If you’ve seen any of our previous tips and tricks articles, you’ll know that we share shortcuts, tools and tips to help developers speed up their workflow.
This time, we’re turning our attention to a tool no macOS user could go without: Finder.
Finder might seem like a simple file manager, but it’s packed with hidden features and shortcuts that can seriously boost your productivity. So without further ado, let’s get into it!
1. Batch Rename Files
It cannot be overstated how many long-time Mac users don’t realise you can rename multiple files in one go, with Finder. This is particularly handy when you find yourself adding sequential numbers to related files (“…-01.jpg”, “…-02.jpg”, for example), or tidying up files with inconsistent naming conventions.
- Select the files you want to rename.
- Right-click one and choose Rename.
- Use the options to replace text, add text, or create a format like “File 001, File 002”.
Tip: Press Command (⌘) + A to select all files in a folder for batch renaming.
2. Toggle Hidden Files Instantly
There are often many files in any given folder that you can see by default. You can toggle them on or off, along with .env’s and any other files using a full-stop/period prefix (eg: .cache, .ngrok).
- Open Finder.
- Press Command (⌘) + Shift (⇧) + Period (.) to show or hide hidden files.
3. De-Clutter Your Desktop
Stop cluttering your desktop with multiple Finder windows, and switch to using tabs instead.
Merge Windows
With multiple windows open, go to Window > Merge All Windows in the menu bar.
This brings all open Finder windows into one neat tabbed view. Unfortunately there’s no shortcut for this, but it’ll get you set for the next step.
Switch Between Tabs
You can navigate between tabs without the mouse-clicks needed for windows, with some simple shortcuts:
- Press Command (⌘) + T to open a new Finder tab.
- Switch between tabs using:
- Control (^) + Tab to go to the next tab.
- Control (^) + Shift (⇧) + Tab to go to the previous tab.
4. Set a Default Finder Window
Every time you open Finder, it doesn’t have to show the same boring default location. You can customize it to open your most-used folder.
- Open Finder and go to Finder > Preferences in the menu bar.
- Under the General tab, select your preferred folder under “New Finder windows show:”.
Tip: Choose your Downloads folder or a frequently used project folder for quicker access.
5. Resize Columns to Fit Contents
If you are working files buried deep in nested folders, it can quickly become difficult to find the files you’re looking for. Make sure you’ve got the most efficient layout in Column View and resize the columns to the width of the contents.
How to do it:
In Column View, hover over the divider between columns.
Double-click the divider to auto-adjust the width to fit the longest file name.
Shortcut: Press Option (⌥) + Double-Click on any divider to resize all columns simultaneously.
Be sure to subscribe to the Dev Digest so you stay up to date with what’s happening in the WeAreDevelopers community, to get notified about our latest articles and content, events, news and lots more.
