5 Ways to Get Instant Access to Files and Folders in the Finder

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Aliases, path string and other tricks that speed up work.

The standard file manager in macOS allows you to browse folders in many different ways. With the following features, you can significantly speed up navigation and interaction with the file system.

1. Side Menu Shortcuts

The sidebar is always at hand, so it's a sin not to use it to quickly navigate to folders you often work with. By default, there are standard directories there, but it is also easy to add any others there.

To do this, simply navigate to the desired folder and drag it to the sidebar. If you accidentally delete one of the standard shortcuts, you can easily restore it by opening the Finder settings and checking the boxes next to the necessary items in the "Side Menu" section.

In addition to folders, you can also add files and even applications to the panel. To do this, hold down the Command key while dragging.

2. Toolbar shortcuts

Another way to keep the folders you need most visible is to place them on the toolbar. This is useful for quickly accessing documents, files, or applications that you are constantly working with.

To add a shortcut, hold down the Command key, drag any Finder item to the toolbar and release it after the icon with a green plus appears.

3. Aliases

Aliases, or aliases, act as links to folders, files, or applications. The beauty of them is that, unlike regular shortcuts, such as in Windows, aliases continue to work, even if you move the target objects to another location.

To create an alias, you need to right-click on the element, and then select "Create alias" from the context menu. It will appear in the folder with the original object and will differ from its icon with a small arrow.

After that, the alias can be placed anywhere, including the toolbar and side menu, and multiple aliases can be collected in one folder. You can even add an alias for the aliased folder.

4. Folders in new windows

By default, when you open new Finder windows and tabs, the Recent section displays the most recent files. Instead, it is much more convenient to show frequently used elements. This is implemented as follows.

Move all the documents and files you need, or their aliases, into one folder, then open Finder preferences and on the General tab select it from the Show in New Finder Windows menu.

If desired, such a folder can be added to the toolbar.

5. Path string

Another Finder feature for quickly navigating between folders is the path bar. It not only shows the full route to the current item, but also allows you to switch to any of the intermediate folders with one touch.

First, make sure the appropriate panel is displayed. Open the View menu and choose Show Path Bar, or press Option + Command + P. Then just double-click one of the folders and it will open immediately.