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DigUp High CPU, Battery Drain and Memory Usage

Short answer DigUp uses significant resources only during the first indexing pass, because the model runs in a helper process that quits when finished and loads its ~250 MB text part only while you search.

Last updated · DigUp 0.6.1 for Mac, 0.7.0-beta.1 (beta) for Windows and Linux

Only the first indexing pass is heavy, and after that DigUp reads new files only. The EmbeddingGemma 2 model runs in a separate helper process that quits when it is done, and the search side (the model’s text part, about 250 MB) loads only while you search. In issue #68, the maintainer noted that heavy load is expected during indexing and drops to almost nothing once indexing is done, and added: “I’ll still look into it”.

Resource controls and expected indexing times

Situation What the source says What you can do
The first pass On a Mac, a few hundred files take a few minutes and a big Downloads folder can take an hour. On Windows and Linux, DigUp uses the graphics card where a quick check finds it faster, and the processor otherwise (on a processor alone, a picture takes a few seconds, about five on a 2017 laptop’s Core i5, so a large photo library can take hours). Review your folder choices in /which-folders-to-index/ and check /system-requirements/.
Need resources right away DigUp lives in the menu bar on a Mac and in the tray on Windows and Linux. Pause indexing from the menu bar or system tray icon.
Schedule indexing (Mac 0.6.1 only) In Mac release 0.6.1, indexing can wait for set hours (1:00 to 7:00 by default) while search works all day. Turn on set indexing hours in Settings → Folders on a Mac.
Large or unneeded files DigUp reads only the folders you choose and lets you skip more in Settings. Skip specific folders or file types in Settings; see /troubleshooting/indexing-slow-files-skipped/.
Code search Code search is off until you turn it on. While you work on code, its index catches up a minute after things go quiet. Leave code search off in Settings → Code unless you need it.

Fixes in Mac release 0.6.1

Several memory and CPU issues were fixed in Mac release 0.6.1:

  • Runaway files and memory growth (issue #3): If reading one file runs away (one PDF used tens of gigabytes of memory), DigUp now stops it, skips that file, and goes on. Quit and Pause now stop indexing even when stuck on a file. Also, indexing long text documents no longer slowly grows the helper’s memory (about 30 KB per chunk of text). Before 0.6.1 shipped, the maintainer gave an interim step for PDF memory spikes: open Settings → Folders and add pdf under “Skip these file types”.
  • Helper processes staying open (issue #22): A user observed a helper process running at about 100% CPU after quitting. In 0.6.1, DigUp’s helpers quit with DigUp; previously, a folder estimate could keep running at full speed after quitting, even after uninstalling (see /uninstall/).

Open reports (as of 2026-10-16)

  • Battery drain and fans on Mac (issue #68, open as of 2026-10-16): Reported on an M1 Max Mac with loud fans and battery drain. After the maintainer’s reply that load is expected during indexing, later user comments on DigUp 0.6.1 reported high energy use or CPU use continuing after the first pass. There is no maintainer-confirmed fix in the thread as of 2026-10-16.
  • Large multi-thousand-page PDFs (issue #98, open as of 2026-10-16): A user with PDF books of thousands of pages requested an optional limit on time or work spent per large file. By design, a long PDF gets its first 30 pages right away and the rest once everything else is in, up to 5,000 pages a file.

For more help, return to /troubleshooting/.

Sources DigUp README on GitHubDigUp 0.6.1 release notesDigUp 0.7.0-beta.1 release notesGitHub issue #68GitHub issue #3GitHub issue #22GitHub issue #98 Versions and files checked against DigUp's GitHub Releases on October 15, 2026.

Questions

Will DigUp slow my computer down?

Only the first indexing pass is heavy, and after that DigUp reads new files only. The model runs in a separate helper process that quits when it is done, and the search side (~250 MB) loads only while you are searching.

Why is my battery draining while running DigUp?

In issue #68, the maintainer stated that heavy resource use is expected during indexing and drops to almost nothing once indexing finishes. Later user comments on Mac 0.6.1 reported high energy or CPU use continuing after the first pass, and the issue remains open with no maintainer-confirmed fix as of 2026-10-16.

Why does DigUp use so much memory?

In issue #3, the maintainer found that macOS's PDF text reader could get stuck on a page and use tens of gigabytes of memory, and long text documents slowly grew helper memory by about 30 KB a chunk. Mac release 0.6.1 fixed both by stopping and skipping runaway files and fixing the text chunk memory growth.

Does DigUp keep running after I quit?

By design, the indexing helper process quits when it is done. Before Mac release 0.6.1, a folder estimate could keep running at full speed after quitting or uninstalling (issue #22), which was fixed in 0.6.1 so helpers quit with DigUp.

Can I choose when DigUp indexes?

On a Mac with DigUp 0.6.1, you can set indexing hours in Settings → Folders (1:00 to 7:00 by default) so indexing waits for those hours while search works all day. On Mac, Windows, and Linux, you can also pause indexing at any time from the menu bar or system tray.