Apple buried these 5 essential Mac file management features — here's how to use them

1. Quickly preview your files

If you’re finding yourself opening a whole bunch of files just to find the one you want, then stop. Instead, click on a file (or select more than one file by holding down Shift and clicking) then press the space bar or Command-Y.

This will activate Quick Preview and allow you to take a peek. You can then decide whether or not to open it in the relevant app, just select the open option in the top-right corner.

If you have selected multiple files, you will be able to cycle through them if you click the arrow buttons. Previewed files can also be shared if you click the share icon in the toolbar.

2. Change the folder icons

You can change a folder’s icon to make it easier to identify its content. For example, if you have a bunch of files relating to your recent vacation, you can add a holiday-related symbol to the folder or even a photograph (this works for files too). It’s also possible to change the color of a folder from the default blue.

To do so, you simply need to learn how to customize your folders on macOS Tahoe 26. In essence, you need to identify a folder in the Finder app, right-click the folder and select Customize Folder. You can then choose a color and/or a symbol or emoji.

To use an image, you need to open an image in the Preview app, copy the image, control-click the file or folder you wish to change and select Get Info. You can then select the icon and paste the image.

3. Use the favorites section in Finder

If you need to have a folder to hand, placing it in the Favorites section of Finder will make it much easier to find. All you need to do is identify the folder you need to pin and drag the folder to Favorites in the sidebar.

It will remain there until you control-click the folder and select Remove from Sidebar. You could also, if you wish, select Add to Dock for even easier access. Any folder can also be dragged to the right-side of the divider line in the Dock.

4. Rename multiple files

Renaming files individually is a real-pain and it’s also mightily time-consuming. But there is a hidden feature in Finder that allows you to rename them en masse. All you have to do is select a few files that you want to rename then control-click the files and select Rename.

You will see a number of options. Select replace text in the drop-down menu then enter the text you wish to remove in the Find field and enter the replacement text.

You can also add text to filenames. Just select Add text in the drop-down menu and enter the text that should appear in all of the filenames. You can then use the drop-down menu to select before name or after name depending on where you want that text to appear.

If you select Format in the first drop-down menu, you can also have macOS automatically rename all the files so they follow a particular convention. For example, you can enter a filename in Custom Format then select a name format and choose a set format (perhaps having each one numbered).

5. Password protect your folders

If you want to store sensitive information in a folder such as your financial details, you should consider protecting it with a password. You need to do this using the Disk Utility app: open the Apps app from the Dock and enter Disk Utility to find it.

Go to File and select New Image then choose Image from Folder. Now look for and select the folder that you want to protect and click Choose. You can now choose the level of protection you require: 256-bit AES encryption is the best. Enter a password then click Save. The folder will turn into a disk image but if you click the disk image and enter the password, you will gain access.

It is also possible to lock a document. Select the document in Finder or on the desktop then control-click the document and select Get Info. You can then tick Locked.