Find files faster on Mac with Finder

Searching for a file, program or email can take a lot of time if you can’t remember the exact name of the file. Or have no idea where the file is stored. You can search for these files using the Finder. Adding extra criteria to a search will help you get the hang of it faster. For example, you can search by file type or by parts that were created on a specific date. An explanation of searching on the Mac.

You can add filters to a search. This requires opening the Finder to your ‘home’ folder. That’s the folder with your username. Is it open? Then do the following to open the filters field:

• Open the Finder. To do that, click the smiling face icon on the Dock.
• Click on the magnifying glass at the top right to open the search field.
• Type a keyword and press Enter.
• click on This Mac.
• Click the plus sign button to the right below the search field. This button is next to the word ‘Save’.
  

If you clicked the plus sign, a new menu appeared below the “This Mac” field. This menu consists of two options. On the left it probably says ‘Name’. In this box you select what you want to search for. For example, the type of file or the date it was created. It will probably read ‘Search results’ on the right. The options in this checkbox depend on what is selected on the left.

We will search by species. Do this as follows:

• Click on the left selection box.
• click on Kind.
• Click on the right selection box.
• Choose a type. For example Document, app or Image. Choose Others to add a species yourself.
• After some choices, such as images or documents, a third checkbox appears. Select from the options by clicking on them.
• Selected the ‘Other’ option? Then type the desired file type yourself in the third selection box.

The results of the search will immediately appear on the screen.

The other search criteria ‘Last opened’, ‘Last edited’, ‘Date created’, ‘Name’, ‘File extension’ and ‘Content’ work in a similar way.

• For example, click Name to search for an item whose name contains certain letters or characters.
• Click on the Z . boxsearch results to get more search options such as ‘Contains’, ‘Begins with’, ‘Ends on’, ‘Is’, or ‘Is not’.
• Enter the other criteria in the third box.

The search results appear immediately.

Files contain so-called metadata. This is information stored in the file. For images, this is, for example, the camera type or the shutter speed of the captured photo. But this can also be the author of an e-book, a phone number, location, font and much more.

You can also search for this:

• Click the menu on the left search box and click Others…
• A new window opens. This contains all the search options that can be added. For example, click Purchase date to search by the date you purchased an item. Or click on authors if you want to search by the author of a file.
• click on OK.
• Click on the right selection box to narrow down the search results.

You can also save a search. That way you can search for the same thing again later.

• Perform a search.
• click on Keep.
• Give the search a name.
• Check the ‘Add to sidebar’ box to always quickly jump to the search.
• click on Keep.