# 10 Finder Hacks Every Mac User Should Know Discover hidden features of Finder to boost your workflow. - **Source:** [Lifehacker](https://brifing.si/source/f1400ced-a26b-4e58-a567-6187eca3708d) - **Published:** 2026-08-19 - **Topic:** [Career Growth](https://brifing.si/c/growth) - **Original article:** - **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/c7e1e8ea-0a53-41aa-83fa-4824630607ad ## What is Finder and Why is it Important? Finder is macOS's file management system, allowing users to access their files. While it appears simple at first glance, it contains many hidden features developed by Apple over the years. These hacks help you use Finder more efficiently and speed up your daily workflow. For example, you can add frequently used folders to Finder's sidebar for quick access. ## Customize the Sidebar Finder's sidebar provides quick access to frequently used folders and files. You can personalize this list by dragging and dropping folders. For instance, you can reorder items in the 'Favorites' or 'Locations' sections. Additionally, you can remove unused items to keep the sidebar cleaner. This makes your workflow more organized. ## Change the Default Search Location When searching in Finder, it defaults to showing results from your entire Mac. However, you can change this setting to display results only from the currently open folder. To do this, go to Finder Settings > Advanced and select 'Search the Current Folder' from the dropdown menu. This makes finding files faster. ## Automatically Clean the Trash Deleted files are moved to your Mac's Trash, which can quickly fill up storage space. To solve this, you can enable automatic deletion of files after 30 days. Go to Finder Settings > Advanced and check 'Remove items from Trash after 30 days.' This helps preserve your storage space. ## Automatically Delete ZIP Files When you unzip a file, your Mac places the contents in a new folder but doesn't delete the original archive. To automatically delete these files, press Command-Space, search for 'Archive Utility,' and open the app. Then, in the 'Settings' menu, select 'Move archive to Trash' under 'After expanding.' This keeps your folders more organized. ## Preview Folder Contents macOS's Quick Look feature allows you to preview files without opening them. However, this feature doesn't work for folders. To solve this, you can use a plugin like Folder Preview ($1.99), which lets you preview folder contents. The more advanced Folder Preview Pro ($9.99) offers additional features like copying and pasting files. ## Cut and Paste Files Users switching from Windows to Mac often miss the cut-and-paste feature for files. While this feature exists on Mac, it's not easily discoverable. You can copy a file using Command-C and then move it to another folder using Command-Option-V. Alternatively, you can use the 'Edit' menu and select 'Move Item Here.' This speeds up file management. ## Show File Extensions Finder doesn't show file extensions by default, which can pose a security risk. For example, a malicious app might appear as a harmless file. To mitigate this risk, go to Finder Settings > Advanced and enable 'Show all filename extensions.' This makes file types clearer and enhances your security. ## Sources covering this story - https://lifehacker.com/tech/10-finder-hacks-every-mac-user-should-know?utm_medium=RSS — --- _Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._