Mac: what is a smart folder and how does it work?
There are so-called intelligent folders on Mac OS X. We show you what you can do with it and how to set up such a folder.
What is a smart folder on Mac?
An intelligent folder on MacBook or Mac automatically filters out files according to certain search criteria - for example by name, file extension or content - and combines them in one folder. For example, you can have all PDF files belonging to a particular lecture or your entire music collection automatically displayed in one place and quickly accessed.
How to create a new smart folder on Mac
To create an intelligent folder with certain properties, proceed as follows:
- Open the "Finder".
- Press the key combination "cmd" + "alt" + "N". Alternatively, go to "File" -> "New intelligent folder" in the menu bar
- An empty window opens with the heading "New intelligent folder".
Here you can search for any file name and extension using the search bar at the top right. "Cleaner" is the following solution:
- Click on the little "+" in the top right corner. If you want to search the entire computer, make sure that "Browse this Mac" is clicked after "Browse:".
- In the menu bar that appears, select "Type" on the left and "PDF" on the right to display all PDF files on your Mac.
- Press "+" again to select additional criteria - for example "Content contains:".
- This is how you limit the selection until you only have the files that you want to store in the intelligent folder.
Finally, all you have to do is assign a name and location to the folder:
- After you have defined all criteria, click on "Save" in the top right corner.
- Name the folder and select the storage space.
- If you want the folder to appear later in the Finder menu bar on the side, leave the checkmark next to "Add to sidebar". Otherwise remove it.
- Click on "Save".
From now on, the folder automatically collects all files with the specified search criteria. Incidentally, you can change the latter at any time. Simply open the intelligent folder and click on the gear icon at the top and then on "Show search criteria".