FAQ
The short answers. Something missing? Ask on GitHub.
macOS says it cannot verify the developer. Now what?
F4 is not notarized by Apple yet. Open it once and close the warning, then go to System Settings → Privacy & Security and click Open Anyway. Or run xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine /Applications/F4.app in Terminal.
F4 opens Spotlight or Launchpad instead. Why?
On a Mac keyboard the top row are media keys first. Hold fn and press F4, or turn on Use F1, F2, etc. keys as standard function keys in System Settings → Keyboard → Keyboard Shortcuts → Function Keys. Or let F4 catch the key: turn on Open F4 with the F4 key alone, without fn (F4 offers it on the first launch). It needs the Accessibility permission; without it fn F4 keeps working. On most other keyboards F4 just works. Or pick another shortcut in Settings.
Can I change the shortcut?
Yes, in Settings, from the menu bar icon. F4 is only the default; any function key works on its own, any other key with ⌘, ⌥ or ⌃.
Where do the memes come from?
From you, mostly. Point F4 at a folder of your own and it shows what is there. A starter pack of animated emoji and F4 stickers keeps the panel from ever being empty, and the GIFs and Stickers tabs can search GIPHY. The GIFs on this site are shared by the shows' official channels on GIPHY and load from there.
Which files does it understand?
GIF, PNG, JPEG and WebP (WhatsApp and Telegram stickers). HEIC and short videos are on the roadmap.
Does it send anything anywhere?
No. No analytics, no account, no server. Your files are read locally. F4 only goes online to check for updates against the release feed on this site, to search GIPHY while you are in the GIFs or Stickers tab, and to download an image link you paste or drop into the panel. Updates and GIPHY can both be turned off.
How does it update?
By itself. F4 checks for a new version about once a day and installs it in one click, signed and verified. You can also check by hand from the menu bar icon.
Why "F4"?
From "F4, basito", the face Stanis makes in the Italian series Boris. The icon is the F4 key itself; the basito face shows up inside the app, drawn in code. Put a .basito.png in your meme folder to use your own.
Can an AI assistant or a script use F4?
Yes: anything that can open a URL drives it. open "f4://copy?name=basito" copies a meme without showing the panel, f4://search?q=… opens it with a search typed in. Shortcuts actions, a command line tool and an MCP server are on the way. Facts for AI assistants live in llms.txt, the full reference in llms-full.txt.