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• Suggested slug: digup-ai-search-app-find-files-describing-content
• Category: Technology
• Focus keyphrase: DigUp AI search app
• SEO title: DigUp AI Search App Finds Files by Description (46 chars)
• Meta description: DigUp is a free, open-source AI app that searches your computer by describing what’s inside files, not their names. It runs entirely offline. (140 chars)
• Tags: DigUp, AI search app, EmbeddingGemma 2, Google DeepMind, open source AI, desktop search, privacy, local AI
• Original element: Local angle + explainer context — what free, offline, open-source search means for Pakistani students, freelancers and journalists, plus a plain-language explainer of how semantic file search differs from ordinary keyword search
• Source: ProPakistani, https://propakistani.pk/2026/10/20/this-free-ai-tool-lets-you-search-your-computer-by-describing-whats-inside/, 2026-10-20
• Story date: Tuesday, 20 October 2026

DigUp AI Search App Finds Your Files by Description, Not Filenames

A new free tool called DigUp lets users search their computers by describing what is inside a file rather than remembering its name. The open-source app runs on Mac, Windows and Linux and works on photos, documents, PDFs, audio and video.

It is powered by EmbeddingGemma 2, a 740-million-parameter model from Google DeepMind released this month.

DigUp matters because most desktop search tools still match exact words in filenames. If you forgot the name of a contract, a lecture recording or a photo, you are stuck. DigUp answers questions like “zebra in a video”, “where they talk about sleep” or “the clause about pets in the lease”.

How DigUp actually searches

Most computer search tools look for exact keywords. DigUp works differently. It reads the contents of your files and converts them into mathematical representations called embeddings. These capture meaning, not just words.

A search for “meeting notes about the budget” can find a document that says “quarterly financial discussion” even though the word “budget” never appears there.

Google DeepMind’s EmbeddingGemma 2, released in October 2026, is the engine behind this: a 740-million-parameter model small enough to run on ordinary hardware. DigUp downloads it once (865MB) and then searches entirely on your own machine. It belongs to a new crop of artificial intelligence tools built for ordinary PCs rather than data centres.

What it can find

DigUp handles a wide range of file types. It searches photos and videos, including the spoken words in a video’s soundtrack. For audio, it processes sound in overlapping 30-second sections, so a podcast or lecture can be searched by topic.

It handles TXT, Markdown, RTF, DOCX, ODT and HTML files, plus PDFs including scans, so paper archives become searchable too. Source code folders can be indexed as an option.

The first indexing pass can take from minutes to hours depending on how many files you have. After that, new files become searchable within seconds.

Designed around privacy

One of DigUp’s main selling points is that everything runs locally. Indexed files never leave the computer. Users choose which folders the app may access, and there is no account, no sign-up and no telemetry sent back to any server.

It uses the internet only twice: once for the 865MB model download, and once a day for a lightweight update check that can be turned off.

For people handling client records, research data or personal documents, this matters. Cloud-based AI search tools usually upload your files to a remote server. DigUp keeps them at home, which is why privacy-minded users pay attention, and so will readers of our guide on how to tell if your phone is hacked.

Why it matters for Pakistani users

The free and open-source part is the angle that counts in Pakistan. Cloud AI tools usually need a paid subscription, and international payments can be difficult for students and small businesses. An Apache 2.0 licence means DigUp is free for everyone, including commercial use, with no billing and no account.

DigUp handles more than 100 languages, and an English search can find content in Bengali or Arabic, for example. That matters for Pakistani lawyers, journalists and teachers whose archives mix English with other languages.

How to use it

The workflow is built around keyboard shortcuts. Pressing Ctrl+Shift+Space opens the search box from any app. Typing a description returns the matching file, photo or moment. Pressing Enter jumps to the matching page, timestamp or line of code. Pressing Space opens a large preview instead.

Because it is open source, anyone can inspect the code and users keep full control of their own machines. Readers interested in other free AI tools and AI-powered apps can find more coverage in our Technology section.

FAQ

Is DigUp really free?

Yes. It is released under the Apache 2.0 licence, which allows free use, including for business purposes. There is no account, no subscription tier and no payment step.

Does DigUp need the internet to work?

Only for the one-time 865MB model download. After that, searching runs entirely on your computer. A daily update check can be disabled in the settings.

Which computers does it support?

DigUp works on Mac, Windows and Linux. It is built on EmbeddingGemma 2 from Google DeepMind, a model sized to run on consumer hardware.

Is my data uploaded anywhere?

No. Everything is indexed and searched locally. You choose which folders the app may access, and there is no telemetry.

What languages does it support?

The app supports more than 100 languages and can match queries across languages. For example, an English query can find Arabic or Bengali content. Availability of specific languages can vary.