How to customize the Finder sidebar on Mac

Just like File Explorer on Windows, Finder on Mac is your one-stop shop for files, folders, and apps. To make it easier for you to find what you’re looking for, the Finder sidebar is the most handy tool of all.

You can change the sidebar to include your favorite items, locations like external storage, iCloud Drive, and tags that you access regularly. Whether you’re new to macOS or just haven’t taken the time, we’ll show you how to customize the Finder sidebar on Mac.

Hide, show and resize the sidebar

To use the sidebar in Finder, you must first show it if you don’t see it. From there you can resize it or hide it again if needed.

Step 1: To show the sidebar, open Finder and select outlook > Show sidebar. You will then see the sidebar on the left side of the Finder window.

Step 2: To resize the sidebar, place your cursor on the divider on the right side of the sidebar. When your cursor changes to a double-headed arrow, drag left or right to resize the sidebar.

Step 3: To hide the sidebar at any time, return to outlook in the menu bar and select Hide sidebar.

Choose what appears in the sidebar

As mentioned earlier, you can choose what appears in the Finder sidebar. This is a good time to start thinking about the places, tags, or favorite items that you use the most. Once you place them in the sidebar, you can always open them with one click.

Step 1: When the Finder is active, select finder > settings in the menu bar.

Step 2: When the window opens, go to sidebar Tab.

Step 3: You’ll then see four categories of items to display in the sidebar, including Favorites, iCloud, Places, and Tags.

Check the boxes for the items within the categories that you want to show. You must select at least one item from a category for that category to appear in the sidebar.

Step 4: Use the X top left of the Finder Preferences window to close it when done.

The items you select will then appear in the collapsible sections in the sidebar. Use the Arrow on the right to expand or collapse a section.

Add, rearrange, or remove items from the sidebar

In addition to selecting the items you want in Finder Preferences, you can add other files, folders, apps, and drives that you use frequently to your sidebar.

When you drag any of these items to the sidebar, place it in the favourites section at the top. So expand this section to get started.

Step 1: To add a folder or disk to the sidebar, drag the item to the favourites Section. Be sure to only release the element when it appears as a line between the other elements.

If you see a folder highlighted in the Favorites pane instead of seeing the line, the item is placed in that folder and not in the sidebar.

Step 2: To add a file to the sidebar, hold your command button while dragging it into the favourites Section. Again, be sure not to let go until you see the item location line.

This creates a link to the file so that the file is still in its original location.

Step 3: To add an app to the sidebar, press and hold your command button while dragging the app icon into the favourites Section. When you see the line that says your location in the list, let go of the app and then the command Key.

Step 4: To rearrange items in the sidebar, simply select an item, drag and drop it where you want it. You can do this for items in all four categories.

Step 5: To remove a folder, disk, file, or app from the sidebar, select and drag the item out of the sidebar.

When you see them X appear next to the item, release. This will not place the item on your desktop or delete it from your Mac; it just removes it from the sidebar.

Making good use of this handy Finder sidebar can save you time tracking down the items you use most.

Check out other tips and tricks for your Mac for more information.

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