Free and open source. Apple Silicon and Intel, macOS 14 Sonoma or later.
Why
Finder is a fine app with habits that trip up anyone coming from Windows, or anyone with a lot of files.
Elxplorer takes the ten most common Finder complaints and answers each one:
| Finder complaint | Elxplorer |
|---|
| Search is unpredictable | Searches this folder and everything inside it, by name, without relying on Spotlight. Says where it's looking, shows each result's folder, supports * and ? wildcards, filters by kind, date and size, optional name & contents, and saved searches. |
| Folder views don't stick | One set of columns, sort and view for every folder. Window size remembered. |
| Basic operations are odd | ⌘X / ⌘C / ⌘V cut, copy and move files. Enter opens, F2 renames, Backspace goes back. New ▸ Text Document and friends. "name - Copy" when a name is taken. |
| Navigation takes too many steps | Breadcrumbs that turn into a typeable path (click the bar or ⌘L, Tab completes). Back / Forward / Up. System and hidden locations one click away. |
| Organisation is restrictive | Sort by any column, group by type or date, Tags column, Pin to Quick access; your Finder favourites appear too. |
| Tabs and windows get chaotic | Real tabs; opening a folder that's already open reuses its tab; new windows open on the screen you're using; tabs come back after a restart. |
| Large folders are slow | Folders load in the background, only visible rows are drawn, the list updates live. Folder sizes are measured in the background. |
| Too little customisation | Customisable toolbar, Explorer-style menu bar in the window, rich right-click menu (Copy as Path, Open in Terminal, Compress, Open With…), every shortcut remappable in System Settings. |
| Previews and metadata are limited | A preview pane that opens by itself for pictures, video, audio, PDF, text and code, and 3D models (STL, 3MF, OBJ, PLY, USDZ… drag to turn them), with details such as dimensions, camera, duration and pages. Several files show as a pile, newest on top. |
| Bugs and odd layouts | Plain, standard AppKit; the window never resizes itself. |
Keys
| |
|---|
| Open | Enter |
| Rename | F2 |
| Back / Up | Backspace / ⌘↑ |
| Cut / Copy / Paste files | ⌘X / ⌘C / ⌘V |
| Copy as path | ⌥⌘C |
| To the Trash / delete permanently | ⌘⌫ / ⇧fn⌫ (asks first) |
| Type a path | ⌘L |
| Search here | ⌘F |
| New folder / new text document | ⇧⌘N / ⌥⌘N |
| Hidden files | ⇧⌘. |
| Preview pane | ⌥⌘P |
| Details / Large icons | ⌘1 / ⌘2 |
| Properties | ⌘I |
| Quick Look | Space |
Drives show a capacity bar like "This PC"; hover for the numbers, right-click ▸ More Info for the details.
Works with Elconvo
If Elconvo is installed, right-click files for Convert with Elconvo ▸ and Elconvo Tools ▸ (compress, crop, remove background, batch rename…), or ⌥-right-click to open Elconvo's wheel right at the pointer.
Install
- Download Elxplorer.dmg, open it and drag Elxplorer into Applications.
- The app isn't signed with an Apple Developer ID yet, so the first time macOS will refuse to open it. Go to System Settings ▸ Privacy & Security and click Open Anyway. Once.
- When it offers Full Disk Access, click Open Settings and switch Elxplorer on (Touch ID), then Relaunch. That one switch replaces the separate prompts for Desktop, Documents, Downloads, iCloud Drive and every USB drive. Later: Elxplorer menu ▸ Grant Full Disk Access.
- Optional: Elxplorer menu ▸ Make Elxplorer the Default File Browser, so most apps' "Show in Finder" (Chrome's included, after restarting it) opens here. Restore Finder as Default undoes it. macOS doesn't let any app replace Finder for plainly opening a folder (for example Chrome's "Open downloads folder"), the desktop or the Trash, so those stay with Finder.
Build from source
Needs only the Xcode Command Line Tools (xcode-select --install).
./build.sh # build/Elxplorer.app (Apple Silicon + Intel)
./package.sh # build/Elxplorer.dmg
| File | What's in it |
|---|
Sources/App.swift | Menus, windows and tabs, session restore, default file browser |
Sources/Browser.swift | One window: toolbar, panes, search, every file action |
Sources/FileList.swift | Details table and Large icons grid, keys, drag and drop |
Sources/Sidebar.swift | Quick access, This Mac, system locations, saved searches |
Sources/AddressBar.swift | Breadcrumbs that turn into a typeable path |
Sources/Search.swift | Name search, wildcards, filters, Spotlight contents search |
Sources/Preview.swift | Preview pane: pictures, video, PDF, text, 3D, the pile |
Sources/Model3D.swift | 3D previews: 3MF reader, print-file lighting and orientation |
Sources/Drive.swift | Drive space and More Info |
Sources/Model.swift | Files, settings, folder sizes, cut/copy/paste, file operations |
Sources/Elconvo.swift | Talking to Elconvo |
Support
Elxplorer is free and made by one person. If it makes your Mac nicer to use, a coffee on Ko-fi keeps it going. After a few days of use it asks once a month whether you like it, and stops for a year if you've donated (in Elconvo too).
Once a day Elxplorer checks GitHub for a newer release and offers to download it (or use Elxplorer ▸ Check for Updates…).
Made by Elad Itzkin · ai.itzkin.com · elad.itzkin.com. MIT licensed.
