Help, my computer is working hard!

When you first install Curiosity, you might notice your computer is working hard for a while. You might even hear the fan go on.

Don't worry - that's normal and it will get better!

Here we'll explain what's happening, how long it lasts, and how you can manage it.

What's happening?

After setup, the app is doing two things:

1. Downloading data from your cloud accounts to your computer (it's removed afterward indexing)
2. Indexing your data, i.e. preparing your data for search

For initial indexing, the app needs to use CPU. Afterwards, CPU usage should drop to almost nothing (unless you're actively searching).

How long does initial indexing take?

Initial indexing usually takes between a few minutes and several hours.

It depends on:

1. How much data you connect
2. What your data looks like (many small files take longer than a few large ones)
3. How powerful your computer is

As a rough benchmark, indexing 100.000 files on a modern MacBook Pro takes 2-3h.

How can I manage CPU usage during indexing?

The Curiosity app tries to manage CPU usage during indexing, e.g. by pausing when you're in battery mode or when other programs are using CPU.

In addition, it gives you two ways of managing CPU usage during indexing:

1. Pause indexing
2. Schedule indexing

Updated on: 28/07/2023