Mac Tip

How to customize the Finder Preview Pane options on Mac

Sandy Writtenhouse ∙ Updated August 18, 2022

The Preview pane can be very helpful when you’re using Finder on your Mac. It gives you a quick glance at the file you select and includes details such as the date it was created, the tags you applied, and when it was last opened. For things like images and video files, you can see even more data like size, dimensions, and resolution.

The Preview pane can also give you Quick Actions, like the ability to rotate or mark up the file with a click. Each of the details you see in the Preview pane depends on the type of file you select, and that information can be customized. Here’s how to change the Finder Preview pane options on Mac to suit your needs.

How to customize folder icons on your Mac

Sandy Writtenhouse ∙ Updated March 16, 2023

All of your folder icons look like folders by default, but you can change that. You can use images from the web, your own photos, or a picture that you create. This is a great way to spot the folders you want at a glance, plus it’s more fun.

Maybe you want to use a family photo icon for your vacation picture folder. Or maybe you want to use your company’s logo as the icon for your work folder. Whatever the case may be, it’s easy to swap out those icons.

How to create and use Smart Folders on Mac

Sandy Writtenhouse ∙ Updated March 10, 2023

The Smart Folder feature in Finder on Mac is a handy way to automatically place items into a folder for you. This saves you time, reduces the risk of missing items, and helps you work more efficiently.

In this tutorial, we will go over how to create and use Smart Folders on your Mac in order to increase productivity.

How to add an iCloud Drive shortcut to your Mac desktop or Dock

Sandy Writtenhouse ∙ Updated October 28, 2022

If you use iCloud Drive often, especially on your iPhone or iPad, then having fast access to it on your Mac can be a big help. You can certainly open your iCloud Drive from Finder or from iCloud.com, but if you want to access it with a click, there’s a better way.

Here’s how to add an iCloud Drive shortcut to your Mac desktop or Dock.

How to add a recently opened files folder to your Dock

Sandy Writtenhouse ∙ Updated February 28, 2023

One of the quickest ways to access your recently-opened files is to create a folder for them and pop it into your Dock. In this article, we will show you how to add a folder of recently opened files and apps to your Dock so you can get to your latest items with a click.

How to skip the Trash and delete files on Mac immediately

Sandy Writtenhouse ∙ Updated April 7, 2023

Not every file you get rid of on your Mac needs to go to the Trash folder. Using Trash is handy just in case you want to get a file back. But, if you know for certain that you want to delete a file permanently, do so right away! Why bother sending it to Trash?

Here’s how to skip the Trash and delete files immediately on your Mac.

How to select one, several, or all files on your Mac

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated May 18, 2022

Most, if not all file interactions in macOS are handled through the Finder. The Finder is the default file manager used on Macs. Among other things, the Finder's graphical user interface shell lets you perform common file actions like moving, copying, duplicating, and making other changes to one or more items on your disk(s).

Even the simplest file interaction in a Finder window begins with highlighting one or more items. Like many other computer operating systems, macOS provides a few different ways to select one or multiple files.

If you're perplexed by multiple file selection, memorize the following Mac selection tips to increase your efficiency and productivity.

A quicker way to toggle hidden files on macOS, no Terminal required

Joaquim Barbosa ∙ December 19, 2017

Sometimes you need to edit a system file, or look at a file created by one of your programs. Many of these files are hidden by default, so you'll need to make them visible before you can go about your business. One example I often encounter is hosts files, either for SSH or for your computer's whitelisted and blacklisted domains, though there are many others.

How to remove the Macintosh HD icon from the desktop on Mac

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated August 2, 2022

Neat freaks like me like to keep the desktop of their computers free of any clutter. That includes files, folders, and of course, the Macintosh HD icon. As a matter of fact, removing the Macintosh HD icon from the desktop is one of the first few things I do when setting up a new Mac.

Although pretty simple to do, hiding that icon is not very obvious to less tech-savvy people. So in this post, I will describe how to remove the Macintosh HD or the hard disk/SSD icon from the desktop on your Mac.

How to use referenced library mode in Mac Photos app to save storage space

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 31, 2024

In this tutorial, we will show you how to use referenced library mode in Mac's Photos app to stop it from making copies of your media and help save space.

How to change the default search scope in Finder

Joaquim Barbosa ∙ Updated February 23, 2024

In this brief tutorial, we will show you how to adjust the search scope for Finder on your Mac. You can set it to search the entire drive (which is the default), search the current folder you are in, or use the search scope you last specified.

How to hide specific mounted volumes from your Mac’s desktop

Joaquim Barbosa ∙ Updated December 8, 2022

We've already covered how to completely prevent partitions from mounting under macOS, but sometimes you want a partition mounted and ready to use but still want the benefit of it not cluttering up your desktop. For example, many people want their Time Machine partition constantly mounted and backing up throughout the day but don't need it to be visible at all.

Finder's preferences allow for hiding all volumes from the desktop but offer no control on a volume-by-volume basis. Therefore, we'll show you how to use the Terminal to hide mounted volumes on a case-by-case basis.