Getting started

By the end of this section PhotoTray will be installed, running, and visible as an icon in your system tray.

System requirements

• Windows 10 or 11 (64-bit).
• No administrator rights. PhotoTray installs for your user account only and never prompts for elevation.
• An internet connection — for updates, and for the bandwidth exchange that keeps the app free.
• Enough free disk space for whatever you convert, plus the app itself.

Installing

Run the PhotoTray installer and work through its pages:

1. Massive Terms of Service. This is the very first page, ahead of everything else, because it is the most consequential choice in the installer. It explains the funding arrangement in Massive's own words:

   To remove ads and get free content, please let Massive use a small amount of your device's free resources and IP address to download public web data. Your participation is optional, and you may opt out anytime. Pressing Accept indicates that you agree to Massive's license and privacy policy. You can opt out at any time after opting in.

   There are links to Massive's FAQ, license and privacy policy on the page. You must tick the box to continue — the installer will not advance without it. See The bandwidth exchange for the full explanation.

2. License agreement. Review and accept PhotoTray's own end-user licence.

3. Install location. Change it if you want to, or accept the default.

The installer creates a desktop shortcut and a Start Menu entry, both named PhotoTray.

First launch

There is no in-app welcome screen — everything you needed to agree to was agreed to during installation. PhotoTray opens straight to its main window and adds an icon to your system tray (the row of small icons near the clock).

The window opens on the first enabled utility. If you would rather it started somewhere else, just click a different item in the sidebar; PhotoTray remembers your window size and position, and whether you left it windowed or hidden to the tray.

If something goes wrong here

• The installer will not let you press Next on the first page. The Massive opt-in checkbox is not ticked. It is required — PhotoTray cannot be installed without it, because sharing is what pays for the app.
• No tray icon after install. Windows sometimes hides new tray icons behind the ^ chevron near the clock. Click the chevron, then drag the PhotoTray icon out onto the tray if you want it permanently visible.