---
id: junk-yard.does-junk-yard-search-work-without-apple-intelligence
url: https://storagestudio.us/faq/junk-yard/does-junk-yard-search-work-without-apple-intelligence
category: "Junk Yard"
subcategory: "Search, filters and colours"
question: "Does Junk Yard search work on a Mac without Apple Intelligence?"
alt_questions:
  - "Smart find not available"
  - "Why don't I have Smart find?"
  - "Junk Yard search on older Mac"
  - "Do I need Apple Intelligence for Junk Yard?"
  - "Junk Yard search Intel or older macOS"
short_answer: "Yes. Without Apple Intelligence, search still matches words, file names and text inside images on your Mac; only Smart find's plain-language search needs Apple Intelligence."
tags: ["search", "apple intelligence", "compatibility"]
related: ["https://storagestudio.us/faq/junk-yard/what-is-smart-find", "https://storagestudio.us/faq/junk-yard/can-i-search-for-text-inside-screenshots"]
applies_to: "all"
last_reviewed: 2026-10-01
---

# Does Junk Yard search work on a Mac without Apple Intelligence?

Yes. Without Apple Intelligence, search still works on your Mac — it matches the words in your scraps, file names, and the text it reads inside images. What you don't get is the plain-language part of **Smart find**, which needs a Mac with Apple Intelligence.

Everything else in the Junk Yard — capture, filters, colours, pins, the curtain — works the same on every supported Mac.