Under Filmstrip, choose the Orientation (Vertical or Bottom) and the Visibility (Always visible or Hidden).
Show or hide file names under thumbnails.
Show full assessments, minimal assessments or none on thumbnails.
Choose small, medium or large thumbnails.
You can also change the thumbnail settings by right-clicking a photo in Loupe View and choosing a setting.
If the filmstrip has disappeared, you can also press ⌘Y on Mac or Alt+Y on Windows in Loupe View to bring it back. To learn more, see Change your Gallery View in Narrative.
How do I turn on Dark mode in Narrative?
To turn on Dark mode, go to Preferences → Interface → Appearance and choose Dark. You can also choose Light, or System to match your computer's setting. The appearance you choose applies to the whole app.
You can also right-click the canvas, choose Appearance and pick a setting.
Do my Narrative preferences sync between computers?
Most Narrative preferences don't sync between computers. Only your onboarding progress and onboarding preferences sync. Everything else is saved on the computer where you set it, so if you use Narrative on more than one computer, set your preferences on each one.
Note: Preferences aren't a backup of your projects.
For the optional settings that control how your photos are used, see How does Narrative use your photos?.