🍊 Squash 4 Beta 2 Now Available

Announcements
1

Hey Guys,

Last week we shipped the first beta of Squash 4, we also posted a video demoing some of the new features, if you’ve not yet seen that it’s well worth watching first.

This new build is still very much a work in progress, but it’s shapng up nicely. Beta 2 introduces a new AI feature and paves way for some more to come…

You can now use Apple Intelligence (or another AI provider), to generate image descriptions when compressing your images. You can right-click to copy the description to the clipboard, as well as getting a CSV file alongside you exported images.

Anyway, give this new build a spin, and I hope you’re enjoying Squash 4 so far.

What’s New in Beta 2?

  • Opening images from the Finder now brings the Squash app to the front.
  • Added support for more naming tokens, aspect, height, width, and padded number.
  • Added AI provider settings, Open AI, Anthropic, OpenRouter, and Apple Intelligence.
  • Preliminary support for generating photo descriptions with AI.
  • Reorganised and improved the preferences window.
  • Various other refinements and bug fixes.

System Requirements

Squash requires macOS Sonoma 14.6 or later, on Intel or Apple Silicon Macs.
The AI filename descriptions requires macOS 27 or later, on an Apple Intelligence-compatible Apple Silicon Mac.

Get The Beta

To get access to the new beta, you’ll need an active Squash licence, and enable the “Check for Beta updates” option in the Squash preferences. The beta is not available on Setapp, and is only in the direct builds. Once v4 is final, we’ll be releasing it on Setapp.

:backhand_index_pointing_right: You can purchase a direct licence for Squash 3 here. (this will give you access to the beta and the final version of V4 once it ships).

Squash Update Preferences
Squash Update Preferences1384Ă—784 142 KB

We’d love your feedback!

We want to hear your feedback, what can we add to Squash 4 to make it even more of an indispensable part of your workflow? Let us know, we’re all ears :slight_smile:

Cheers!

P.S. Did you know that Squash has been in-development and supported for over 10 years, not bad for a humble little compression app!

2

@dan Is there somewhere that I can download the new version, as the in-app update is not finding the update?

3

@handshaper. The in App update worked for me. :thinking:

@dan, How do I get a series of images with names ending in a number series e.g. 01,02,03,04,05,06,07,08,09,10,11?

It would also be useful to be able to start the numbering at 01 (as an option).

4

I have tried numerous times and cannot get the update.

5

Have you got Check for Beta Updates checked in Settings > General.

Not sure if that is necessary for a beat version? :thinking:

6

Yes, I do have that checked; maybe I’ll try unchecking it and see what happens. Nope, that did not work at all; it told me the v3 was the latest, sigh.

7

Just to clarify are you running the V4 beta already? I was when I got this update.

If you are still on V3, you have to have an up-to-date license to get it. From the original post:

To get access to the new beta, you’ll need an active Squash licence, and enable the “Check for Beta updates” option in the Squash preferences. The beta is not available on Setapp, and is only in the direct builds. Once v4 is final, we’ll be releasing it on Setapp.

8

Yes, I certainly am 4.0.0 (989)

9

OK, I am out of ideas then - sorry :worried:

One for @dan

10

@handshaper I’m wondering if your license has expired and you’re no longer receiving updates :thinking:

Here’s the direct download link: https://dl.devant.io/v1/4ad73d1f-7ab7-4f7f-b9df-8d2d906ef718/1000/Squash

Let me know how you get on!

11

I had recently renewed my license.

12

Does that beta build work for you?

If not, can you check you entered your new license key into Squash? (Check in the Registration window).

13

Yes, that version works just fine, mahalo!

My registration looks fine.

14

@dan It would be great if you could add an option to compress videos as well.

15

Any chance of getting the same as in Elements with a MCP Server and not just expensive API Keys? Or is the free Apple Intelligence as good? @tpbradley

api
api1014Ă—426 35.5 KB

16

This is a bit experimental at the moment, the AI integration just generates file names and descriptions. There’s not much point in an MCP connection yet, is there? :thinking:

17

Yes, this is on the list, but first I want to get the image compression features and app a little more polished before moing on to video compression.

Can you tell me more about what video compression options you’d want, what are you converting from and to?

18

I have used Claude with Elements to write with both Caption and Alt texts. This works fine.

19

Mostly mov and larger mp4. I will need smaller sizes for self hosted web videos, webstart enabled. Also for older browser perhaps ogg.

20

For video, many of us start with 4K source files. So creating downsizes is first on the list. Indeed, it would be interesting to have 720P, 1080P, and 2160P versions of the same video, as I might want to use the small one for quick access with the ability for the user to see the larger one if they have the bandwidth.

Second, some of us record at 60P. So taking that down to 30P would be another useful capability to save space.

Finally, if I have an H.264 video I probably want it in the more efficient H.265 codec, as that will save space.

I’m sure there are dozens of other ways to compress, but just those three options would be 90% of what I’d ever need.