MacMost: Finder

You can use the Terminal to list files and folders, restrict the lists to only large files and folders, and also just show the ones that use the most space.

Merging two folders can seem difficult or impossible until you learn this trick. While it is easy to drag and drop new files into an existing folder, you'll need to decide which ones to keep and which to replace on a file-by-file basis. However, a hidden feature of the macOS Finder lets you merge the files in folders, keeping the newest versions.

If your hard disk is full and you need to clear out some space fast, here are 20 places to look. In macOS Monterey you can use the Storage Manager to clear out a lot of unneeded files, plus I'll show you some places to look in your Library folder, Applications, Photos, Documents, iCloud and more.

The search feature in macOS is very deep, including the ability to search metadata in media files, dimensions of images, fonts used, file origins, and much more.

The Go To Folder function in the Mac Finder got a face lift in macOS Monterey. Go To Folder makes it easy to navigate in Finder windows using only your keyboard with some knowledge of your folder structure.

Starting with macOS Monterey, you can now bring up the path bar temporarily using the Option key. You can also click it to view sibling folders and use the context menu to access other functions.

See how I organize my files and folders, use iCloud Drive and local files, an Archive drive, Finder views and more.

Here are 10 features of macOS that will save you time if you use them. Learn how to use keyboard shortcuts, Hot Corners, autocomplete, dictation, Recents and more.

There are some strange and hidden features in macOS. Here are 10 that are also somewhat useful. Learn how to make uyour Mac speak the time, summarize articles, speak in odd voices, show hidden Finder sorting columns and more.

WHen trying to find images or other files to use, many new Mac users try to use the Preview app to view these files to pick one. Despite its name, Preview is not the ideal app for previewing files. Instead use Quick Look or one of two other methods.

There are many small ways to customize the Mac Finder that may get rid of small annoyances for some users. Check out these settings and techniques.

The Recents item in the Finder isn't that useful. But you can create your own Smart Folders to replace it that fit your needs and show you the files you really want to see. You can also use Spotlight or Siri to find recent files.

When yo uquickly save a new document, it can be easy to not pay attention to where the file was saved. You can use these methods to locate the file. This also helps when you download a file, save a mail attachment or export a file.

The Finder doesn't always display the size of folders, but you can use a variety of methods to get the total size of all files in a folder.

If you need to see or copy the full path to a file, there are many ways to do it on a Mac. You can use one of several techniques in the Finder, in the document window, or while searching. You can easily place the path into a document or the Terminal. We'll also look at an Automator Quick Action that will show the path as a notification and copy it.

The Desktop Folder is a regular folder with the interesting special feature that files and folders inside it are also display over your Desktop. The files you see on your Desktop are the same files you can view in a Finder window when looking at the Desktop Folder.

The Preview pane gives you so much more than just a simple preview. You can view lots of information about a file, and even change things like the file name and tags. You can customize what is shown in the Preview Pane for each file type.

There are many ways to navigate from folder to folder in the Finder on your Mac. You can go down into folders, up to the enclosing folder, and sideways to adjacent folders. There are many ways to do each, depending on which Finder View you are currently using.

Learn how to search for files in the Finder. You can simply search for words in the names or contents of files, or perform more complex searches in specific locations and for dates, file types and other criteria. Lots of advanced tips too.

Your Downloads folder is the default location for browser file downloads. Learn how this relates to the Downloads folder in the Dock and the Download icon in Safari. If you don't maintain your Downloads folder it will eventually become filled with files taking up lots of space on your drive.