Phials documentation
Developer docs

Community Plugins

Phials already includes a lot: previews, view modes, search, Vials, and more. Community plugins add even more, built and shared by other people. A plugin can bring a new file preview, a new panel, extra commands, and so on.

Because a plugin is code written by someone else, Phials treats them with care. This page explains how to turn them on, install them, and stay safe.

Safe mode (on by default)

Phials starts with community plugins safe mode turned on. While it’s on:

  • You can’t browse, install, enable, or update community plugins.
  • Any community plugins that were enabled are turned off.

This keeps a fresh install free of third-party code until you opt in.

To use community plugins, open Settings → Plugins → Community plugins, turn safe mode off, and read and accept the warning. The warning is honest about the trade-off: community plugins run as trusted code with access to a set of Phials helpers you approve. They are not fully sealed off from the rest of the app, so only install plugins from sources you trust.

Install and update

  1. Turn safe mode off (above).
  2. In Settings → Plugins → Community plugins, pick a plugin from the list or follow the install option your build offers.
  3. If a newly installed plugin starts disabled, enable it.
  4. When an update is available, use the update button on the plugin’s card. If the new version asks for different permissions, Phials asks you to review and approve them before it runs again.

If a plugin fails to start after an update, Phials can roll back to the previous version so you can keep working.

Permissions

Each plugin lists the permissions it wants, for example reading files, writing files, using the clipboard, or fetching from the network. Phials shows you that list before you enable the plugin or approve an update. Grant only what makes sense for what the plugin does.

Permissions limit the Phials helpers a plugin can use; they are not a complete sandbox. That’s why safe mode and trusting the source matter.

Uninstall

When you remove a community plugin, Phials may ask whether to keep or delete the data that plugin stored (its settings and any data it saved). Choose delete only if you’re sure you won’t need it again.