Customizing the Mac Finder sidebar lets you streamline file access by organizing frequently used folders, applications, and cloud services in one convenient location. The sidebar consists of four main sections—Favorites, iCloud, Locations, and Tags—each of which can be tailored to your workflow. You can show or hide the entire sidebar, adjust its width, and add or remove items via drag-and-drop or Finder Preferences. Advanced options include creating custom tags, managing saved searches, and using keyboard shortcuts for efficiency. These customizations apply not only to Finder windows but also to Open/Save dialogs, making file navigation consistent across applications.

Key takeaways from the sources:

• The sidebar can be toggled via Finder > View > Hide/Show Sidebar or the shortcut Option + Command + S ^[5]
• Items are added by dragging folders/applications into the Favorites section or via Finder Preferences > Sidebar ^[3]
• Sections like iCloud, Locations, and Tags can be expanded/collapsed and customized individually ^[2]
• Sidebar customizations persist in Open/Save dialogs, improving workflow across all apps ^[3]

Customizing the Mac Finder Sidebar

Managing Sidebar Visibility and Basic Settings

The Finder sidebar’s visibility and dimensions can be adjusted to fit your screen space and workflow preferences. Start by toggling the sidebar on or off using the View menu in Finder or the keyboard shortcut Option + Command + S ^[5]. This is particularly useful when working with smaller screens or when you need to maximize the file-viewing area. Once visible, you can resize the sidebar by clicking and dragging the vertical divider line to the right of the sidebar—this allows you to balance the space between the sidebar and the main file display ^[4].

For broader customization, open Finder Preferences (Finder > Settings or Command + Comma) and navigate to the Sidebar tab. Here, you’ll find checkboxes for default items under Favorites, iCloud, Locations, and Tags. Check or uncheck these to control which items appear in the sidebar. For example:

• Enable Recent Tags to quickly access files labeled with specific tags ^[1]
• Disable iCloud Drive if you rarely use cloud storage to reduce clutter ^[2]
• Toggle Hard Disks or External Disks to show or hide connected drives ^[10]

The sidebar also supports collapsible sections. Click the arrow icons next to section headers (e.g., Favorites, Tags) to expand or collapse them, which helps declutter the view when certain sections aren’t in use ^[2]. These settings are saved per-user, so your customizations will persist across reboots and updates.

Adding, Removing, and Organizing Sidebar Items

The Finder sidebar’s true power lies in its ability to act as a customizable launchpad for your most-used files, folders, and applications. The Favorites section is the most flexible, allowing you to add items via two primary methods:

1. Drag-and-drop: Simply drag any folder, file, or application from a Finder window or your Desktop into the Favorites section. This creates a shortcut—deleting the item from the sidebar won’t delete the original file ^[3].
2. Finder Preferences: Open Finder > Settings > Sidebar and check the boxes next to predefined items like Applications, Desktop, or Downloads ^[10].

To remove items, drag them out of the sidebar until you see a removal animation (a puff of smoke effect), or right-click (Control + click) the item and select Remove from Sidebar ^[5]. For rearranging items, click and drag them up or down within their respective sections—this lets you prioritize frequently used items at the top ^[3].

Beyond folders, you can add saved searches (Smart Folders) to the sidebar for dynamic file access. For example:

• Create a Smart Folder for all PDFs or images, then drag it to the sidebar for one-click filtering ^[3]
• Add third-party cloud services like Google Drive or Dropbox by dragging their root folders into Favorites ^[5]
• Use tags to categorize files (e.g., "Work," "Personal") and enable them in the sidebar for quick filtering ^[1]

The sidebar’s organization extends to Open/Save dialogs in applications like Pages or Photoshop, where your customized Favorites and Tags will appear. This consistency across macOS ensures your shortcuts are always accessible, even outside Finder ^[4].