What Is Fast Scrubbing?
Fast Scrubbing (also called Quick Scrub) lets you navigate through your timeline at accelerated speeds. Instead of scrolling frame by frame, you can fly through hours of history in just a few seconds.
This is perfect for:
- Finding a moment you remember from "sometime this morning"
- Quickly reviewing a day's activity
- Jumping to a rough time without using date filters
How to Fast Scrub
Hold ⇧ (Shift) while scrolling on your trackpad or mouse wheel. The longer you hold and the faster you scroll, the more frames you'll skip.
Velocity-Aware Acceleration
Fast Scrubbing isn't just a simple multiplier. It uses intelligent acceleration based on two factors:
Time Factor
Speed ramps up the longer you hold Shift:
- Start: Skip 1 frame per scroll tick
- After 0.5 seconds: Ramps up to 15 frames per tick
This gives you precision at the start and speed as you continue.
Velocity Factor
Faster scroll gestures produce larger jumps:
- Gentle scroll: Smaller jumps (fine control)
- Fast swipe: Larger jumps (rapid navigation)
The two factors combine so you have full control over navigation speed.
Visual Feedback
During Fast Scrubbing:
- The timeline scrolls smoothly with minimal animation lag
- The date pill updates in real-time so you know where you are
- The viewer updates immediately to show the current frame
Everything stays in sync. You'll never see mismatched dates or out-of-order frames.
Momentum Suppression
When you release the Shift key, Fast Scrubbing stops immediately. There's no "coasting" or momentum that could take you past your target.
This is different from normal scrolling, which uses macOS momentum. Fast Scrubbing suppresses momentum to give you precise control.
Fast Scrubbing vs. Normal Scrolling
| Feature | Normal Scroll | Fast Scrub (Shift+Scroll) |
|---|---|---|
| Speed | 1 frame per scroll | Up to 15 frames per scroll |
| Acceleration | None | Yes (time + velocity) |
| Momentum | Yes (macOS default) | Suppressed |
| Best for | Precise navigation | Covering large time spans |
Tips for Effective Fast Scrubbing
- Start slow, speed up: Begin with gentle gestures to approach your target, then release Shift for fine adjustments
- Watch the date pill: Use it as your guide to know when you're in the right time range
- Combine with time filters: First filter to the right day, then Fast Scrub to find the exact moment
- Use search for precision: Fast Scrub to the approximate time, then use text search to find exactly what you need
Next Steps
- Learn Time Filtering to narrow down before scrubbing
- Use Text Search for precise finding
- View all keyboard shortcuts