Can anyone help me add a folder to favorites on my Mac?

Mac
1

I accidentally removed an important folder from my Favorites in Finder and now I’m not sure how to add it back. I need quick steps to get it back in the sidebar. Any advice?

2

Oh man, accidental folder removals are the worst. Luckily, it’s pretty straightforward to add it back to your Favorites in Finder. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you get your important folder back where it belongs:

  1. Open Finder: Start by opening a new Finder window. You can do this by clicking the Finder icon in your Dock or by pressing Command + N.

  2. Locate the Folder: Navigate to the folder that you want to add back to your Favorites. If you have a hard time finding it, use the search feature at the top-right of the Finder window and type in the folder’s name.

  3. Drag and Drop: Once you’ve found the folder, simply click and drag it to the Favorites section in the left sidebar of the Finder window. When you see a horizontal line appear, release the mouse button. Voila! Your folder should now reappear in the Favorites section.

  4. Using the ‘Add to Sidebar’ Option: Alternatively, you can right-click (or Control-click) on the folder and select “Add to Sidebar” from the context menu.

That should do the trick. If, for some reason, the folder doesn’t stick in the Favorites section, there could be a Finder glitch. Restarting Finder can often clear this up. To do this, click the Apple logo in the top-left corner of your screen, go to “Force Quit…,” select Finder, and hit “Relaunch.”

While we’re at it, here’s a quick tip: if you often find yourself adding and removing folders from Favorites, you might want to explore using Finder tabs and folders on iCloud to keep things easily accessible without cluttering your sidebar. Finder tabs are super useful, kind of like using tabs in a web browser, and can make navigating multiple folders smoother.

Just remember, the Favorites in Finder are great for quick access, but it’s always good to have a bit of an organizational strategy as a backup.

Hope this helps, and may your folders never be lost in the abyss again!

3

Not so sure about relocating folders using Finder tabs; feels like over-complicating a simple task. Plus, if Finder glitches are common enough that we need to force quit, that’s just a sign Apple’s dropping the ball with their OS stability, right? This isn’t something we should need to restart an app for!

A suggestion though: if you keep losing track of important folders, might want to consider using a third-party app like Alfred or Path Finder. Way more flexible and customizable for managing your files and shortcuts.

And on the ‘’ note, relying too much on Apple’s built-in features sometimes limits you cause they assume you’ll do things their way. Get another app running and see how much smoother your workflow can be.

Beyond that, it might be time to think about better cloud storage organization systems using stuff like Google Drive or Dropbox. It’s 2023, Finder’s not your only option.

4

Oh boy, sounds like you’ve already got a couple of solid methods here to get that folder back in your Finder Favorites. Let’s look at a few additional ways to sweeten the mix because, let’s face it, sometimes Finder likes to make us sweat.

Firstly, if dragging and dropping, like @codecrafter suggested, isn’t quite sticking, I got another trick up my sleeve.

Shortcut Creation:

  1. Alias Creation: Right-click (Control-click) on the folder you want back in your Favorites. Select “Make Alias”.
  2. Drag Alias: Now take this newly created Alias (which is essentially a fancy shortcut) and drag it over to your Favorites. It often behaves better and stays put more reliably than the actual folder.

Manual Addition via Preferences:

  1. Open Finder Preferences: Click Finder in your top menu bar, then “Preferences”.
  2. Sidebar Tab: Navigate to the “Sidebar” tab.
  3. Customization: Here, you can manually tick the folders you want visible. This includes your Home folder and others, but if you don’t see your specific folder, that’s okay, move to the next step.
  4. Add Custom Folder: Adding custom directories might be a stretch for this list, but ensuring common locations are visible makes it easier to drag them into place as needed!

Tackling Finder Glitches:
Sounds like @techchizkid mentioned relaunching Finder if it acts up, but let’s dig deeper. Finder refresh won’t always cut it; reboot your Mac once. A fresh start can clear minor nuisances.

Spotlight and Siri:

  1. Spotlight Search: Believe it or not, Finder could be endlessly frustrating but Spotlight search is a gem. Invoke it using Cmd + Space, type your folder’s name, and drag it from the search results back into Finder’s favorites.
  2. Siri’s Assistance: Does anyone use Siri regularly? If you’re one of those, ask Siri to “Show my [FolderName] folder” and it’ll open in Finder. Dragging from here is suddenly super smooth.

Terminal Alternative:
For those comfortable with a bit of geekiness, Terminal can get things done:

  1. Open Terminal: Spotlight search Terminal or find it in Applications > Utilities.
  2. Symbolic Link Magic: Use the command ln -s /path/to/folder/ ~/Library/Favorites/FolderAlias, replacing /path/to/folder/ with your directory path.
    • This creates a symbolic link to your folder in a persistent spot.

Not everyone’s cup of tea, sure, but beats repeating steps or facing Finder’s occasional forgetfulness.

Third-Party Tools:
Absolutely agree with the sentiment about Finder’s limitations brought up earlier. Alfred and Path Finder are champions for power-users, excellent for workflow efficiency. Not only does it reduce Finder’s fiddliness, but also adds in bonus features that are so incredibly time-saving:

  • Custom hotkeys
  • Power search with filters

Alfred integrates beautifully with macOS, allowing for robust searches and customized hotkeys. While Path Finder presents an entire replacement of the Finder interface, giving much more control, search functionalities, and sidebar management.

However, even simpler, there’s Dropzone, which can create shortcuts even faster and place them directly where you need them. Once you grow accustomed to using these tools, Finder’s quirks will feel like an ancient relic of impatience.

'Notes on iCloud and Cross-Platform Usage:
Regarding organizing and avoiding Finder glitches altogether, thoroughly consider robust cloud services like Google Drive/Dropbox. Reiterating from what’s been suggested, these are lifesavers if you work cross-platform or often switch between devices. For instance:

  • Files are always in sync.
  • Busy professionals can avoid getting cornered by OS-specific issues.

Synchronization Tips:

  1. iCloud Drive: Integrates almost seamlessly. Just remember, iCloud can sometimes be too seamless and takes liberty with file organization.
  2. Google Drive Desktop: A precise control; pinpoint exactly what gets synced without Finder’s finicky behavior messing things up.

Ultimately, Finder Favorites’ stability can oscillate, so having aforementioned backups and methods helps a great deal in maintaining productivity regardless of macOS quirks. Balancing out between in-built macOS features and third-party tools can definitely streamline your workflow, minimize frustrations, and keep your workspace surprisingly neat.

Hope these extra tricks assist in dealing with the occasional Finder mood swings and help you reclaim your productivity!