To change the folder that opens in a new Finder window, click Finder in the Dock, then choose Finder > Settings > General. Open the New Finder windows show menu and select your preferred location. Choose Other… if you want a folder that is not listed. Test the change with File > New Finder Window, or Command-N, while Finder is active.
For example, you can start new windows in Downloads rather than Recents, or choose a project folder you use every day. This changes your starting location without moving any files. If you want new windows to use List view or a different size, those controls are explained separately below.
In this guide
- Change the default folder and choose a custom location.
- Check that the preference worked.
- Change a folder's view mode and view defaults.
- Adjust window size, tabs, the toolbar, and the sidebar.
- Fix unexpected results and restore your previous settings.
Before you begin
These instructions use the current Finder menu names in Apple's Mac User Guide. Newer versions use Finder > Settings; older versions use Finder > Preferences. The startup-folder control is in General in either case. You do not need to install another app or restart the Mac for the basic preference.
Have the folder you want to use available on your Mac. If it is on an external drive or network location, make sure that location is connected and accessible. A local folder is a simpler choice when you need a reliable starting point while traveling.
Note your existing selection before changing it. This makes it easy to undo the change, especially if your Mac already uses a custom folder instead of Recents.
Change the default Finder folder
- Click the Finder icon in the Dock. Finder becomes the active app, and the menu bar at the top of the screen shows Finder beside the Apple menu.
- Choose Finder > Settings from that menu bar. On an older Mac, choose Finder > Preferences instead. A window with Finder preferences opens.
- Click General at the top of the settings window. Find the menu labeled New Finder windows show.
- Open that menu and select the location you want, such as Documents, Desktop, or Downloads, if it is listed. The menu displays your new selection.
- Close the settings window. The selection is saved as a preference; there is no separate Apply button for this setting.
- With Finder still active, choose File > New Finder Window, or press Command-N. Check the folder name and contents in this newly opened window. It should show the location you selected.
Use the Finder menu at the top of the screen, rather than looking inside System Settings. Apple's Finder settings guide describes this control as the folder displayed when you open a new Finder window.
Choose a custom folder with Other
If your preferred folder is missing from the menu, use the folder chooser:
- Return to Finder > Settings > General and open New Finder windows show.
- Select Other…. A dialog opens so you can choose a location.
- Browse to the folder you want to use. Select the folder itself, rather than a document inside it, and click Choose.
- Confirm that the General preference now shows your chosen folder. Close settings and open a new Finder window to verify its contents.
For a practical example, select your existing project folder inside Documents. You can then start each new window with that project's files visible. You do not need to relocate the project to the Desktop or create a second copy.
If you cannot find the folder, first locate it in a normal Finder window. The Go menu provides shortcuts to common locations, and Go > Go to Folder lets you enter a known path. Do not select a similarly named folder until you have checked that it contains the files you expect.
Choose a useful starting location
Downloads is convenient if most of your Finder work begins with files from the web. You can review new downloads quickly, although changing the preference does not change where a browser saves its downloads.
Documents or a particular project folder can be better for regular work. Pick the folder that reduces your first few navigation clicks. You can still open every other folder normally.
Recents shows recently used files drawn from different locations. It is useful for finding something you just worked on, but it does not represent a single folder holding all those files. Switching the default away from Recents does not erase the recent-file list or delete the originals.
If Downloads is cluttered, choosing a cleaner startup location will not free storage. Our guide to deleting junk files and freeing space on a MacBook Air covers that separate task. Check files before removing them; a Finder appearance preference does not require deleting anything.
What this setting changes
The preference supplies the starting location for a new Finder window. It does not redirect a request to open a particular folder. Clicking Documents in the sidebar or opening Downloads directly still takes you to that location.
It also does not immediately move an already open window to your new folder. Clicking the Dock icon can bring an existing Finder window forward, which makes the old location look like the default is unchanged. Use File > New Finder Window for a clear check.
An app's Open and Save dialogs are separate from a new Finder window. An app may remember a previous location or provide its own saving preference. Selecting Documents as Finder's default does not set every app's save destination, move your Documents folder, or enable iCloud synchronization.
Make a folder open in List, Icon, Column, or Gallery view
The startup folder and its display style are separate choices. You can set Downloads as your starting folder and then make that folder use List view, for example.
- Open the folder you want to customize in Finder.
- Use a View button in the toolbar to choose Icon, List, Column, or Gallery. On a narrow window, the view buttons may be inside a pop-up menu; widen the window if you cannot see them separately.
- Choose View > Show View Options, or press Command-J. The options window shows controls for the currently selected view.
- Adjust the available settings. Icon view offers icon size and grid spacing; List view offers list-related options. Choose settings that make this folder easy to scan.
- Where available, select Always open in the chosen view to keep that view for the folder. Select Browse in that view if you also want to use it when browsing its subfolders.
- Close the options window, or press Command-J again. Reopen the folder and check the result.
List view is useful for comparing names, dates, and other columns. Icon view displays a grid, Column view helps you navigate a folder hierarchy, and Gallery view emphasizes large file previews. The best choice depends on the work you do in that folder.
Apply view defaults and handle exceptions
Apple's folder display guide says Use as Defaults applies the customized settings to folders that use the same view. The button is not available for Column view. It does not establish one size and position for every Finder window.
If a subfolder keeps opening in another view, open that subfolder and inspect View > Show View Options. Apple advises deselecting its Always open in and Browse in checkboxes when you want it to follow the parent folder's view. Keep those choices selected for the main folder. Change only the folders you actually want to behave this way.
Do not assume that one click will replace every existing folder-specific preference. If only one folder behaves differently, check that folder before attempting broader fixes. Older forum advice may describe behavior from a different macOS version.
Adjust window size and position
To resize a Finder window, drag an edge or corner. To move it, drag its title bar. These are the standard controls documented in Apple's window arrangement guide.
For a useful check, open a new window at your chosen startup location, adjust it, close it, and open another new window at the same location. Observe what your Mac retains. Opening a different folder, restoring earlier windows, or changing displays may produce a different layout.
There is no window-width or window-position field in New Finder windows show. The startup preference cannot guarantee that every folder, Trash window, or app file dialog will use identical dimensions. Use as Defaults controls view settings, rather than a universal window rectangle.
If you frequently need several locations, keeping a Finder window with tabs open may be easier than repeatedly closing and recreating it. Avoid preference-file deletion, Terminal scripts, or third-party utilities simply to change the basic startup folder; the built-in preference handles that task.
Choose tabs or separate windows
In Finder > Settings > General, Open folders in tabs instead of new windows controls what happens when you hold Command and double-click a folder. Select it for tabs; deselect it for separate windows. It is not the same control as the startup location.
Current macOS also has System Settings > Desktop & Dock > Windows > Prefer tabs when opening documents. The available choices are Never, Always, and In Full Screen. If folder-opening behavior differs from what you expect, check both preferences and the action you are using.
A normal folder opening usually replaces the current window's contents. Apple also notes that when the Finder toolbar and sidebar are hidden, double-clicking a folder without Command opens it in a new window. Its folder-opening guide explains these separate behaviors.
Restore or customize the sidebar and toolbar
Choose View > Show Sidebar if the sidebar is missing. If that command is dimmed, choose View > Show Toolbar first. Hiding the toolbar also hides the sidebar.
Use Finder > Settings > Sidebar to select or deselect the standard shortcuts. You can drag a custom folder into the sidebar's Favorites section for quick access. Removing a sidebar shortcut does not delete the original folder.
The General tab also has Show these items on the desktop controls for connected hardware. Those checkboxes affect desktop icons rather than the new window's starting folder. See how to show your hard drive on the Mac desktop if that is the shortcut you want.
To change toolbar buttons, choose View > Customize Toolbar. Restore the toolbar through the View menu if you hide it accidentally. These changes can help you reach other folders without replacing your preferred startup location.
Show the path and set search scope
Choose View > Show Path Bar to display the location and containing folders near the bottom of the window. Apple's current file information guide describes clicking a folder in this bar to show its subfolders. This gives you a quick way to check where you are.
Under Finder > Settings > Advanced, When performing a search sets the initial search scope: the entire Mac, the current folder, or the scope used last time. This does not change the startup folder. In the same tab, Keep folders on top: In windows when sorting by name puts folders first when you use name sorting; it is not a promise for every sort order.
If the problem is a disappearing scrollbar, see how to always show scroll bars on a Mac. That is a separate system appearance preference.
The menu bar says Safari or another app: Click Finder's Dock icon, then look for Finder at the top of the screen. Settings in another app will not change Finder.
The old folder still appears: Close Finder settings and use File > New Finder Window. Check that you are inspecting the new window, rather than an existing window brought forward by the Dock.
A particular folder opens somewhere else: Opening that folder directly is expected to show its own contents. Repeat the new-window test to isolate the startup preference.
The custom folder is unavailable: Check whether its drive or server is connected and whether you can open the folder normally. If it was moved or renamed, select the current folder again through Other…. A local folder is a useful temporary alternative. Do not change permissions or delete folders to fix an appearance preference.
Only the display style is wrong: Review the folder's view options, including subfolder overrides. Changing the General startup menu does not force List or Icon view.
The preference will not persist: Confirm the selection in General again and test a newly opened window. If it still fails, record your macOS version and the exact action that produces the wrong result before seeking support. A managed work Mac may need its administrator's help. Reinstalling macOS is not a first step for this setting.
Restore your previous default
Return to Finder > Settings > General > New Finder windows show and select your previous location. If you want the usual recent-file starting view, choose Recents where available. Open a new window to verify the change.
This does not undo separate sidebar, view-mode, or tab changes. Restore those in their own controls if you changed them too. Keeping the changes separate makes it easier to identify which preference solved your problem.
Frequently asked questions
Does this delete files or remove Recents?
No. It changes the initial location of a new Finder window. Your folders and files remain where they were, and you can still access Recents through available Finder navigation.
Can I use a folder on an external drive?
Use Other… to select an accessible folder. Check the result while the drive is connected. If you often use the Mac without that drive, a local starting folder avoids depending on that connection.
Do I need a paid Finder app?
No. Finder provides the native startup-folder setting. Utilities that enhance file dialogs, track recent files, or organize folders address additional tasks and are not necessary for this change.
Why does a new window look different from an older one?
The windows may show different folders or use different saved view settings. Check their locations, then compare each folder's Show View Options. Window size and display layout are separate from the startup-folder preference.
After selecting your preferred folder, open one new Finder window and confirm its contents. Then adjust that folder's view only if the way its files are displayed also needs changing.
Matthew Burleigh has been writing tech tutorials since 2008. His writing has appeared on dozens of different websites and been read hundreds of millions of times.
After receiving his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science he spent several years working in IT management for small businesses. However, he now works full time writing content online and creating websites.
His main writing topics include iPhones, Microsoft Office, Google Apps, Android, and Photoshop, but he has also written about many other tech topics as well.