Finder controls Mac desktop windows, folders, and much of the file-browsing experience. If it freezes, the Mac can feel stuck even when other apps are still running.
This guide applies to recent macOS versions, including Ventura, Sonoma, and Sequoia, on Apple Silicon and Intel Macs.
Does This Affect You?
Use this if Finder will not open, windows show the spinning beach ball, the Dock icon bounces without a window, or Finder windows stop scrolling and closing.
Force-Relaunch Finder
- Hold Option and right-click or Control-click the Finder icon in the Dock.
- Choose Relaunch.
- If that menu will not appear, press Command + Option + Escape.
- Select Finder in Force Quit Applications and click Relaunch.
- Finder briefly disappears and reopens. Your files are not deleted.
Find What Is Making Finder Hang
- Open Activity Monitor from Spotlight.
- Sort by CPU and look for Finder using unusually high resources.
- Disconnect external drives, USB sticks, SD cards, and network shares, then test Finder again.
- Check iCloud Drive sync in System Settings under your Apple Account/iCloud. A stuck sync can make Finder feel frozen.
- Restart the Mac if Finder keeps freezing after relaunching.
More Finder Stability Checks
External Drives and Shares
Slow, disconnected, or permission-broken drives can stall Finder while it waits. Eject drives properly before unplugging them.
Huge Folders
Folders with thousands of files and preview thumbnails can be heavy. Switch to List view for large folders.
Storage and Updates
Low free storage or a half-installed macOS update can make Finder unstable. Check available storage and install pending macOS updates.
Preference Problems
If Finder freezes again immediately after each relaunch, a corrupted Finder preference file may be involved. That hidden-file repair is best handled carefully or with Apple Support.
Sources
- Apple Support: If an app freezes or will not open on your Mac
- Apple Support: Use Activity Monitor on your Mac
- Apple Support: Start up your Mac in safe mode