Skip to main content

How to customize the Finder sidebar on Mac

MacBook on a table with the Finder sidebar open.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Just like File Explorer on Windows, Finder on macOS is your go-to spot for files, folders, and apps. To make it easier to find what you need, the Finder sidebar is the handiest of tools.

You can modify the sidebar to include your favorite items, locations such as external storage, iCloud Drive, and tags you access regularly. Whether you’re new to macOS or simply haven’t taken the time to do so, we’ll show you how to customize the Finder sidebar on Mac.

Recommended Videos

Difficulty

Easy

Duration

5 minutes

What You Need

  • Mac computer

Hide, show, and resize the sidebar

To take advantage of the sidebar in Finder, you must first display 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 View > Show sidebar. You’ll then see the sidebar on the left side of the Finder window.

Show Sidebar in the Finder View menu.
screenshot / Digital Trends

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-sided arrow, drag left or right to resize the sidebar.

Double-sided arrow for resizing the Finder toolbar.
screenshot / Digital Trends

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

Hide Sidebar in the Finder View menu.
screenshot / Digital Trends

Choose what displays in the sidebar

As mentioned earlier, you can choose what displays in the Finder sidebar. This is a good time to think about the locations, tags, or favorite items you use most. Once you place them in the sidebar, they’re always there for you to open with a click. Some secret Finder settings can also be used.

Step 1: With Finder active, select Finder > Preferences in the menu bar.

Step 2: When the window opens, head to the Sidebar tab.

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

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

Sidebar tab in Finder Preferences.
screenshot / Digital Trends

Step 4: Use the X on the top left of the Finder preferences window to close it when you finish.

You’ll then see those items you’ve chosen appear in the collapsible sections in the sidebar. Use the Arrow on the right side to expand or collapse a section.

Arrow to expand a section in the Finder sidebar.
screenshot / Digital Trends

Add, rearrange, or remove items from the sidebar

Along with choosing the items you want in Finder Preferences, you can add other files, folders, apps, and disks you use often to your sidebar.

When you drag one of these items into the sidebar, you’ll put it in the Favorites section at the top. So, expand that section to get started.

Step 1: To add a folder or disk to the sidebar, drag the item into the Favorites section. Be careful to only release the item when it appears as a line between the other items.

If you see a folder in the Favorites section highlight instead of seeing the line, then the item will be placed into that folder instead of in the sidebar.

Dragging to add a folder to the Finder sidebar.
screenshot / Digital Trends

Step 2: To add a file to the sidebar, hold your Command key as you drag it into the Favorites section. Again, be sure to only release when you see the line for the item’s location.

This creates a shortcut to the file, so the file still resides in its original location.

Dragging to add a file to the Finder sidebar.
screenshot / Digital Trends

Step 3: To add an app to the sidebar, hold your Command key as you drag the app icon into the Favorites section. When you see the line indicating its location in the list, release the app and then the Command key.

Dragging to add an app to the Finder sidebar.
screenshot / Digital Trends

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

Dragging to rearrange items in the Finder sidebar.
screenshot / Digital Trends

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

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

Dragging to remove an item from the Finder sidebar.
screenshot / Digital Trends

Making good use of that convenient Finder sidebar can save you time when tracking down items you use the most.

For more, take a look at other tips and tricks for your Mac.

Sandy Writtenhouse
Sandy has been writing about technology since 2012. Her work has appeared on How-To Geek, Lifewire, MakeUseOf, iDownloadBlog…
The M4 Mac launch is incoming, but not how you might expect
The 14-inch MacBook Pro with M3 Max chip seen from behind.

The past few months have been full of speculation, anticipation, and pretty wild rumors concerning the upcoming M4 Macs -- and now the predicted release date of November 1 is just a week or so away. Despite the lack of an event announcement, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman still believes the launch is "imminent," with an announcement reportedly coming on October 30.

According to him, Apple Stores are running very low on iMac, Mac mini, MacBook Pro, Magic Keyboard, Magic Mouse, and Magic Trackpad units -- and this usually happens when updates are about to be released.

Read more
How to use iPhone Mirroring on your Mac
Apple's Craig Federighi demonstrates the iPhone Mirroring feature in macOS Sequoia at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June 2024.

In 2024, Apple introduced iPhne Mirroring. This macOS Sequoia feature puts a mirrored version of your iPhone right on your Mac’s desktop, enabling you to interact with your iPhone without ever needing to have it in your hands. You can open iOS apps, send emails, change settings, and much more, all from the comfort of your Mac.

Read more
I found an app that fixes macOS Sequoia’s annoying pop-ups
macOS Sequoia being introduced by Apple's Craig Federighi at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2024.

Years ago, back when I used Windows Vista, I got so annoyed by the constant User Account Control (UAC) pop-ups asking for permission seemingly every time I did anything that I downloaded an app that could silence them for good. Perhaps not the most sensible thing to do from a security perspective -- OK, definitely not the most sensible thing to do -- but I was a desperate man. These days, I’m getting similar vibes from macOS Sequoia.

That’s because Apple’s latest operating system will nag you about permissions on a monthly basis for anything that records your screen. Granted, it’s not as frequent as what I’d get in Windows Vista -- and these prompts were actually weekly in the macOS Sequoia beta, which caused such a blowback from users that Apple changed the frequency -- but it still feels like it’s going to be a real pain for me and a lot of users. Sure, macOS Sequoia hasn’t actually been out long enough for me to be bugged by these alerts every month yet, but I don’t want to hang around until I start pulling my hair out. I need to take action now.

Read more