Best Tips for Using the macOS Finder More Efficiently
2Best Tips for Using the macOS Finder More Efficiently.
The Finder is a classic Mac system component that's ever-present on your desktop, ready to help you find and organize your documents, media, folders, and other files. It's the smiling icon known as the Happy Mac logo on your Dock, and includes the Finder menu bar at the top of the screen.
The Finder is the heart of your Mac. It provides access to files and folders, displays windows, and generally controls how you interact with your Mac.
When you first start Mac, you find yourself in a special program that Apple calls the Finder. The Finder is somewhat like Windows Explorer, but it’s an even more basic tool. You’ll find that you use the Finder all the time.
You can get to the Finder by clicking anywhere on the desktop or selecting its icon from the Dock. Pressing F11 makes all other windows go away, and you see only the desktop and the Finder. Press F11 again to bring everything back.
You use Finder windows to move around among folders. You see a window when you double-click a folder or choose File, New Finder Window from the Finder. The name of the folder is at the top of the Finder window. You can click and drag the icon to its left to wherever you want, just as you would the folder’s icon in its parent folder.
If you're switching to the Mac from Windows, you'll discover that the Finder is similar to Windows Explorer, a way to browse the file system. The Mac Finder is more than just a file browser, though. It's a road map to your Mac's file system. Taking a few minutes to learn more about how to use and customize the Finder is time well spent.
The Finder in macOS Big Sur is your gateway to all of the files, apps, and downloads on your Mac. Everything, from your Dropbox folders to your cool new desktop wallpaper, can be located in the Finder. You also have a lot of control over what the Finder will show you and how different parts of the Finder will work.
This tutorial will apply for MacBook Pro, Air, Mini's running the macOS operating system. This tutorial was performed on a macOS Big Sur system.