Photohawk scans every photo on your iPhone itself, so a big library takes a while. Your newest photos come first, and your people start to appear within a few minutes. The scan screen shows how long is left.
Charging is fastest
Scanning works your phone hard. Photohawk scans at full speed while the app is open or your iPhone is charging. If you have tens of thousands of photos, choose Finish tonight while charging when the scan asks about your older photos, and leave your iPhone on the charger overnight.
You can also turn on Sharing and privacy → Scanning → Only scan while charging. Off the charger, the scan then waits and says Paused: waiting for a charger; tap Scan now anyway to go on.
Battery, Low Power Mode and heat
To protect your battery, the scan pauses when:
- your battery is below 20% and not charging (Scan paused to save battery);
- Low Power Mode is on (Scan paused: Low Power Mode is on). It carries on when Low Power Mode is off or you plug in, or tap Scan now anyway (it goes more slowly, because iOS slows the phone down);
- your phone gets too hot (Scan paused while your phone cools down). It slows down first, and picks up where it left off when your phone is cooler.
Nothing is lost when a scan pauses: it picks up where it left off.
When you leave the app
- iOS 26: a scan you start keeps going when you leave the app (the scan screen says Keeps going if you leave the app), with iOS's own progress on screen.
- Earlier iOS: the scan stops after the photo it's on, and continues the next time you open Photohawk.
- While Photohawk isn't open, it also checks for new photos a few times a day and overnight while charging, when iOS allows.
A scan can pause while your iPhone is locked. Open Photohawk to carry on.
What happens after the photos
Once every photo is scanned, Photohawk finishes grouping your people (Finding your people…). Places and similar shots are added in the background afterwards, while charging or with the app open and enough battery; their progress is in Sharing and privacy → Scanning. Faces in videos are found after the photos, while charging or with the app open.
Questions people ask
Will scanning drain my battery?
Photohawk paces itself: off the charger it scans gently when you're not using the app, pauses below 20% battery and in Low Power Mode, and pauses if your phone gets too hot. Charging is the fastest way.
Do I have to keep the app open?
No. On iOS 26 the scan you start keeps going when you leave the app. Otherwise it continues the next time you open Photohawk, and when iOS lets it run in the background, usually overnight while charging.
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