Browsing files

Choose a view for the task

Use View → Show View Options (⌘J) for the current view's controls. Sorting, grouping, and available size/display options depend on the view. Folder view preferences are remembered.

Navigate without losing your place

Use Back and Forward (⌘[, ⌘]), Go → Enclosing Folder (⌘↑), or Go → Go to Folder…. The Path Bar shows the hierarchy; toggle it with ⌥⌘P. Each tab keeps its navigation history.

The sidebar holds favorites, available locations, tags, and pinned saved searches. Add a selected eligible item with File → Add to Sidebar. Missing favorites remain visible as unavailable. iCloud Drive appears only when present. Mounted-volume entries support Eject when eligible; ejection is refused while an operation is running.

Select and expand

Click to select, Command-click to toggle items, and Shift-click to extend a range. ⌘A selects all in the active view. Typing while the file view has focus selects by name; it does not silently start a filter.

In List view, use a disclosure triangle or → to expand a folder and ← to collapse it. Option-arrow expands or collapses recursively. On a nested item, Left selects its enclosing folder. These commands operate on the focused view.

Sort, group, and reveal hidden files

Use View → Sort By for name, kind, dates, or size; use View → Group By for sections including kind, dates, size, and tags. Use Groups toggles grouping. Use ⇧⌘. to show or hide hidden files.

File metadata and thumbnails load as needed. Folder size is not automatically a recursive total. See Get Info for size calculation and metadata limits.

Packages, aliases, and unavailable locations

Use Show Package Contents from a package's context menu to browse inside. Aliases and symbolic links can lead to their originals; File → Show Original is available when supported for the selection. Broken links and unavailable folders show an explanation instead of an empty successful listing.

For file moves, clipboard behavior, and dragging between panes, see file operations. Search and preview do not promise access to cloud files whose bytes are not local.