Customize Finder Toolbar on Mac: Step-by-Step

Finder’s toolbar is the row of buttons and menus at the top of every Finder window. Customizing it lets you put the actions you use most—like moving files, toggling hidden files, or opening a new folder—one click away, and remove the ones you never touch. You can rearrange, add, or delete buttons, and even change the toolbar’s appearance. No special tools or downloads are needed; everything is built into macOS.

What You’ll Need

A Mac running macOS (any recent version, from Catalina to Sonoma and later).
An active Finder window (click the Finder icon in the Dock, or press Option+Command+Space to open a new one).

Step-by-Step

Open a Finder window. Click the Finder icon in the Dock (the blue face at the far left). If no window opens, press Command+N to create one.
Enter customization mode. Go to the menu bar at the top of the screen and click View, then select Customize Toolbar…. A sheet will slide down from the toolbar with a palette of available buttons.
Add buttons. In the customization sheet, you’ll see a grid of buttons (like “New Folder”, “Delete”, “Get Info”, “Share”, etc.). To add one, simply drag it from the sheet up onto the toolbar. Drop it where you want it to appear. The toolbar will shift to make room.
Remove buttons. To remove a button, drag it off the toolbar and drop it anywhere outside the toolbar (for example, onto the desktop or into the customization sheet). The button will disappear with a poof animation.
Rearrange buttons. Drag any button left or right along the toolbar. A vertical line shows where it will land when you release the mouse.
Change the toolbar style. At the bottom of the customization sheet, there’s a drop-down menu labeled “Show”. Choose from:
– Icon and Text (default: shows both)
– Icon Only (cleaner, more space)
– Text Only (shows labels, no icons)
Pick whichever suits your workflow.
Add flexible space or a separator. In the customization sheet, you’ll see a “Flexible Space” item and a “Space” item. Drag “Flexible Space” between two buttons to push everything after it to the right edge of the toolbar. Drag “Space” to insert a fixed-width gap.
Reset to default. If you want to undo all changes, drag the default set from the bottom of the customization sheet (it looks like a small cluster of icons) onto the toolbar. This restores the original layout.
Finish. Click the Done button (blue, at the bottom right of the customization sheet) to save your changes. The sheet closes and your toolbar is now customized.

Common Mistakes

Dragging instead of clicking. Some users try to click a button in the customization sheet and expect it to be added. You must drag it onto the toolbar.
Removing the wrong button. When you drag a button off, it’s gone for good unless you re-add it. Double-check before you drop.
Forgetting to click Done. If you close the window or press Escape without clicking Done, your changes are discarded.
Confusing the toolbar with the sidebar. The customization sheet only affects the top toolbar. The sidebar (left panel) is customized separately via Finder > Settings > Sidebar.
Adding too many buttons. A cluttered toolbar defeats the purpose. Keep only what you use daily.

Tips

Use “Flexible Space” to center buttons. Drag a Flexible Space before and after a set of buttons to group them in the middle of the toolbar.
Add “Path” to see the full folder path. The “Path” button shows the current folder’s location in a pop-up menu—useful for quick navigation.
Add “New Folder” for one-click creation. If you create folders often, this button saves a menu trip.
Keyboard shortcut for customization. Press Command+Option+T to toggle the toolbar on/off, but to customize, use the View menu.
Customize per window? No. Toolbar customization applies to all Finder windows. You can’t have different toolbars for different folders.
If you miss the default, reset. The default set is at the bottom of the customization sheet—drag it up to restore everything.

Troubleshooting

Toolbar won’t change. Make sure you clicked Done after dragging. If it still doesn’t stick, quit Finder (right-click Finder in Dock, hold Option, click Relaunch) and try again.
Buttons disappeared after update. macOS updates sometimes reset Finder preferences. Re-customize as described—it’s a quick fix.
Can’t drag a button. Ensure you’re in the customization sheet (View > Customize Toolbar…). If the sheet isn’t open, dragging does nothing.
Toolbar is hidden entirely. Press Command+Option+T to show it again, or go to View > Show Toolbar.
Customization sheet is empty. This is rare but can happen. Close the sheet, quit Finder, and reopen. If it persists, restart your Mac.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I add my own apps or files to the toolbar?

Yes. While the customization sheet is open, you can drag any file, folder, or app from a Finder window onto the toolbar. It will appear as a button that opens that item.

How do I remove the toolbar completely?

Press Command+Option+T or go to View > Hide Toolbar. This hides the toolbar but doesn’t delete your customizations—they’ll come back when you show it again.

Does the toolbar customization apply to all Finder windows?

Yes. The toolbar is global to Finder. Any change you make affects every Finder window.

Can I have different toolbars for different folders?

No. macOS doesn’t support per-folder toolbars. The toolbar is the same everywhere in Finder.

Why is my “Customize Toolbar…” option grayed out?

This usually happens if the Finder window is in full-screen mode or if the toolbar is hidden. Exit full-screen (press Esc) and make sure the toolbar is visible (View > Show Toolbar).

What is the default toolbar set?

The default includes Back, Forward, View, Arrange, Share, Tags, Search, and New Folder. You can always restore it by dragging the default set from the bottom of the customization sheet onto the toolbar.

General steps for current mainstream versions; menus can differ by device and version. See the disclaimer or report an error.

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