Use Quick Look Instead Of Preview To View Files

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.

Comments: 10 Responses to “Use Quick Look Instead Of Preview To View Files”

    Jeanne Bragg
    3 years ago

    Gary--Do you name your files just after you take them, or what is your method?
    I am, sadly, not so disciplined.

    3 years ago

    Jeanne: Yes. You have to save the file, so might as well use something better than "Untitled." If you aren't doing that because it takes some effort to come up with the perfect file name, then forget about perfect. Just put something OK. You can always change it later. Better to put "gs stuff" than "Untitled 7" and change to "Garage Sale 2021 Item List" later on.

    Mick
    3 years ago

    Thanks Gary - As always I learn something new in every one of your tutorials. Regards Mick

    Sherry Elliott
    3 years ago

    Love Quick Look and your videos. When I try to use it about half the time it opens the file in Preview. Just one click. How to make that only happen with 2 clicks as you describe?

    3 years ago

    Sherry: One click should just select a file, and two to open. If you click to select, then spacebar to bring up Quick Look. Maybe you are pressing twice by accident?

    Sherry Elliott
    3 years ago

    No definitely pressing only once. This has been driving me nuts for weeks. I've tried changing all the mouse settings. Changing the Preview preferences. Running Disk First Aid. Restarting the computer. Replacing the battery in mouse. Think it might have started when I upgraded Big Sur. Currently running 11.2.3.

    Rob
    2 years ago

    Started using Quick Look after watching this video, thanks Gary! It worked great until one day it it stopped adjusting the window size to previewed images (so the dimensions and popup position of the QL window are always fixed) and stopped playing videos (it used to show basic playback controls, now it only shows a static thumbnail).

    Did I trigger a setting for that by accident? I want to revert it back to the old behavior.

    2 years ago

    Rob: See if a restart fixes that.

    Rob
    2 years ago

    That indeed fixed it. I still wonder whether that was a bug or did I trigger a setting by accident (and if so, where is it, maybe I'll need it one day).

    Anyway: thank you!

    Rob
    2 years ago

    This worked for me too:
    "Relaunching Finder fixed this issue for me without rebooting.

    Press Option (⌥) while two-finger clicking (or right click, or control-option-click) on Finder in the Dock; select "Relaunch" and try Quick Look again."

    from https://discussions.apple.com/thread/253315511

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