How to Customize the Finder Toolbar on Mac

Mac Finder toolbar customization illustration

Finder’s toolbar is customizable. You can add useful buttons, remove clutter, change the order, add spacing, show icons with text, and place Quick Actions where they are easier to reach.

This guide applies to Finder on recent macOS versions.

Does This Affect You?

Use this if Finder’s toolbar has buttons you never use or is missing commands such as Delete, Get Info, Tags, Path, New Folder, or a custom Quick Action.

Add, Remove, and Rearrange Buttons

  1. Open any Finder window.
  2. Right-click or Control-click an empty toolbar area and choose Customize Toolbar, or choose View > Customize Toolbar.
  3. Drag icons from the customization sheet into the toolbar.
  4. Remove an existing icon by dragging it out of the toolbar.
  5. Reorder icons by dragging them left or right. You can Command-drag icons even when the customization sheet is closed.
  6. Click Done.

Reset the Toolbar

  1. Open Customize Toolbar.
  2. Find the default set row in the sheet.
  3. Drag the default set into the toolbar.
  4. Click Done.

Finder Toolbar Tips

Icon and Text Options

Right-click the toolbar and choose Icon and Text, Icon Only, or Text Only depending on how much space you want to use.

Spaces and Flexible Spaces

Drag Space or Flexible Space into the toolbar to visually group related buttons.

Add Quick Actions

Automator and Shortcuts Quick Actions can appear in the customization sheet, letting you run them from the toolbar instead of a context menu.

Set It Per Mac

Finder toolbar layout does not sync through iCloud. Configure it separately on each Mac you use.

Sources

  • Apple Support: Customize the Finder toolbar on Mac
  • Apple Support: Finder window basics
  • Apple: macOS Finder user guide
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