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Files.app an eventual replacement for the Finder?
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If you want to be specific, the Finder has been with the classic Macintosh operating system since its first inception in 1984, and continued its prominence in Mac OS X, starting in 2001.
And yes, agreed; however, it's possible Catalyst will gain more utility and become more Mac-like, in which eventually, down the road, all applications will eventually be Catalyst'd. We're already seeing signs of this, with Messages.app, which is actually Catalyst, but functions and looks like a proper Mac application. You'd have to be hard-pressed to see the actual difference between Messages.app and a traditional AppKit application, such as Safari.
Maybe if Apple ever starts afresh with a single OS for all devices (ie, appleOS), that will be when Finder will be renamed Files.app. I would suspect this would take place once Intel sunsets completely and there is no new OS support for Intel computers.
I’m wondering about this as well. I think the System Settings app could be informative. I don’t think they’d have to even really change the functionality that much. They could give it a new icon to match the Files app for greater continuity, and maybe just call it “Files Finder” or something like that? Or go 100% and rename it Files. But the core functionality would probably still be largely the same as Finder, just with a bit of a facelift to bring it in line with iOS and iPadOS for greater cross-system continuity. I actually think this would be a good idea, because someone new to the system doesn’t necessarily look at a smiley face icon and realize that’s where they need to go to access their folders and files. My guess is that this unification will eventually happen.
Updating this thread for 2025.
Tahoe (recently released) still has the Finder. However, I suspect Files.app will replace Finder.app at some point, perhaps after Intel and Rosetta are 100% phased out.
Here's why:
On iPadOS 26, all apps now has the menu bar if you so wish to see it. The Files menu bar on iPadOS says:
Files | File | Edit | View | Go | Window | Help
Which is exactly like Finder, other than the Files name. The menu items are also almost identical to Finder's menu items, especially in the "File" menu.
I could be wrong, but my instinct tells me Apple will eventually replace Finder with Files, and they're preparing for this with iPadOS 26's extensive, almost-macOS-like update. Files.app keeps getting upgrades and additions yearly (added external HD support, for example), kind of seems like they're priming it to be an eventual full-featured file manager.
Apple actually used Desktop.app before, during the Mac OS X Public Beta back in 2000 (before reversing course and going back to booting into Finder.app in Cheetah 10.0), so in theory booting into the OS would boot us into Desktop.app, then when a folder is opened, Files.app would take over. Perhaps connectivity stuff such as iPhone backups/updates and AirDrop could be moved to a completely new application; Hub.app or something of that sort? That would honor the desktop metaphor but clearly and distinctly separate different functions into different applications. The Finder, as it stands currently, has a bit too much to do.
Apple could replace the smiley face Finder icon completely with the generic Files app icon from iPadOS, keep the Finder icon as is but rename the application to Files, or as a compromise, keep the folder icon from Files but add a Finder smiley face on the folder to represent the Mac.
I also wonder if maybe that's the reason Apple flipped the Finder face colors in the initial developer beta of Tahoe; perhaps that was a hint of some kind that change was coming down the road, just not in this release, but eventually.
Thoughts?
Tahoe (recently released) still has the Finder. However, I suspect Files.app will replace Finder.app at some point, perhaps after Intel and Rosetta are 100% phased out.
Here's why:
On iPadOS 26, all apps now has the menu bar if you so wish to see it. The Files menu bar on iPadOS says:
Files | File | Edit | View | Go | Window | Help
Which is exactly like Finder, other than the Files name. The menu items are also almost identical to Finder's menu items, especially in the "File" menu.
I could be wrong, but my instinct tells me Apple will eventually replace Finder with Files, and they're preparing for this with iPadOS 26's extensive, almost-macOS-like update. Files.app keeps getting upgrades and additions yearly (added external HD support, for example), kind of seems like they're priming it to be an eventual full-featured file manager.
Apple actually used Desktop.app before, during the Mac OS X Public Beta back in 2000 (before reversing course and going back to booting into Finder.app in Cheetah 10.0), so in theory booting into the OS would boot us into Desktop.app, then when a folder is opened, Files.app would take over. Perhaps connectivity stuff such as iPhone backups/updates and AirDrop could be moved to a completely new application; Hub.app or something of that sort? That would honor the desktop metaphor but clearly and distinctly separate different functions into different applications. The Finder, as it stands currently, has a bit too much to do.
Apple could replace the smiley face Finder icon completely with the generic Files app icon from iPadOS, keep the Finder icon as is but rename the application to Files, or as a compromise, keep the folder icon from Files but add a Finder smiley face on the folder to represent the Mac.
I also wonder if maybe that's the reason Apple flipped the Finder face colors in the initial developer beta of Tahoe; perhaps that was a hint of some kind that change was coming down the road, just not in this release, but eventually.
Thoughts?
I definitely agree. I think at some point (likely in the not-to-distant-future) Apple is going to replace the Finder app with Files, or at least rebrand it as some mix like “File Finder”. I think Finder isn’t very accessible for new users. The name of the app doesn’t clearly communicate its purpose, and nor does its icon. If one didn’t know any better, they couldn’t really be faulted for thinking the Finder is an AI search assistant app, or something of that nature. And every other Apple platform uses Files, it doesn’t make any sense for macOS to be any different in terms of the naming convention. I think Apple should move macOS over to Files, even if it’s basically just a renaming and app icon change of Finder, it would make things far better for new Mac users. I think they should just bring Files over to the Mac, use that name and the icon from iPadOS and every other platform.
I think the Settings app is a great example for this. All Apple platforms essentially use the same icon (a gear) for the Settings app, and the Settings app on all of Apple’s platforms is laid out in a way that’s similar. MacOS used to be an outlier in that respect as well, before macOS Ventura. The macOS Settings app was laid out completely different, and it was much harder to find settings, because it wasn’t consistent across Apple’s devices. If you were a longtime Mac user, perhaps that’s fine, but for many, it made trying to find settings that were easy to find on the iPhone a major pain because nothing was consistent with any of Apple’s other devices. I think the same is now true (to a lesser degree since the UIs and functionality of Files and Finder are very similar) with the Finder vs Files app found on every other Apple device for file management. I think changing Finder to Files would benefit many newcomers, and would make the experience feel more consistent and unified for people already using the Mac with other Apple devices.
I’m sure there would probably be some people who would be upset about it, but app icons are customizable on macOS. Besides, I’m sure people could get used to it. Yes, Finder probably has some nostalgia, but the nostalgia value doesn’t outweigh the confusion caused by the completely different name and icon that don’t clearly communicate the purpose of the app. Doubtless there will be some people who would complain about the change, as evidenced by the resistance to the sensible unification of the Settings app in macOS Ventura (which was met by some pundits with angst) and the foe outrage over Apple daring to switch around the colors on the Finder logo… But such changes will make macOS a lot more amenable to more users and newcomers to the system, and many current users as well. 👍🏻
File management on the Mac has always been a sore spot for me. Dumbing it down further will only exasperate the poor user experience. I already have to drop into a terminal and use Midnight Commander for any meaningful file management. I've tried Forklift and several other MacOS file managers, but always end up back in the terminal due to their limitations.
If you like using the terminal app, then that’s fine, you can do that, and switching Finder to Files wouldn’t affect that. Switching to Files wouldn’t be “dumbing it down”, Files and Finder are already essentially identical in just about every way…
I disagree. The name “Finder” doesn’t clearly communicate the purpose of the app, nor does the icon. Files is a much better name because it clearly communicates the purpose of the app (managing files), and the folder icon also clearly communicates the purpose of the app as well. Finder looks like it could be an AI search assistant or something. And I strongly disagree with the idea that Finder is “just as much a part of Apple’s branding as the Apple logo itself”. All Apple devices have the Apple logo, while only one platform out of many that Apple produces uses “Finder”.
Of course you would have some people probably outraged if Apple switched from Finder on Mac to Files, but I think it makes a lot of sense. Finder doesn’t clearly communicate its purpose at all with the name or the icon. Newcomers to the platform shouldn’t have to wonder where the file manager went, and why they can’t find the Files app. They shouldn’t have to google to figure out that the Files app on the Mac is this weird retro smiley face icon with the name Finder. It just isn’t very approachable for people new to trying macOS. You would be surprised by the number of people that I alone have personally run into that either asked me where the file manager on the Mac is because they couldn’t find it, or had to google it to figure it out. Back when Finder was originally created, it probably made more sense, but now it’s just not intuitive, and it’s kind of bad design principle for neither the icon or name for the app to communicate what the app does in any way… 🤷♂️
Personally, I think Apple should just replace it with Files and unify it with the rest of their platforms. It would make a lot of sense.
It's interesting — Finder on the Mac represents more than just an application — old-time experienced Mac users associate Finder with the desktop, with files management, with mounting/unmounting external drives, and even with the Dock. For the longest time now, Finder is what we first boot into. It's uniquely Mac.
Files, on the other hand, is an app with a specific purpose; to manage files in a mobile environment. The "desktop" on iOS/iPadOS is known as the "Home Screen". There is no true desktop metaphor on Apple's mobile OSes, but iPadOS does come a bit close with the new updates in iPadOS 26.
I think the core of the issue here is that Finder feels like more than just a file manager — it's the "heart" of the Mac. The Mac boots into Finder, it's basically the starting point. It's literally the first application you see when starting up. For many years now, even in classic Mac OS in the 80s/90s, the Finder has always been the first application you see. It's quintessentially Mac, and has been for decades now. Renaming Finder into Files might make sense given unity across platforms, but it also repurposes the Finder into one thing: file management. A siloed app.
That's why I personally think it would be wise for Apple to keep the desktop metaphor as is on the Mac, but name the "first" application one boots into (ie, the desktop/Dock/first-see environment) as Desktop, then opening a folder would take you straight into Files, without having to actually open the Files application. Files can basically be what Finder currently is, but when you're on the desktop (and seeing/interacting with files there), it should remain in the Desktop "application". Files would basically be an overlay on top of Desktop, then a connectivity application (as I suggested upthread, Hub or something else) would be dedicated to AirDrop/"iTunes" backups, etc. Perhaps when one clicks/holds the Files icon on the Dock (which would still be the first icon and unremovable, just like the Finder icon), there could be a shortcut to "Show Desktop", which would take you back into the Desktop "overlay" application. I think that would simplify things while honoring the desktop metaphor and current environment as-is.
A good way to retain the Finder "spirit" within Files would be to make the icon a folder, just like mobile Files, but add a smiley face icon on top of the folder, and then iOS/iPadOS icons on top of the Files app on mobile. That would make a nice transition and keep the Mac feel of Files intact. Perhaps "The Macintosh Desktop Experience" can be moved to the About dialog in Desktop.app.
My two cents.
Files, on the other hand, is an app with a specific purpose; to manage files in a mobile environment. The "desktop" on iOS/iPadOS is known as the "Home Screen". There is no true desktop metaphor on Apple's mobile OSes, but iPadOS does come a bit close with the new updates in iPadOS 26.
I think the core of the issue here is that Finder feels like more than just a file manager — it's the "heart" of the Mac. The Mac boots into Finder, it's basically the starting point. It's literally the first application you see when starting up. For many years now, even in classic Mac OS in the 80s/90s, the Finder has always been the first application you see. It's quintessentially Mac, and has been for decades now. Renaming Finder into Files might make sense given unity across platforms, but it also repurposes the Finder into one thing: file management. A siloed app.
That's why I personally think it would be wise for Apple to keep the desktop metaphor as is on the Mac, but name the "first" application one boots into (ie, the desktop/Dock/first-see environment) as Desktop, then opening a folder would take you straight into Files, without having to actually open the Files application. Files can basically be what Finder currently is, but when you're on the desktop (and seeing/interacting with files there), it should remain in the Desktop "application". Files would basically be an overlay on top of Desktop, then a connectivity application (as I suggested upthread, Hub or something else) would be dedicated to AirDrop/"iTunes" backups, etc. Perhaps when one clicks/holds the Files icon on the Dock (which would still be the first icon and unremovable, just like the Finder icon), there could be a shortcut to "Show Desktop", which would take you back into the Desktop "overlay" application. I think that would simplify things while honoring the desktop metaphor and current environment as-is.
A good way to retain the Finder "spirit" within Files would be to make the icon a folder, just like mobile Files, but add a smiley face icon on top of the folder, and then iOS/iPadOS icons on top of the Files app on mobile. That would make a nice transition and keep the Mac feel of Files intact. Perhaps "The Macintosh Desktop Experience" can be moved to the About dialog in Desktop.app.
My two cents.
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I'm concerned that Apple doesn't seem interested in adding features and functionalities to Finder except cosmetic stuff. Like for example I'd like to be able to queue file ops, run unattended file ops, get more info than a very basic progress bar with "about 5 minutes remaining"
Like is this the final form of Finder? No one can think of anything better?
Like is this the final form of Finder? No one can think of anything better?
My two cents? It’s the final form of Finder until it becomes renamed and revised a bit as Files. 👍🏻
When do you theorize that Finder will be renamed/revised to Files? Perhaps after the Intel/Rosetta transition is completely done, maybe macOS 28 or 29?
Yeah, I’m hoping they will do that with macOS 27 or sometime in the next few years. macOS 27 seems like it could make sense to me, since it will be the first version of macOS that will not have to support Intel Macs. I would definitely like to see macOS become more unified with the rest of Apple’s platforms in some of those regards.
And another interesting thing I would like to see, and I know this is probably fairly controversial, but I really would like to see the macOS desktop paradigm learn more from the Home Screen. Apple has already been doing this to a degree with things like desktop widgets, what I would like to see is the desktop become more like the Home Screen with the ability to create multiple pages with different widget combos, apps pinned on it, files, etc. Because as an iPad-primary user, I find the iPad Home Screen system to be more flexible and capable overall than the macOS desktop, and it pretty much all comes down to this multiple pages capability. Many people use different Home Screen pages with different apps, files (Files and folders can be pinned to the Home Screen using Siri Shortcuts), and widgets on the iPad, and even the iPhone. The macOS Desktop paradigm actually feels much more constrained and limited. I can’t really replicate this scrollable multiple Home Screen pages experience on the Mac. I think it would be good if macOS could adopt more of the Home Screen paradigm. Again, I’m sure this would be controversial, but this really seems like something that would make the Mac more capable, not less, and more flexible, while also making it more familiar and unified with Apple’s other platforms. 👍🏻
is this some kind of joke? why would a mac need to become 'more familiar and unified' with a phone? are 'new users' too thick to process that finder searches your mac for more than just files? or they just want a 16" phone? I can't wait for the convoluted select-move-select-delete-select-confirm-empty process.
it would be funny, but it's indicative of the steady dumbing down in motion for years now, ever since trinket cash cow entered the stage. they've already butchered spotlight, among other things, so the downward spiral must be sustained somehow.
it would be funny, but it's indicative of the steady dumbing down in motion for years now, ever since trinket cash cow entered the stage. they've already butchered spotlight, among other things, so the downward spiral must be sustained somehow.
I think you mean “why would a Mac need to become more modern and simple to use?”… Someday, if the Mac hopes to continue to be relevant, it will need to modernize and actually accommodate newer and younger users. I like the Mac, but the Finder naming is basically useless. A look at that app from someone new to the system does nothing to tell them what it does. The name doesn’t clearly communicate its purpose, nor does the smiley face icon. From first glance, one couldn’t really be faulted for concluding it’s an AI search assistant or something. It just doesn’t make sense anymore. There’s no reason it couldn’t or shouldn’t be rebranded as Files, with a name and icon that actually make sense…
And to address your question “why would a Mac need to become ‘more familiar and unified’ with a phone?”, it’s simple, for starters, most people own that phone before they buy a Mac, and that phone uses a software system that actually makes sense in this regard… And they could literally just replace the name and icon to Files. They wouldn’t have to mirror any of the same touch affordances provided on the iPhone or iPad, just like most other Mac versions of these apps… But just that simple change alone would make it so much nicer for many users who currently have to try to figure out where Files is on the Mac.
Also, just because something is made to be more unified and consistent with the iPhone doesn’t make the Mac “a 16” phone”, it improves the experience for Apple users who specifically choose Apple’s ecosystem for it’s more unified and consistent user experience across devices… By this token, does giving the Mac Airdrop make it a “big phone”? What about the Phone app, the ability to run iPhone apps natively, etc? Do all of those features that streamline the experience turn the Mac into a “big phone”? How many features and improvements should be held back away from Mac users so that we don’t risk anyone concluding the Mac is a “big phone”?
These improvements don’t “dumb down” anything, they improve the experience and make the system more functional and accessible for more people… They improve and modernize macOS.
Well said. I think people are concerned that Apple is dumbing down the Mac and making it less flexible/accessible.
Renaming the Finder to Files would also take away a sense of nostalgia, BUT as long as Apple does it in a way that honors the Mac experience/flexibility, and perhaps keep a whimsy of nostalgia (ie, keeping the "Macintosh Desktop Experience" text; "Macintosh HD" for new hard drives, etc.) and does not take away any Mac-specific features for power users, I think renaming Finder to Files would be a reasonable move, IMHO. It'd be a more familiar experience for new Mac users coming from iPhone/iPad.
Thanks. 👍🏻. Yeah, I agree, I’ve encountered others in the forum as well who are worried Apple’s going to somehow completely ruin macOS or something. Personally, I don’t get it, Apple has been developing macOS for many decades now, and hasn’t ruined it yet, so I’m sure they know what they’re doing.
And I can definitely understand the resistance to a change like that due to nostalgia. Sometimes change is hard to get used to. I do honestly think this change would make a lot of sense though, and seems almost inevitable in order for macOS to modernize and continue to stay relevant. Maybe it isn’t necessary and I’m just wrong. But I agree that this change would make a lot of sense, at least in my opinion. 👍🏻