# How to sort and filter your photo library

> Use the toolbar for sort order, media type, date range and orientation, and the Filters panel (Alt+2) for stars, labels, camera, size, location and more.

Source: https://firelet.media/help/sort-and-filter-photos
Published: 2026-09-30 · Updated: 2026-09-30
Applies to: Windows, macOS, Linux

firelet.media Gallery gives you two places to narrow the grid. The toolbar above it sorts the library and limits it by media type, date range and orientation. The **Filters** panel ([[Alt]]+[[2]]) lets you filter photos by date, rating, camera, colour label, file type, size, location and more. Filters combine, the grid updates as you click, and **Reset filters** brings everything back.

## The toolbar: Sort, All media, Any time, orientation

The toolbar is always in view above the grid, so it's the quickest way to reshape what you see.

![The grid toolbar with Scan, Map, the search box, All media, Any time, Landscape, Portrait, Square, the sort order, Names, Pairs, Whole and the tile size slider](https://firelet.media/help/media/shot-toolbar.webp "Everything on this bar applies to the grid straight away")

| Control | Choices |
|---|---|
| Media kind | **All media**, **Photos only**, **Videos only** |
| Date range | **Any time**, **Today**, **Last 7 days**, **Last 30 days**, **Last 90 days**, **Last year**, **Older than a year**, **Custom range…** |
| Orientation | **Landscape**, **Portrait**, **Square** (tick more than one to see either) |
| Sort order | Name (A-Z), Name (Z-A), Newest first, Oldest first, Largest first, Smallest first, Longest first, Shortest first, Random, Highest rated, Most aesthetic, Sharpest first |

**Custom range…** shows **From** and **To** date boxes. **Most aesthetic** needs the library [indexed for AI search](https://firelet.media/help/index-library-for-ai-search), and **Sharpest first** needs **Analyse quality** from the AI panel. The search box sits on the same bar: every word you type must match somewhere, such as a name, folder, keyword, album, person, place or title.

**Names** shows file names on the tiles, **Whole** shows each picture uncropped, and the slider (or [[Ctrl]]+mouse wheel) sets the tile size. They change the look, not what's included.

## Steps: filter photos by date, rating, camera and more (Alt+2)

1. Press [[Alt]]+[[2]] to open **Filters**.
2. Open a section, for example **Rating & labels**.
3. Choose a value, such as **4+ stars** or the **Green** label.
4. Open another section to narrow further; every filter you set must match.
5. Clear one filter by setting it back to its "any" choice, or press **Reset** to clear them all.

![The Filters panel with its sections for ratings, quality, file types, location, size, duration and camera](https://firelet.media/help/media/shot-filters-panel.webp "Each section narrows the grid further")

What each section filters on:

- **Rating & labels**: stars (**Unrated**, **1+ stars** … **5 stars**), flags (**Picked**, **Rejected**, **Unflagged**, **Not rejected**) and the five colour labels or **No label**.
- **Quality & faces**: sharpness, exposure, number of faces, **Text in the picture**, and **Aesthetic score at least (1–10)**. These need **Analyse quality** or **Read text** (AI panel), **Find faces** (People) or the AI index first.
- **File types**: one tick box per extension, with counts.
- **Location**: **Has location** or **No location**, and **Place contains** for city or country names once places have been looked up.
- **File size**: from Tiny (under 100 KB) to Huge (over 20 MB), or a custom range.
- **Duration (video)**: minimum and maximum seconds.
- **Camera**: camera, lens, ISO, aperture and focal length. Click **Read camera data** here first; it reads camera, lens and exposure from each photograph.

> [!TIP]
> **No location** is the fastest way to find photos that won't appear on the map. For place names under **Place contains**, you need a place-name service first; [how to see your photos on a map](https://firelet.media/help/see-photos-on-a-map) explains both.

## Show what does not match

Tick **Show what does not match** at the top of the Filters panel to flip the result: "Everything the filters below would hide, and nothing they would show." Set **Rating & labels** to **Picked** and tick it, for example, and you see every picture you haven't picked yet.

## Save filters as a preset

If you use the same combination often, such as "5 stars, landscape, last year", save it.

1. Set up the filters and toolbar choices you want.
2. Press [[Alt]]+[[7]] to open **Presets**.
3. Type a name under **Save current filters** and click **Save**.

To use it again, pick it under **Load preset** and click **Load**; **Delete** removes it. Separately, the gallery remembers your filters, sort order and open panel between sessions, so it opens the way you left it.

## Advanced query for power users

For combinations the panels can't express, open **Advanced query** ([[Alt]]+[[9]]) and type one clause per line. Every line must match, or tick **Match any line (OR) instead of all (AND)**.

![Advanced query with the clause season=summer and the grid filtered to summer photos](https://firelet.media/help/media/shot-advanced-query-panel.webp "One clause per line; the field list is shown under the box")

| Query | Finds |
|---|---|
| `stars>=4` | Four stars and up |
| `year=2019` | Pictures taken in 2019 |
| `season=winter` | Winter pictures |
| `city~paris` | A city name containing "paris" |
| `has!=gps` | Pictures without a location |
| `kind=screenshot` | Screenshots |

`=` and `!=` work on any field, `~` means "contains" on text fields, and `>`, `<`, `>=` and `<=` work on numbers. `has=` finds pictures that have something and `has!=` those that don't. Camera fields such as `camera`, `lens` and `iso` match nothing until **Read camera data** has run.

> [!NOTE]
> The search box and Advanced query are exact matching. To find a photo by describing what's in it, use the AI panel instead: see [how to find a photo by describing it](https://firelet.media/help/find-photos-by-description).

## Reset filters

**Reset filters** at the foot of the icon rail clears the filters in one click, wherever you are. The **Reset** button at the top of the Filters panel does the same from there. If an AI search or similar-photo result is active, a chip such as "duplicates ≥ 0.97" appears on the toolbar; its ✕ clears the AI result.

To browse by year, month and day instead, open **Calendar** ([[Alt]]+[[6]]). New to the gallery? The [10-minute tour](https://firelet.media/help/getting-started-tour) shows where everything is.

## Questions

### How do I show only photos from last month?

Pick Last 30 days in the date box on the toolbar, or Custom range… to choose two dates.

### Can I save a filter combination?

Yes. Open Presets (Alt+7), type a name under Save current filters and click Save. Load it again from Load preset.

### How do I get everything back?

Click the Reset filters button at the foot of the icon rail, or Reset at the top of the Filters panel.