How to Create Folders in Mac

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The beginner's guide to creating new folders on your desktop and in Finder

Co-authored by Yaffet Meshesha

Last Updated: May 2, 2024

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• On the Desktop (Right-Click)
|
• On the Desktop (Menus)
|
• In Finder

|Show more |Show less

This wikiHow teaches you how to create new folders on a Mac laptop or desktop computer. This works for all currently supported versions of Mac OS. You can create new desktop folders by clicking the File menu and selecting New Folder.

Making New File Folders on macOS

To create a new folder on your desktop, right-click an empty space and select New Folder. To create a folder within another folder, open a folder in Finder, right-click a blank area, then select New Folder.

Steps

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

On the Desktop (Right-Click)

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1. 1
   Right-click in an empty space on the desktop. This will open a menu.

   • You can also access the right-click menu by holding the Control key, and clicking normally, or two-finger clicking on a supported trackpad.
2. 2
   Select New Folder. This will create a new folder on your desktop.
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3. 3
   Name your new folder.
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

On the Desktop (Menus)

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1. 1
   Click on an open space on your desktop. The menu bar at the top of the screen should now say Finder next to

   

   .
2. 2
   Click on File in the menu bar.
3. 3
   Select New Folder.
4. 4
   Name your new folder.
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

In Finder

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1. 1
   Open Finder. To open Finder, click on

   

   in your dock.
2. 2
   Click on Documents in the menu bar in the finder window.
3. 3
   Right-click on an empty space in the Finder window.
4. 4
   Select New Folder. This will create a new folder in the active Finder window.
5. 5
   Name your new folder.
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Common Questions: Organizing Documents in Folders

How do I put documents in a folder?

To move documents into a folder on a Mac, simply drag and drop the file into the folder. If you want to move multiple documents, select the documents, and then drag them into the folder.

Why can't I move files into folders on Mac?

If you can't move certain files, make sure the file isn't read-only. If you're using your keyboard to move files, make sure it's working properly in other applications. Also, make sure you're not currently in the "Stacks" view of your desktop.

How do I delete a folder?

To delete a folder on Mac, drag the folder to the Trash on the Dock. You can also control-click the folder and select Delete.

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