What is the Mac Finder and How Do You Use It?

If you own an Apple device, whether it’s the latest MacBook Pro or the MacBook Air, you’ll know that the Mac Finder is the backbone of file management on macOS. It’s the Mac equivalent of the File Explorer on Windows.

It’s essentially your gateway to everything stored on your system, from documents and downloads to external drives and hidden files. Whether you’re a new Mac user or someone looking to master the Finder’s full potential, we’re going to walk you through every major function, preference, and customization option available. By the end of this guide, you’ll be able to use the Mac Finder like a pro!

How Can I Access Mac Finder?

First things first, getting the Finder open! Here are three ways to do it.

1. From the Dock

Look for the smiling blue-and-white face icon—this is the Finder! It’s usually pinned on the far-left side of the Dock. Click it to open a new Finder window.

2. Using a Keyboard Shortcut

When on the desktop, press Command (⌘) + N to instantly open a new Finder window. If you’re inside another app, first press Command (⌘) + Tab to switch, then use the shortcut.

3. Via Spotlight Search

You can also open Finder using Spotlight. Press Command (⌘) + Spacebar to launch Spotlight. Now type “Finder” and hit Enter to open it.

Once it’s launched, Finder becomes your central hub for browsing, organizing, and managing all files and folders on your Mac.

Now we’ll break down all the key components of the Finder interface so you know exactly where everything is.

Also Read: How to Recover Deleted Files after Emptying Trash Mac?

Main Components of Mac Finder

Understanding the Finder interface will help you navigate your Mac more efficiently. Here’s a quick rundown of all of Finder’s essential parts.

1. Sidebar: Located on the left, the Sidebar gives you one-click access to the folders you use often, like Applications, Desktop, Documents, Downloads, and connected drives (this includes external disks, network locations, etc.).

2. Toolbar: At the top of the Finder window, you’ll find the Toolbar, which includes navigation buttons, view options, share/export tools, and the search bar.

3. View Options: You can choose how your files are displayed using the icons in the Toolbar. These include:
   • Icon View: Gives you large icons, which are good for images or visual files.
   • List View: Gives a sortable list with details like size, kind, and date.
   • Column View: It shows folder hierarchy in different columns and is great for deep navigation.
   • Gallery View: This displays a large preview at the top, with file thumbnails below it.
4. Search Bar: The Search Bar is located in the upper right corner of the Finder interface and allows you to search within the current folder or even your entire Mac. You can apply filters like file type, date modified, and more to help you refine your search.

5. Path Bar and Status Bar: These are optional components of Finder that you can enable from the View The Path Bar will show you the location of the current folder, while the Status Bar shows how many items are in the selected folder and available disk space.

⚠️ Note: If you try and search for a particular file within Finder and it does not appear in the Finder search results, then it’s likely that you have faced data loss. This is because Mac’s Finder is a thorough “global” search tool that checks across drives on your system. If the Finder cannot display a file, the file has a problem or is missing.

If you think you have faced data loss, don’t worry. You can use a dedicated data recovery software like Stellar Data Recovery for Mac. This software uses advanced algorithms to recover lost, deleted, and inaccessible data from your Mac and connected external drives.

How to Customize Your Preferences in Finder?

Finder also includes a Preferences menu that lets you customize how it behaves and displays content, making it easier to work the way you like. You can access this by selecting Finder>Preferences from the menu bar, or by pressing Command (⌘) + , (comma) as a shortcut. Here are some of the key options you can fiddle with.

• Default View Style: Lets you choose how files appear, whether in icon view, list, columns, or cover flow.
• Desktop Items: Lets you decide which storage devices (like external drives, servers, or disks) show up on your desktop for easy access.
• Filename Extensions: Lets you enable or disable the display of file extensions (.jpg, .pdf, .doc) to help distinguish file types.
• New Finder Window Location: Lets you set which folder opens by default when you launch a new Finder window (like Downloads, Desktop, or a custom folder).
• Sorting Behavior: Lets you choose whether folders always stay on top when you sort by name.
• Hidden Files: Lets you show or hide system files that are usually invisible by default.
• Status Bar: Displays a bar at the bottom of Finder windows to show details like file count and available space on your system.
• Path Bar: Shows the full file path at the bottom of the Finder window for better navigation.
• Sidebar Items: This is by far one of the most commonly tweaked sections. It lets you decide which shortcuts appear in the Finder sidebar, and is very useful in your day-to-day usage. Read on in the following section, where we’ll cover Sidebar customization in detail.

Also Read: Mac Dock | Ultimate Guide to the Mac Dock

How to Set Sidebar Preferences in Mac Finder?

Navigating through the Mac Finder becomes much easier if you customize the Sidebar and manage your Home folder. The Sidebar on the left side of the Finder window lists all your favorite folders, locations, and devices for quicker access. Here’s how you can customize it to fit your needs.

1. Navigate to Finder>Preferences from the menu on top. Click Finder.

2. Go to the Sidebar You can now check or uncheck the items that you want to be displayed in the Sidebar, such as Documents, Downloads, Pictures, and connected devices. Go ahead and customize this to your needs.

3. Your Home folder contains pre-created folders by default, like Documents, Downloads, Music, and Pictures. These help you organize your files in a logical manner for quick access.

After you’ve finished organizing your Sidebar in Finder, it’s time to explore the different Finder view modes that are available.

Also Read: How to Recover Data after macOS update?

What Are the Different View Modes in Finder?

Like we discussed earlier, Finder has multiple view modes, each suited to different tasks and file types. Let’s see all four in more detail.

1. 📂 Icon View: This View mode displays your files and folders as individual icons that you can move around freely. This view is ideal if you prefer to have a quick, visual scan of your content.

2. 📃 List View: Like its name, List View presents your files in a detailed list format, showing important attributes like file size, modification date, and type of file. This View mode is especially useful when you’re working with many files or need to sort by specific fields.

Pro-tip: You can right-click any column header to add or remove fields based on what you want to see!

3. 🏛️ Column View: Column View organizes your files into vertical columns, making it much easier to navigate through folder hierarchies. It’s perfect when you want a clear path-based view of where your files live.

4. 🖼️ Gallery View: Finally, Gallery View highlights a large preview of your selected file, with a thumbnail strip running along the bottom. This view works best for images, PDFs, and media files where quick visual inspection at a glance is important to you.

Each of these views can be fine-tuned to your liking, which we’ll see how to do in the next section.

Also Read: Why is Mac Safari not Working after Update?

How to Customize Different Views in Finder?

While customizing view settings, you can do so for individual folders or apply your preferences globally across all Finder windows. Here’s how to get started.

1. Open any Finder window and navigate to the folder you want to adjust.
2. From the top menu, click View and select Show View Options.

3. From here, you can tweak the following.
   • Icon Size, Grid Spacing, and Text Size to better suit your screen or visual preferences.
   • Background options, such as a solid color or image, to make specific folders stand out.
   • “Use as Defaults” to apply your selected settings to all folders system-wide.
4. You can also enable helpful interface elements for yourself, like:
   • Status Bar, which shows how many items are in a folder and how much disk space remains.
   • Path Bar, which reveals the full folder path at the bottom of the window.

These view customizations can help streamline your workflow. Next, we’ll explore how you can save and organize your files within Finder.

Also Read: Everything You Can Do With Sticky Notes for Mac

How to Save and Organize Files in Mac Finder?

Follow these steps to save and organize your files in the Mac Finder.

1. To save a file, select File>Save in whichever application you’re using.

2. A Finder window will open, allowing you to name your file and tag it (tags can also be added later).

3. If you click on the “Where:” field, you can browse different locations and choose the one where you want the file to be saved.

4. Select your desired folder (like Documents or Desktop) and click Save. Your file will now be saved and you can access it at that location anytime!

Also Read: How to Delete Time Machine Backups and Snapshots?

Final Thoughts

Mac Finder is an essential and versatile tool that has been around since the time of the first Macintosh computer—the Macintosh 128K. All the upgrades it has seen over the past four decades have been made with one goal in mind: to help you get around faster. By understanding all its features and how to use them in depth, you can increase your productivity and get around quicker on your Mac device!

FAQs

1. What is Finder used for on a Mac?

Finder is the default file management tool on macOS. It allows you to browse, open, organize, and manage files, folders, and connected drives on your Mac.

2. What is the shortcut to open Finder quickly?

You can open Finder by using the keyboard shortcut Command (⌘) + N. Alternatively, you can open it by clicking its icon (smiling blue-and-white face) in the Dock.

3. Can I change the default folder that Finder opens to?

Yes. To do so, go to Finder > Preferences > General. Then select your preferred folder under “New Finder windows show.”

4. How do I show hidden files in Finder?

Use the shortcut Command (⌘) + Shift + . (period), while in a Finder window, to toggle your hidden files on or off.

5. Why can’t I see external drives in Finder?

Go to Finder > Preferences > General, and make sure the relevant checkboxes (like External disks) are selected under “Show these items on the desktop.”

6. What’s the difference between Finder and Spotlight?

Finder is mainly for browsing and managing files. Spotlight is a system-wide search tool that can find apps, files, emails, and more, including content inside files.

7. Can I customize the Finder sidebar?

Yes. You can add or remove items by going to Finder > Preferences > Sidebar and checking/unchecking the items you want displayed.

8. How do I sort or group files in Finder?

Click the “View” button in a Finder window and choose “Sort By” or “Group By” to organize files based on name, date, kind, size, tags, etc.