Cleaning and managing the files and folders is good to ensure that your Mac does not become a sprawling mess. A clean and decluttered system allows you to find important files very conveniently in times of need.
According to Forbes, organizing files on your system is an excellent way of getting your tech life together. There are many intelligent and efficient ways of organizing files on your Mac system. In this article, we will talk about some of the smartest and most effective ways following which you can organize files conveniently on your Mac. Let’s take a look:
Table of Contents
Use Apple’s iCloud Drive
Using the iCloud Drive service will ensure that your files stay organized in folders and get synced across all your devices. For instance, if you own two Macs – one for personal use and one for professional work, uploading files on the cloud server will allow you to access any file you want on any device. Using these simple steps, you can enable iCloud Drive:
- Navigate to “System Preferences”
- Click on “Apple ID” and then on “iCloud.”
- Tick off the box present next to the drive option.
- Now, open “Options” and select all the folders and applications you wish to sync.
If you want to take organizing your Mac to the next level, make sure that you select the “Desktop” & “Documents” folders.
Opt for an Effective Third-Party Organization Application
Even though Mac’s native Finder is a good file manager, some essential features are missing. A great way to enhance your organizational skills is to use an application that offers exceptional organizational features. For instance, if you want to manage and sync files on your Mac, Path Finder is a great application that will fill every gap for you.
It features an information-heavy interface that is very easy to use. Path Finder enables you to copy and delete, view, and sync multiple files together across different paths. Based on a unique modular system, you can conveniently add or remove features from the app as per your preferences. Moreover, you can also hide confidential files using Path Finder.
To manage hidden files, all you need to do is enable the option of making these files visible and managing them in the same way you do the others.
Remove Duplicate Files and Folders
The first step you should take while organizing files on your Mac is to get rid of duplicate ones. These files occupy space and make navigating through folders a time-consuming affair. Therefore, invest some time finding similar files and deleting them to have a cleaner and more-organized Mac. You can also use applications to scan your Mac for duplicate files and delete them.
Mark Important Folders as Favorites
If your Mac has become highly crowded and cluttered, it is time for you to organize it in a way that makes finding essential files easy. One of the most effective ways of marking essential files or folders is as “Favorites’. Doing so will add the selected files and folders to your Finder’s sidebar under “Favorites”. You can do it by following these steps:
- Open a separate Finder screen.
- Track down the folder you wish to favorite.
- Drag the folder into the sidebar to add it to “Favorites”.
You can add multiple folders as favorites and access them conveniently any time you need.
Follow a Specific File Naming System
A practical file naming system ensures that you do not waste extra time while trying to find a specific file or folder. However, figuring out the right system depends majorly on your workflow. While naming a file, you should probably include the following:
- The name of the project.
- A short description
- Date
- Version Number
- Initials of your Name
An important point to note – Based on the Finder’s view, your files and folders are generally organized in alphabetical order. Implementing tips like inserting the date at a file name’s beginning will ensure it stays in chronological order.
Use Tags
Another effective method to improve your Mac’s organization is using Apple’s native Tags. The feature allows users to assign a specific color or tag to any file. This makes finding files very quick and efficient. Setting up can be quite a time-consuming process, but once it is done, finding files using tags becomes very smooth and hassle-free. Here is how you can add tags to files:
- Open a separate “Finder” window.
- Select the files you wish to tag by rick-clicking on them or by holding the “Control” key.
- Once the files are selected, choose a pre-existing tag or create a new one.
Once the files have been tagged, you can easily track them whenever you want.
Conclusions
The ways mentioned above will surely help you clean and organize your Mac’s files and folders. You can use both Mac’s built-in features and other applications to organize files on your Mac effectively.
