diff --git a/cull/Models/CullSession.swift b/cull/Models/CullSession.swift
--- a/cull/Models/CullSession.swift
+++ b/cull/Models/CullSession.swift
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ var selectedPhotoIndex: Int = 0
 
     var isImporting: Bool = false
     var importProgress: Double = 0
+    var importStatus: String = ""
 
     var selectedGroup: PhotoGroup? {
         guard groups.indices.contains(selectedGroupIndex) else { return nil }
diff --git a/cull/Services/ShotGrouper.swift b/cull/Services/ShotGrouper.swift
--- a/cull/Services/ShotGrouper.swift
+++ b/cull/Services/ShotGrouper.swift
@@ -21,21 +21,25 @@ let timeClusters = clusterByTime(photos)
         let totalWork = Double(photos.count)
         var completed = 0.0
 
-        // Step 2: Generate feature prints for all photos
+        // Step 2: Generate feature prints for all photos (batched to report smooth progress)
+        let fpWork: [(UUID, URL)] = photos.map { ($0.id, $0.pairedURL ?? $0.url) }
         var featurePrintMap: [UUID: VNFeaturePrintObservation] = [:]
-        await withTaskGroup(of: (UUID, VNFeaturePrintObservation?).self) { group in
-            for photo in photos {
-                let id = photo.id
-                group.addTask {
-                    let fp = await generateFeaturePrint(for: photo)
-                    return (id, fp)
+        let batchSize = 8
+        for batchStart in stride(from: 0, to: fpWork.count, by: batchSize) {
+            let batch = Array(fpWork[batchStart..<min(batchStart + batchSize, fpWork.count)])
+            await withTaskGroup(of: (UUID, VNFeaturePrintObservation?).self) { group in
+                for (id, url) in batch {
+                    group.addTask {
+                        let fp = await generateFeaturePrint(url: url)
+                        return (id, fp)
+                    }
                 }
-            }
-            for await (id, fp) in group {
-                if let fp { featurePrintMap[id] = fp }
-                completed += 1
-                if let progress {
-                    await progress(completed / totalWork)
+                for await (id, fp) in group {
+                    if let fp { featurePrintMap[id] = fp }
+                    completed += 1
+                    if let progress {
+                        await progress(completed / totalWork)
+                    }
                 }
             }
         }
@@ -173,8 +177,7 @@ try? aFP.computeDistance(&distance, to: bFP)
         return distance < similarityThreshold
     }
 
-    private static func generateFeaturePrint(for photo: Photo) async -> VNFeaturePrintObservation? {
-        let url = photo.pairedURL ?? photo.url
+    private static func generateFeaturePrint(url: URL) async -> VNFeaturePrintObservation? {
         guard let source = CGImageSourceCreateWithURL(url as CFURL, nil) else { return nil }
 
         let options: [CFString: Any] = [
diff --git a/cull/Views/ContentView.swift b/cull/Views/ContentView.swift
--- a/cull/Views/ContentView.swift
+++ b/cull/Views/ContentView.swift
@@ -11,17 +11,8 @@ Group {
             if session.sourceFolder == nil {
                 ImportView()
             } else if session.isImporting {
-                VStack(spacing: 16) {
-                    Text("Analyzing photos...")
-                        .font(.title3)
-                        .foregroundStyle(.secondary)
-                    ProgressView(value: session.importProgress)
-                        .frame(width: 300)
-                    Text("\(Int(session.importProgress * 100))%")
-                        .font(.caption)
-                        .foregroundStyle(.tertiary)
-                }
-                .frame(maxWidth: .infinity, maxHeight: .infinity)
+                ImportProgressView(status: session.importStatus, progress: session.importProgress)
+                    .frame(maxWidth: .infinity, maxHeight: .infinity)
             } else if session.groups.isEmpty {
                 VStack(spacing: 12) {
                     Image(systemName: "photo.badge.exclamationmark")
@@ -59,12 +50,15 @@ let c = cache
 
         Task {
             do {
+                await MainActor.run { s.importStatus = "Scanning photos..." }
                 let result = try await PhotoImporter.importFolder(url)
 
+                await MainActor.run { s.importStatus = "Grouping similar shots..." }
+                // Phase 1: Feature print grouping (0-30%)
                 var lastReported = 0.0
                 let groups = await ShotGrouper.group(photos: result.photos) { p in
-                    let mapped = p * 0.95
-                    guard mapped - lastReported > 0.02 else { return }
+                    let mapped = p * 0.30
+                    guard mapped - lastReported > 0.01 else { return }
                     lastReported = mapped
                     await MainActor.run {
                         withAnimation(.linear(duration: 0.3)) {
@@ -73,12 +67,11 @@ }
                     }
                 }
 
+                await MainActor.run { s.importStatus = "Generating thumbnails..." }
+                // Phase 2: Thumbnails (30-60%)
                 let allPhotos = groups.flatMap(\.photos)
-                var lastCacheReported = 0.95
                 await c.preloadAllThumbnails(photos: allPhotos) { p in
-                    let mapped = 0.95 + p * 0.03
-                    guard mapped - lastCacheReported > 0.005 else { return }
-                    lastCacheReported = mapped
+                    let mapped = 0.30 + p * 0.30
                     await MainActor.run {
                         withAnimation(.linear(duration: 0.2)) {
                             s.importProgress = mapped
@@ -86,14 +79,13 @@ }
                     }
                 }
 
+                await MainActor.run { s.importStatus = "Loading previews..." }
+                // Phase 3: Initial full-res previews (60-100%)
                 let ahead = Array(allPhotos.prefix(30))
                 let behind = Array(allPhotos.suffix(30))
                 let initialPreviews = ahead + behind.reversed()
-                var lastPreviewReported = 0.98
                 await c.preloadAllPreviews(photos: initialPreviews) { p in
-                    let mapped = 0.98 + p * 0.02
-                    guard mapped - lastPreviewReported > 0.005 else { return }
-                    lastPreviewReported = mapped
+                    let mapped = 0.60 + p * 0.40
                     await MainActor.run {
                         withAnimation(.linear(duration: 0.2)) {
                             s.importProgress = mapped
@@ -231,3 +223,31 @@ }
         }
     }
 }
+
+struct ImportProgressView: View {
+    let status: String
+    let progress: Double
+
+    var body: some View {
+        TimelineView(.periodic(from: .now, by: 0.4)) { timeline in
+            let base = status.replacingOccurrences(of: "...", with: "")
+            let dotCount = base.isEmpty ? 0 : Int(timeline.date.timeIntervalSinceReferenceDate / 0.4) % 4
+            let visible = String(repeating: ".", count: dotCount)
+            let invisible = String(repeating: ".", count: 3 - dotCount)
+
+            VStack(spacing: 16) {
+                HStack(spacing: 0) {
+                    Text(base + visible)
+                    Text(invisible).hidden()
+                }
+                .font(.title3)
+                .foregroundStyle(.secondary)
+                ProgressView(value: progress)
+                    .frame(width: 300)
+                Text("\(Int(progress * 100))%")
+                    .font(.caption)
+                    .foregroundStyle(.tertiary)
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/cull/Views/ImportView.swift b/cull/Views/ImportView.swift
--- a/cull/Views/ImportView.swift
+++ b/cull/Views/ImportView.swift
@@ -14,11 +14,18 @@ Text("Open a folder of photos to start culling")
                 .font(.title2)
                 .foregroundStyle(.secondary)
 
-            Button("Choose Folder") {
+            Button {
                 openFolder()
+            } label: {
+                HStack(spacing: 8) {
+                    Text("Open Folder")
+                    Text("\u{2318}O")
+                        .foregroundStyle(.secondary)
+                }
             }
             .buttonStyle(.borderedProminent)
             .controlSize(.large)
+            .keyboardShortcut("o")
 
             Text("or drag a folder here")
                 .font(.caption)