How to Change Default Sorting for Finder App in macOS

Apple macOS Finder App Default Sorting

In macOS, you can set the default sorting behaviour for the Finder App, so that you do not need to manually change it for every folder in the system.

Procedures

Apple macOS Finder App Default Sorting
  • First, open the Finder App.
  • You can browse to the “View” section on the top menu and select “Show View Options”.
  • OR right-click anywhere in the application and select “Show View Options”.
Apple macOS Finder App Default Sorting
  • Change the “Sort By” settings to your desired option.
  • Remember to click “Use as Defaults” to save and apply the changes.

Occasionally, some folders, that have the old .DS_Store file, will not use the new settings. If that is the case, you can open the same View Options panel.

  • Hold the Option key on the keyboard.
  • The “Use as Defaults” button will become “Restore to Defaults”.
  • Click the button to reset the folder’s sorting preferences.

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4 COMMENTS

  1. THANK YOU THIS SAVED MY LIFE! whenever i clicked on “sort by name” it didnt work but then i held down the option key and my life’s whole again haha

  2. An explanation for the sorting methodology used by Finder would be a great help. It’s not ASCII sequence, that much is obvious. Capitals are ignored. Special Characters sort first. The whole thing makes no sense, and whatever the method is, Apple pretends everything is somehow “normal”.

    ***Is there any way to specify a different method?**

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