PixelUnion Team on PixelUnion - Free your photos from American tech platforms

Immich v3.2.0

Thu, 10 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The open-source team behind Immich has shipped v3.2.0. This release puts most of its attention on the web interface, with a redesigned search window, a new place to revisit your memories, and better tools for tags and shared photos. Here is what stands out for you as a PixelUnion user.

What is new in the interface

A redesigned search window

Search is one of the most used parts of Immich, and it now has a cleaner design. The Immich team worked with a new designer to rebuild the search window, which had grown complex over time. It keeps every filter you already know: camera make and model, lens, location, date range, favorites, archive status, and Album membership. The layout is simpler and easier to scan. You can still combine a context term like “swimming” with a person and a place to narrow results quickly.

Meta's Addiction Machine Is on Trial

Tue, 18 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The masks are finally slipping. Right now, in a federal courtroom in Oakland, California, a landmark battle is unfolding that confirms what many of us have long suspected: Big Tech isn’t just building apps; they are engineering addiction. Meta, the giant behind Facebook and Instagram, is facing a massive lawsuit from dozens of U.S. states accusing them of deliberately hooking children and teenagers to their platforms, prioritizing 2025 revenues over the mental health of a generation.

Immich v3.0 Is Here

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Immich v3.0 is here

The first major version bump since v2: a proper photo editor on mobile, automated workflows, far more reliable Android backups, and a new video player. Here’s what changed for you.

Immich has released v3.0.0, the first major version since v2 landed. It’s a big one: months of work from the core team and their contributors, and the first release they shipped through public release candidates before making it official.

America's Digital Kill Switch

Sat, 27 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Every day we upload photos, sign into software, and trust that things will just work. Most of the time they do. But on June 12, 2026, something happened that should make everyone stop and think.

The U.S. Department of Commerce issued an export ban on Anthropic’s most advanced AI models. Not for a specific country. Not for a specific group. For everyone, globally, overnight. Because verifying the nationality of millions of users in real time is technically impossible, the simplest solution was to just turn it off for the entire world.

Why Cloud Costs Are Exploding

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The rapid rise of AI isn’t just changing how we work. It’s quietly driving up the cost of the infrastructure that powers everything we do online. In 2026, cloud and hardware costs have risen sharply across the board, and the main culprit is a global shortage of the components that make modern computing possible.

The AI industry’s appetite for memory

The root of the problem lies in how the semiconductor market has shifted. The three major memory manufacturers, Samsung, SK Hynix and Micron, have redirected a significant share of their production capacity toward High Bandwidth Memory (HBM). This is the specific type of memory that powers AI servers like those used by Nvidia. The side effect is that far less capacity is available for the standard components used in regular servers and PCs.

What Anthropic’s Forced Shutdown Means for European Sovereignty

Sat, 13 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The hook: the day the AI stopped

Imagine a lead developer in Berlin or a security researcher in Paris ending their Thursday with the most sophisticated coding partner ever built, only to wake up on Friday, June 12, 2026, to a 403 Forbidden error. This was no routine maintenance window or technical glitch; it was a geopolitical foreclosure. Overnight, Anthropic’s “Mythos-class” models, the revolutionary Claude Fable 5 and its internal progenitor, Mythos 5, were silenced across Europe by a direct order from the U.S. government. At PixelUnion, we have long been a voorvechter (advocate) for European technical autonomy, and we view this blackout as the ultimate “canary in the coal mine.” It is a brutal reminder that when you plug into someone else’s power grid, the owner can cut the current without warning.

Clicking Off the World Cup: Are Your Memories Safe?

Thu, 11 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The FIFA World Cup 2026 has officially kicked off. 48 teams, and billions of passionate fans, many of them traveling across continents to watch history being made. Along the way, they’ll take millions of photos: stadium crowds, city streets, reunion moments with strangers who became friends over a shared love of the game.

It should be a beautiful time. And for most people, it will be.

But this edition of the World Cup has already shown us something uncomfortable: traveling to attend the world’s biggest sporting event is not straightforward for everyone.

DigiD and the fight for our digital sovereignty

Fri, 29 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

At PixelUnion, we have a clear mission: to free your precious photos from the big American tech platforms and store them safely on European soil. Recently, our vision of digital independence received a powerful endorsement from the Dutch government. The cabinet decided to block the takeover of Solvinity the company that manages the infrastructure behind DigiD by the American IT company Kyndryl.

What is DigiD, exactly?

For our international friends and followers, it is worth explaining what DigiD actually is. DigiD (short for Digitale Identiteit, or Digital Identity) is the central digital identification system for virtually all residents of the Netherlands. It is commonly referred to as the “digital key to the government.”

On This Day: How Immich Brings Your Memories Back to the Surface

Sun, 17 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Most photos meet a sad fate: they are taken, backed up, and then forgotten. We scroll past them once, move on to the next day, and that photograph might as well not exist. Years later, you discover a cache of old images and suddenly remember a trip, a person, a moment you thought was lost.

Immich’s Memories feature changes this dynamic. Every day, it surfaces photos from your library taken on this same date in previous years. It is a small but surprisingly powerful tool for rediscovering your own life.

Your Whole Life in One Map: Browsing Photos by Location in Immich

Sun, 10 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

You’re scrolling through thousands of photos from the past five years. You remember roughly where a photo was taken, maybe a beach from that holiday two summers ago, but you have no idea when. Or perhaps you want to relive a trip by looking at photos in geographical order rather than chronological. Without a map, finding that specific moment means scrolling endlessly. With Immich’s map view, all of this changes.

Albums Without Limits: How Immich Lets You Organise and Share Your Photos Your Way

Sun, 03 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

A photo library without organisation is just a pile. If you’ve ever stored thousands of photos in a flat timeline, you know the feeling: moments are there somewhere, but finding them takes time you don’t have. Albums are the most natural way to bring order to chaos, and Immich makes them work the way you’d expect, then adds something more: the ability to share them privately, on your own terms.

PixelUnion turns one: we're celebrating!

Wed, 29 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

One year ago, our first server in Europe went live! No big team, no big office - just two friends from Alkmaar with a clear conviction: your memories belong to you, not to an American tech company.

This day is dedicated to PixelUnion’s first birthday. And when it’s your birthday, you celebrate!

A year to be proud of

A lot has happened over the past year. We have welcomed thousands of users who made the conscious decision to leave Google Photos, iCloud and Dropbox. People who understand that digital independence matters and are genuinely willing to act on it.

Find Any Photo With Words: How Immich's AI-Powered Smart Search Works

Sun, 26 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

You have five thousand photos on your server. One evening, you want to find a photo from last summer: a sunset over the water with someone holding a red umbrella. You scroll through your library. An hour passes. You’ve got nothing.

This is the problem that traditional photo search - and most photo management systems - have never really solved. They want you to tag everything. Keyword search requires you to remember what you typed when you uploaded the photo. Location and date filters help, but they’re not enough when you’re searching for a feeling, a scene, or a specific colour.

Faces You Know, Photos You Can Find: How Immich's Facial Recognition Works

Sun, 19 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

We all have the same problem: you want to find all the photos of your daughter’s first birthday party, or every picture your partner appears in, or how your mum looked ten years ago. Scrolling through hundreds or thousands of photos one by one is exhausting. Immich solves this with facial recognition, a powerful feature that groups people together and lets you search by who is in the photo. The catch? It does all of this entirely on your own server, keeping your biometric data exactly where it belongs.

Immich v2.7.5: Stability Improvements and Deduplication Enhancements

Sat, 18 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

We are rolling out Immich v2.7.5 to all PixelUnion users today. This release focuses on stability, enhanced deduplication features, and improvements to the underlying infrastructure. Below is a detailed look at what’s new.

Smarter Deduplication

The duplicate detection and resolution system continues to get smarter. In previous releases, the deduplication feature required manual decisions about which photo to keep. Now, the system automatically analyzes image size and EXIF metadata to suggest which asset should be retained—saving you time and reducing the need for manual intervention.

Adieu Windows: Why the French Government Is Choosing Linux

Tue, 14 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

A fresh digital wind is blowing through Europe, and this time it’s coming from Paris. France recently announced a historic decision: the government is officially switching from Microsoft Windows to Linux. With this move, the French state wants to reclaim control over its digital future and end years of dependency on American technology.

At PixelUnion, we applaud this development. Why? Because the values France is now embracing at the national level (digital sovereignty, privacy, and open source) are precisely the values on which our platform is built.

Background Backup: The Feature That Makes Your Photo Safety Actually Work

Sun, 12 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Everyone understands that backups are important. Most people also know, from experience, that they rarely remember to do them. This is the core problem with any backup strategy that depends on your memory or initiative: the gap between when you mean to back up and when you actually do is exactly where disasters live.

Background backup is the answer. It is the mode that makes backup happen without any deliberate action — while your phone sits on your nightstand, while you watch television, while you do anything else. The photos are already safe before you have a chance to forget.

Big Tech's Compliance Record: How Often Google, Apple, and Microsoft Hand Over Your Data to Governments

Mon, 06 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Every year, Big Tech receives hundreds of thousands of requests from governments around the world asking for data about their users. Most of the time, they comply. This isn’t conspiracy - it’s documented fact, published in official transparency reports by Google, Apple, and Microsoft themselves. If you use their services and assume your data is protected by privacy policies alone, this reality may surprise you.

The Numbers: A Data-Driven Reality

According to Google’s Transparency Report, the search giant received over 50,000 government data requests in 2023. Apple reported approximately 232,000 device requests in its 2022 - 2023 reporting period. Microsoft received over 24,000 law enforcement requests in 2023 according to their official law enforcement requests report.

Your Photos Are One Dropped Phone Away From Gone: Why Automatic Backup Matters

Sun, 05 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Phones get dropped, stolen, and soaked. Storage fills up. Accidents happen at the worst moments. And yet most people’s photo libraries live exclusively on a single device with no copy anywhere else. Until something goes wrong, this feels fine. After something goes wrong, it feels like a disaster.

Automatic mobile backup is the solution to this — and in Immich, it is built in, thoughtful, and runs quietly in the background while you get on with your life.

What if America Leaves NATO?

Thu, 02 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The headlines are impossible to miss: Donald Trump openly says NATO is a “paper tiger.” Sure, he may not be able to legally dismantle the alliance, a 2023 US law took care of that, but there are plenty of ways to hollow it out from within. Pull back troops. Stop sharing intelligence. It happens quietly.

At the same time, we’re asking ourselves a far more fundamental question: can we actually manage without America? Or better yet, shouldn’t we finally stand on our own two feet?

Faces You Know, Privacy You Keep: Facial Recognition Done Right

Tue, 31 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Type a name into Google Photos and the app finds every photo of that person across thousands of images in seconds. It is impressive - and most people never stop to think about how that works. The answer is that your face is analyzed, mapped, and compared against a model Google has refined for years using the photos of billions of users. It works so well because you, and everyone you know, have quietly helped train it.

How to Use Tags in Immich to Finally Bring Order to Your Photo Library

Mon, 30 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Most of us have been there: a photo library that started out tidy and somewhere along the way became a sprawling archive of folders, unnamed files, and the vague memory that the photo you are looking for is definitely in there, somewhere. Albums help. Dates help. But neither is quite flexible enough to capture the way you actually think about your memories.

Tags are the missing piece. And in Immich - the open-source platform powering PixelUnion - they are a genuinely powerful tool for bringing your library under control.

The US CLOUD Act Explained: What It Means for Your Photos and Privacy

Mon, 30 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Your photos are in “the cloud.” But whose cloud? And whose laws apply?

If you’re storing pictures on Google Photos, iCloud, OneDrive, or Dropbox, you probably assume your data is protected by the privacy laws where those servers live. If your photos are stored in Europe, you might think European privacy rules - like GDPR - keep you safe. But there’s a US law you’ve probably never heard of that can override all of that. It’s called the CLOUD Act, and it matters more than you think.

Immich as a Service: Everything You Love About Immich, Without Running It Yourself

Sat, 28 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

If you have been following the self-hosting community for the past few years, you have probably heard of Immich. It is the open-source photo and video manager that has become the go-to alternative to Google Photos - fast, feature-rich, and free of the surveillance economy that powers most consumer photo apps.

But here is the honest truth: running Immich yourself is not trivial. And for most people - even technical ones - the gap between “I want to try Immich” and “I have a production-ready, backed-up, always-updated Immich instance” is wider than expected.

Google Is Closing Android: And Taking Your Freedom With It

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Android was supposed to be different. Unlike Apple’s tightly controlled iPhone ecosystem, Android promised openness: a platform where anyone could write software, distribute it freely, and run it on any compatible device, no gatekeeper required. Billions of people chose Android partly on that premise. That premise is now being quietly retired.

Starting September 2026, Google will require every Android developer to register centrally with Google before their apps can run on certified Android devices, regardless of whether those apps ever touch the Play Store. The Keep Android Open coalition, backed by more than 37 organisations including the Electronic Frontier Foundation, F-Droid, and the Free Software Foundation, is calling this what it is: the end of Android as an open platform.

Immich v2.6.0: What's New and Rolling Out to PixelUnion Users Now

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

We are rolling out Immich v2.6.0 to all PixelUnion users today. This release is packed with meaningful improvements across the web interface, mobile apps, and the underlying platform. Below is a detailed look at everything that is new.

Map View Gets a Side Panel

The web map interface received a notable upgrade. When you click on a cluster of photos on the map, a side panel now opens showing a mini-timeline of the assets in that cluster. From there you can browse directly, mark photos as favourites, or add them to an album without leaving the map view.

How to Export Your Google Photos or iCloud Library: A Step-by-Step Guide

Mon, 23 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

You’ve decided to take back control of your photos. Maybe you’ve read about data sovereignty, or you’re concerned about the US CLOUD Act and how governments can access your data. Or maybe you simply want your memories stored somewhere designed for privacy, not surveillance. Whatever brought you here - you’re taking the right step.

The good news: migrating your photos is easier than you might think. Whether you’re on Google Photos or iCloud, we have a dedicated migration guide that walks you through every step - from your first export to your last photo landing safely in PixelUnion.

Every PixelUnion Plan Comes With a Family Plan - No Extra Cost

Sun, 22 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The family plan has become one of Big Tech’s favourite upsells. Sign up, hit your storage limit, and then discover that sharing your subscription with a partner or child costs extra - often on top of an already tiered pricing structure. Streaming services did it first, and cloud storage followed. The implicit message is clear: sharing with the people you love is a premium feature.

At PixelUnion, we disagree.

The Hidden Cost of “Family Features”

When you think about where your family’s photos actually live, the picture gets a bit uncomfortable. Most households use a single provider: Google Photos, iCloud, or Amazon Photos. One parent has the account; the other either shares a login (against the terms of service) or pays for a separate one. Kids get their own account at some point, on a different plan, with separate storage, billed separately.

Goodbye Passwords: PixelUnion Now Supports Passkeys

Wed, 18 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Passwords are a 1960s invention. They were designed for a world where computers were room-sized machines accessed by a handful of scientists. Today, the average person has over 100 online accounts, and data breaches expose billions of credentials every year. The humble password was never designed for this, and it shows.

We’re happy to announce that PixelUnion now supports passkeys: a modern, fundamentally safer way to log in. No passwords to remember, no SMS codes to type, and no way for attackers to steal what you never had in the first place.

The Window Is Closing: Get Your Data Out of the US While You Still Can

Mon, 16 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The news this week is about bombs and drones. But buried underneath the headlines about the US-Israeli military campaign against Iran and Trump’s demand that NATO allies spend 5% of GDP on defence is a quieter story - one that affects every European who stores their photos, documents, or memories with an American tech company.

That story is about leverage. And right now, the US has an enormous amount of it over you.

Social Media Addiction: The Dangers of Social Media

Tue, 10 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

It’s probably happened to you: you open Instagram or TikTok for “just five minutes” and before you know it, thirty minutes have passed, leaving you feeling tired, empty, and unmotivated. In 2024, the term ‘brain rot’ was named word of the year by Oxford University Press to describe the mental effects of this excessive phone use. But what truly lies behind this endless scrolling? It’s not a lack of discipline; it’s the result of a multibillion-dollar industry designed to hijack your brain.

Our Reddit AMA

Thu, 26 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Our digital memories are at a crossroads. The dominance of American tech giants over our most personal data raises questions not only about privacy, but also about power and dependency. How safe is your photo archive under U.S. legislation? And what happens to sovereignty when your memories are reduced to training data for AI algorithms?

During a recent Reddit AMA (Ask Me Anything) on the influential subreddit r/BuyFromEU, the PixelUnion team opened up for discussion. PixelUnion, based in the down-to-earth Dutch city of Alkmaar, is building a European alternative to Google Photos and iCloud. No empty marketing talk-just a deep dive into the tech, the ethics, and the messy reality of a startup taking on Silicon Valley.

Data breach on Flickr

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

If you’ve built a serious photo library on Flickr, you’ve probably felt the tension: massive scale and convenience versus privacy, jurisdiction, and long-term control. The question isn’t just “where do I store my photos?”-it’s who governs them, how portable they are, and what happens when a platform’s incentives shift.

This post breaks down what the recent Flickr incident signals for European users, and how a privacy-first, EU-hosted approach (like PixelUnion, built on Immich) changes the trade-offs.

Immich v2.5

Fri, 30 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Introduction: A Milestone Worth Celebrating

The core open-source team behind Immich has just hit an incredible milestone: 90,000 stars on GitHub! In their own words, this latest release is their “fireworks to celebrate” this achievement, and we want to extend a huge congratulations to them for this well-deserved recognition.

GitHub stars are more than just a number; they represent immense community trust, widespread adoption, and a project’s powerful momentum. This achievement signals Immich’s evolution from a niche self-hosted tool into a major force in the world of private media management. We’re thrilled to announce that their celebratory update, v2.5, packed with highly-requested features, is now available on our platform.

Why Europe Can No Longer Blindly Trust America (And Neither Can Your Photos)

Tue, 20 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Long the choice for American technology was the “safe” path, but in 2026 the world has changed drastically. From unpredictable trade wars to a growing crisis in digital autonomy: the reality is that America is no longer the self-evident ally it once was.

At PixelUnion, we believe that privacy and security are not optional. That is why we explain why it is time to free your data from American tech platforms.

2026: take back your digital freedom, start with your photos

Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

2026: take back your digital freedom - start with your photos

New year, new resolutions. But let’s make 2026 practical:
take back your digital freedom. And start with something that’s deeply personal for almost everyone: your photos.

2025 is full of memories. From spontaneous moments to major milestones. Only… for many people those memories are still stored in places you’d rather avoid: a US company, services that happily “read along,” or apps that are mainly designed to collect data.

2025: The year Europe woke up

Fri, 26 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

2025: The year Europe woke up

For years, we told ourselves the internet belonged to everyone. We clicked ‘Accept’ without thinking, stored our most precious memories in the cloud of American giants, and ignored the warnings. “I’ve got nothing to hide,” was the excuse. But in 2025, the uncomfortable truth can no longer be ignored: when it really matters, here in Europe we handed over the keys to our digital home a long time ago.

Immich v2.4.0

Tue, 23 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The Immich team has done it again! Just weeks after the previous release, they’ve delivered version v2.4.0 - an update that may focus on polish and quality-of-life improvements, but packs several highly anticipated features that make managing your self-hosted photo library more intuitive than ever.

This release brings power-user capabilities like the new Command Palette, addresses a long-standing request for ownership visibility in shared albums, and significantly refines the mobile experience with smarter button placement. Let’s explore what’s new.

Scaling Immich: How We Re-engineered Reverse Geocoding for Massive Photo Libraries

Fri, 19 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Introduction: The Magic of Knowing “Where”

For home lab enthusiasts and data privacy advocates, Immich has emerged as a premier self-hosted solution for photo and video management. It offers a powerful, private alternative to cloud-based services. One of its most compelling features is a piece of background magic: reverse geocoding. This process automatically analyzes the GPS coordinates embedded in a photo’s EXIF data and enriches it with human-readable location context-the City, State, and Country where the image was captured.

ImmichFrame

Wed, 17 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Our most cherished photos-the candid smiles, the breathtaking landscapes, the milestone moments-are often trapped on our phones. Immich is a powerful, private, self-hosted alternative to services like Google Photos, but organizing your memories is only half the battle; enjoying them is what truly matters. This is where ImmichFrame enters the picture. It is a community-driven way to liberate your photos and display them beautifully throughout your home, turning your digital archive into a living gallery and highlighting the passion of the self-hosting community.

From trend to ownership: how Big Tech profits from your photos

Tue, 09 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

From muppet transformations to banana portraits: in recent years AI photo trends have washed over our timelines in waves. They seem harmless and funny, and that’s precisely their strength. You just upload a selfie; one click later a charming, shareable version of yourself appears. But behind that simplicity is a reality far less friendly to your privacy. What you join today for fun can tomorrow, unintentionally, help build an infrastructure that collects biometric data, builds profiles and reuses images in ways you never intended.

Immich Kiosk

Mon, 24 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

1.0 Setting the Scene: The Power of Immich and a New Opportunity

In the world of open-source software, few projects have captured the attention of tech enthusiasts quite like Immich. As a self-hosted photo and video backup solution, it offers a powerful, private alternative to cloud-based services, putting users firmly in control of their digital memories. For those who value data ownership, Immich is the gold standard. However, once your cherished photos are securely stored, a new challenge emerges: how do you easily and elegantly display them in your physical space? This post explores a new open-source project designed to solve this exact problem.

While the Web Waits: Why PixelUnion Remains Online During Today's Cloudflare Outage

Tue, 18 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

If you have been browsing the web today, you have likely encountered more than a few “502 Bad Gateway” errors or endless loading spinners. As widely reported, the Cloudflare Global Network is currently experiencing a significant outage, impacting millions of websites and services across the globe.

However, if you are reading this, you have already noticed that PixelUnion.eu is fully operational.

This isn’t an accident. It is the result of a strategic infrastructure decision we made to ensure our uptime isn’t tied to a single point of failure that affects half the internet. Our secret? We use bunny.net to serve our static content.

PixelUnion: Hosted Immich for Hassle-Free Photo Backup and Management

Mon, 17 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Managing a growing collection of photos and videos can be complicated. Immich is a popular open-source solution for self-hosted photo backup and management, but running it yourself requires technical setup, server maintenance, and ongoing updates.

PixelUnion solves this problem by offering Immich as a fully-hosted service. With PixelUnion, you get all the benefits of Immich-automatic backups, device syncing, and secure storage-without the overhead of managing your own server.

What is Immich?

Immich is an open-source platform designed for private, self-hosted photo and video backup. Its main goal is to provide a secure, local alternative to cloud services like Google Photos while giving users full control over their media.

PixelUnion donates 20% to aid in Sudan (Nov 24 – Dec 25)

Tue, 11 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

From November 24 to December 25, We will donate 20% of all revenue to humanitarian aid in Sudan via the Netherlands Red Cross. This means: every new subscription, every upgrade, and every switch to an annual plan during this period makes a direct difference on the front lines of a forgotten crisis.

Why are we doing this? PixelUnion stands for secure, European storage without data sales or dependence on US cloud platforms. But protection goes beyond data. This holiday season, we’re connecting our core-privacy and security-to concrete assistance for people who need safety the most right now. Below you’ll find why the need is so great and how your choice helps.

Immich v2.2

Sun, 02 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

“The month following our stable release 🎉 has flown by!” and the energy within the Immich project is more palpable than ever. In an open-source landscape where many projects struggle to maintain a consistent cadence, Immich’s development pace continues to set an impressive standard. Building on the momentum of its major milestone, the team has delivered version v2.2.0, an update packed with highly-requested features and significant enhancements designed to make your self-hosted photo and video library more powerful, faster, and easier to use.

Google blocks Immich site

Sat, 01 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

It’s a scenario that every website owner, developer, and administrator dreads: your site, running perfectly one minute, is suddenly inaccessible to the world. Users are met not with your content, but with a terrifying, full-page warning. The natural assumption is a server crash, a DDoS attack, or a malicious hack. But what if the culprit isn’t an outside attacker, but a silent, automated decision from one of the internet’s most powerful gatekeepers?

Immich v2.0.0. Immich's Stable v2.0.0 Release and What It Means for PixelUnion Users

Thu, 02 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

A Milestone for Your Memories: Immich’s Stable v2.0.0 Release and What It Means for PixelUnion Users

Introduction: A New Era of Stability

We are thrilled to announce a landmark achievement for the entire privacy-focused photo storage community. Immich, the powerful open-source project that serves as the foundation for the PixelUnion platform, has officially launched its first stable version: v2.0.0.

Our platform is built on a forked version of this incredible software, and this milestone marks a new era of maturity and reliability. In this post, we’ll break down what this new era of stability means for the security, reliability, and long-term safety of your memories on the PixelUnion platform.

Immich v1.142.0: Timeline Becomes Default, Geolocation Upgrades, and More!

Tue, 16 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

We’re excited to announce the release of Immich v1.142.0, packed with features and improvements that make managing your photo library smoother and more powerful than ever. Here’s what’s new:

Beta Timeline Is Now Default

Starting with v1.142.0, the beta timeline becomes the default experience in Immich. On your first launch after updating, the app will migrate your data to the new timeline. This upgrade brings a more intuitive, faster, and visually appealing way to browse your memories. Thanks to everyone who tested and provided feedback!

Immich v1.140.0 Release Highlights

Mon, 01 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Immich v1.140.0 is here, bringing exciting new features and improvements to your photo management experience! This release continues the push towards feature parity for the beta timeline and introduces several enhancements based on community feedback.

🚀 New Features

[Beta] Background Sync

Immich now supports background sync in beta. New assets are detected and automatically queued for upload, handled by your device’s OS. Local and remote data sync tasks also run periodically in the background, ensuring your latest photos are available as soon as you open the app.

Privacy Washing: Why Big Tech Doesn’t Really Care About Your Privacy

Thu, 28 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Welcome to the age of “Privacy Washing.” Big tech companies like Google, Microsoft, Meta and Apple suddenly seem to care deeply about privacy. But looks can deceive: behind the polished language there’s often a clever marketing trick. What exactly is “Privacy Washing,” why does it happen, and how can you spot it? Let’s break it down.

What Is “Privacy Washing”?

“Privacy Washing” is a marketing strategy where tech giants present themselves as champions of privacy while mainly protecting their own business interests. With polished stories and convenient dashboards they make you feel in control of your data. But look closer and you’ll notice how limited your real choices are-and how your data is still being collected, analyzed and monetized at scale. Even with every setting cranked to “maximum privacy,” you can’t be sure you’re actually out of the tracking net.

Immich v1.139 & v1.138

Sun, 24 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Immich continues to evolve rapidly-PixelUnion Immich instances are now rolling out versions v1.138.0 and v1.139.2! These releases bring a host of new features to make your media management experience even better.

Let’s dive into the highlights of these updates:

Key Features in v1.139.2

[Beta] New Image Rendering Pipeline: The mobile app now uses a custom image loading and rendering pipeline with multithreading and optimizations, greatly improving thumbnail quality and loading speed-especially on Android.
[Beta] Show Assets Pending Backup: You can now view which assets are still pending backup, making it easier to track down problematic uploads.
Option to Skip Entries in Duplicate Resolution Utility: The duplicate resolver tool now lets you skip entries and navigate the duplicate list more flexibly.
Add to Multiple Albums Action: On the web, assets can now be added to multiple albums at once from the album selection modal.

Key Features in v1.138.0

Reset PIN Code with Password: Users can now reset their own PIN code by providing their password, without needing admin intervention.
Reset OAuth ID: A new option allows users to reset their OAuth ID, useful when migrating to a new authentication provider.
[Beta] Swipe to Delete Album: The beta timeline now supports swipe-to-delete for albums.
[Beta] Improved Upload and Sync Process: Enhancements to the upload and sync process in the beta timeline.
[Beta] Map View with SQLite: The beta timeline introduces a map view powered by SQLite.
Create Shared Link for Albums (Mobile): Mobile users can now create shared links for albums.
Remove from Album in Asset Viewer Bar (Mobile): Assets can be removed from albums directly from the asset viewer bar.
Album Shared User Editing (Mobile): Edit shared users for albums on mobile.
Batch Change Date and Time Relatively: Change the date and time of multiple assets in batch, relatively.
Edit Image in Beta Timeline: Edit images directly in the beta timeline.

We thank all contributors for their ongoing work and dedication to making Immich better with every release.

Immich v1.137

Sat, 02 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Immich updates are happening quickly-just days after the last release, PixelUnion Immich instances have started rolling out version v1.137.0! This release brings a wave of improvements, bug fixes, and new features to keep your media management experience at the cutting edge.

Let’s dive into the highlights of this rapid update:

Key Features and Enhancements in v1.137.0

Beta Timeline Improvements: Building on user feedback, the beta timeline now offers more feature parity with the classic timeline, smoother navigation, and fixes for grouping, migration, search, animations, and more. Many bugs have been squashed to make the experience even better.
Custom Shared Link URLs: You can now create shared links with custom, easy-to-read URLs (e.g., /s/<slug>), making sharing albums and photos simpler. Use with care, as these links are less secure than the default long random strings.
Find Large Files Utility (Web Only): A new utility on the web lets you quickly find and review your largest files. Visit the Utility page and click “Review large files” to see the top 250 largest originals for your user.
Improved API Key Permissions: API endpoints now have even more fine-grained permissions, and the New API Key form includes a search bar for easier access. The auto-generated API documentation has also been updated.
Default Media Location Change (Docker Compose): The default docker-compose.yml now uses /data for media storage instead of /usr/src/app/upload. This is an optional change for new deployments and not a breaking change.
Other Enhancements: Add to album on the new beta timeline, scroll to top & view in timeline, map modal improvements, backup onboarding card, people page/sheet/detail, network requirement option for uploads, and more.

We thank all contributors for their ongoing work and dedication to making Immich better with every release.

Immich v1.136

Fri, 01 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000

We’re excited to announce that PixelUnion Immich instances are now rolling out the upgrade to version v1.136.0! This midsummer release brings a host of innovative features and improvements, making your media management experience smoother and more delightful than ever.

Let’s explore the highlights of this feature-packed update:

Key Features and Enhancements in v1.136.0

Beta Timeline, Sync, and Upload Mechanism: Immich introduces a completely reworked timeline, sync, and upload system in beta mode. The new data sync runs in a background thread, keeping the app responsive even during large synchronizations. Data is now streamed for faster loading, and sync calculations are performed server-side for improved speed and lower mobile CPU usage. The timeline and album views have been rebuilt for smoother navigation, lively animations, and better offline support. Uploads are now managed by the OS, allowing for reliable background uploads and parallel processing, with a new upload detail page to monitor progress and issues.
Android Home Screen Widgets: Following the popular iOS widgets, Immich now brings home screen widgets to Android! Display random images, memories, or favorites directly on your Android device’s home screen, with many improvements from the iOS version incorporated.
iOS Widget Improvements: iOS widgets now support servers using insecure HTTP connections and WebP thumbnails, cache the latest image for offline use, and offer direct deep linking to images in the app. You can also choose to show images from your Favorites in the Random Widget, and enjoy improved error descriptions and rendering on tinted home screens.
Deep Links: Immich now supports deep linking, allowing you to open specific assets, albums, or memories directly in the app using supported URLs (e.g., immich://asset?id=<asset id> or https://my.immich.app/photos/<asset id>). This enables seamless navigation from browsers, automation frameworks, or Apple Shortcuts.

We are grateful to all contributors for their hard work and dedication to making Immich better with every release.

Why Self-Hosting Immich Can Be Risky: The Importance of Professional Photo Storage

Sun, 13 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Immich is a great self-hosted alternative to Google Photos, giving users control over their photo collections. However, self-hosting comes with responsibilities and risks, especially for those without much experience. While self-hosting appeals to tech enthusiasts and privacy advocates, it can be challenging for amateurs, particularly regarding storage.

The Hidden Dangers of Self-Hosting

Running your own photo storage isn’t as simple as plugging in a hard drive. Storage is more complex than it appears, and the risks are often underestimated. Here’s why managing your own storage can be difficult:

Immich v1.135

Sun, 22 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0000

We’re thrilled to announce that the PixelUnion Immich instances have been upgraded to version v1.135.0, a significant update that introduces a host of exciting new features, powerful enhancements, and crucial bug fixes across all platforms. This release arrives after a busy period, incorporating approximately 200 merged Pull Requests, marking another major step forward in providing you with a seamless and efficient media management solution. Furthermore, subsequent patch releases, including v1.135.1, v1.135.2, and v1.135.3, have further refined the experience with additional fixes for even greater stability.

Update at PixelUnion: Immich v1.134.0 is Live!

Sun, 01 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Our fork of Immich has recently been upgraded to version v1.133.0 and v1.134.0.

These updates bring exciting new features, major enhancements, and resolve several minor bugs reported by our users.

🚀 Key Features and Enhancements

🔒 Private Folder (v1.134.0)

Users can now create a private folder secured with a unique access code - ideal for storing sensitive or personal media safely.

🧠 VectorChord Database Extension (v1.133.0)

The new VectorChord extension significantly improves performance in vector-based search, enabling faster and more accurate object and face recognition across your media library.

PixelUnion is Now Live on Product Hunt!

Mon, 19 May 2025 00:00:00 +0000

We’re excited to share that PixelUnion is now officially featured on Product Hunt! This is a major milestone for our team and a fantastic opportunity to introduce our media management tools to a wider audience.

What is Product Hunt?

Product Hunt is a leading platform where makers and tech enthusiasts discover and share the latest products in tech, productivity, and beyond. Being featured here means our solution is now visible to a global community of early adopters, creators, and industry leaders.

PixelUnion Featured on GoEuropean.org

Fri, 16 May 2025 00:00:00 +0000

We are thrilled to announce that PixelUnion is now officially featured on GoEuropean.org! This recognition marks an exciting milestone for our team and highlights the value we bring to the European tech and media management community.

What is GoEuropean.org?

GoEuropean.org is a trusted platform dedicated to showcasing innovative products and services that cater to the needs of European consumers and businesses. It serves as a hub for discovering cutting-edge solutions across various industries, from technology to lifestyle. With a focus on quality, sustainability, and user-centric design, GoEuropean.org connects users with products that make a difference.

Immich v1.132

Mon, 05 May 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Our fork of Immich has recently been upgraded to version v1.132, a major step forward in our mission to provide a seamless and efficient media management solution. This release introduces significant updates, new features, and essential fixes to enhance your experience across all platforms.

Key Features and Enhancements

1. Database Overhaul for Improved Performance

The server now uses a custom schema and migration management tool integrated with Kysely, replacing TypeORM.
The mobile app transitions to SQLite, setting the stage for faster sync implementation and smoother performance, especially for large media collections.

2. Opt-in Web-Mobile Delete Synchronization (Android Only)

Synchronize delete actions between the web and Android platforms for a more cohesive experience.

3. Enhanced Mobile App Features

Improved map performance and added search functionality on the places page.
Migration of translations to Weblate, enabling community-driven localization efforts.

4. Web Interface Improvements

Enhanced responsive design for better usability on mobile devices.
Support for browser download managers for single file downloads.

5. Bug Fixes and Stability Improvements

Resolved issues with EXIF data synchronization and album asset exclusions in shared links.
Fixed glitches in the mobile app’s timeline and video playback during device rotation.
Addressed various UI inconsistencies and performance bottlenecks.

Breaking Changes

This release includes a refactor of the notification-admin controller, which may require adjustments for developers integrating with our fork.

Special Launch Offer: PixelUnion.eu – A European Alternative to Google Photos

Wed, 30 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000

We’re thrilled to announce the launch of PixelUnion.eu, a secure and private European alternative to Google Photos. 🎉

In today’s world, privacy and data sovereignty are more important than ever. That’s why we created PixelUnion - a platform designed to store your photos securely on European soil, ensuring your memories are safe and your data stays private.

🎁 Special Launch Offer

To celebrate our launch, we’re offering an exclusive deal:
The first 100 users get 50% off for 3 months with the code: TRUMPISALOSER