How to change Finder's default folder Macs use

The great use of Mac Finder: Optimize your file management experience

Finder is the core file management system of macOS and the starting point for our interaction with Mac. From opening applications to accessing downloads, to browsing desktops, external hard drives, and servers, Finder plays a key role. Since the birth of macOS (then Mac OS) graphical user interface in 1984, Finder has been with its iconic Happy Mac icon and is the first icon that cannot be removed in the Dock.

While Finder is powerful, its improvements are relatively slow, which has to do with its use in countless ways by millions of users. So the key is to customize the Finder according to the way you work. And this starts with the default folder of Finder.

Why change the default folder of Finder?

By default, when you open Finder, you go to the Recent Projects folder, which displays a mixed list of files you have recently interacted with. While this is convenient for some, it can be confusing for others, because "recently used projects" are not the actual folder on your Mac, but a collection of files collected from other folders.

To facilitate finding files on your Mac, it is best to set the default folder of Finder to a location in the macOS folder structure, such as Download, Desktop, or Documentation. For example, setting Finder to the Downloads folder by default, you can always know the file location clearly and easily find the file in other ways if needed.

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How to change the default folder in Finder

Here is how to change the default Document folder or Recent Projects folder on your Mac:

1. Click the Finder icon in the Dock to activate it.
2. Go to Finder ➙ Settings… (Command,).
3. In the New Finder window display, select Download or another folder.

Tip: To set Finder as a custom folder, select "Other..." from the drop-down menu and find the folder you want.

Customize your Mac Finder experience

In addition to the default folder, you can also further enhance the Finder experience with some additional tweaks.

For example, by default, Finder does not show the hierarchy of a folder, so you can't know exactly where you are in the folder structure, or move several layers up or down quickly.

To resolve this issue, you can add a path structure to Finder:

1. Click Finder to activate it.
2. In the menu bar, select View ➙ Show Path Bar.

The path bar will now appear at the bottom of the Finder window. You can easily navigate through any folder by double-clicking on it.

Another common improvement is changing the Finder search feature from searching throughout your Mac (default setting) to search only the current folder.

To change the search range:

1. Go to Finder ➙ Settings…
2. Switch to the Advanced tab.
3. In the "When Perform Search" drop-down menu, select Search Current Folder.

Tip: In the Advanced tab, another optional improvement is to keep the folder at the top of the list in any folder. To do this, select Put folders at top under Sort by name in window.

Finally, it is best to clean up the Finder sidebar, which by default contains many items that most people don't use:

1. Go to Finder ➙ Settings…
2. Switch to the Sidebar tab.
3. Uncheck any items you do not use.

Further reading:

• Fix Error Code 36
• Utility Folder on Mac
• Application folder on Mac
• Create folders on your Mac

Extend Finder to organize your Mac

No matter how you adjust and fine-tune the Finder, you can't go too far without using third-party apps and utilities. Fortunately, you don't have to wait for the new Finder feature to appear in the macOS version—you can access a large number of applications through Setapp.

Trickster is a neat menu bar utility that extends Finder's functionality by tracking every file you may be interested in. You can view recent files and folders, filter them by file type, drag and drop them without opening Finder, and track specific files you change frequently.

Default Folder X also organizes the most important recent files and folders in the drop-down menu in the menu bar, but it also extends the Save and Open dialog menus in Finder itself to change the default save location used by your Mac.

With Default Folder X, you can get extended information about each file, including previews, information, and permissions, all accessible below the dialog window. On the side, you can access recent folders, favorites, and other common files. You can also configure shortcuts for most operations and greatly reduce the Finder dialog navigation time.

If you use your desktop as a temporary storage space for files, you'll agree that it's hard to keep it neat. Old files will continue to stay until you find their permanent location. Using an automatic organizer like Spotless will help.

Spotless organizes all files for you, removes them from your desktop or any other folder, and arranges them the way you specify. You can configure the tasks to perform, automation (interval), drag and drop, and ignore lists. You can organize any degree of file type and order.

For example, when you drag and drop an image to Spotless in the menu bar, it can trigger a specific task, such as moving it to your photo library or other direct folder.

You can save hours a week on applications like Trickster, Default Folder X, and Spotless. After all, productivity depends not only on what you are doing, but also on what you can delegate to automation solutions to do for you.

Also, be sure to customize the default save location of your Mac in Finder and other settings described in this guide.

Free access to feature apps like Trickster, Default Folder X and Spotless during Setapp’s seven-day trial. Setapp is a unique platform with over 240 selected applications for Mac and iOS, covering all possible categories. Browse the collection and find your new favorites!

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