Beacon review
A free Mac search app spanning files, messages, mail, notes, apps, and connected folders.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Beacon brings local files, apps, messages, notes, mail, calendar events, browser history, and connected folders into one search interface on Mac. It is aimed at Mac users who want to find information across those sources without switching between separate apps. Results can be searched together or narrowed with focused filters, and the keyboard-driven overlay offers Quick Look previews, clipboard search, and Finder reveal actions. Beacon requires macOS 13 or later and Apple Silicon.
The breadth of search is its defining strength: Beacon can search iMessage and SMS by word, phrase, or contact, and Apple Notes by title and body. It also covers Safari, Chrome, Brave, Edge, and Arc browsing history, alongside Office files, mail, calendar events, and connected cloud folders. The listed connections include Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint; Apple Mail and Gmail; Calendar; iCloud Drive; Google Drive; OneDrive; and Dropbox. Cloud folders are accessed through desktop sync apps, so this approach suits people whose cloud files are available locally rather than those seeking a sync-independent cloud search service.
Beacon is free, with no paid tier distinction to weigh. Its AI search uses a key supplied by the user for OpenAI, Claude, or Gemini. The vendor says supported personal data is read locally and file search works without special access; the product is a desktop app, not a cross-platform search service. It fits solo users and small teams on supported Macs who want one place to search personal work context. Choose another option if you need Windows support, or if cloud-folder search without desktop sync apps is important.
Beacon pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Blends search across files, messages, notes, mail, calendar, apps, and folders
- Searches iMessage, SMS, Apple Notes, and browser history
- Free, with keyboard controls, previews, and Finder reveal actions
- Where it doesn't
- Available only on macOS 13 or later and Apple Silicon
- Cloud-folder search depends on desktop sync apps
- AI search requires a user-provided OpenAI, Claude, or Gemini key
Beacon fact sheet, pricing and score →
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