My Downloads folder had been left unkept for a really long time and cleaning it up using Finder was quite cumbersome. So I started creating a simple app to help me filter out and delete or move the files in the folder.
It started out very basic and the filtering options genuinely helped me clean out the Downloads folder, then as I thought of more features I would like to see in a file manager I started to add them. Some of the features are:
- Fuzzy go to folder/file where you only need to write a few letters of a full path, get suggestions and can jump to the correct path instantly - Hover over a file to preview an image or PDF without opening it - Dual-pane view and tabs that remember selected filters - Command palette to find actions fast - Batch rename (with regex support and presets for common operations), image conversion (HEIC/WebP/AVIF to JPG/PNG), zip creation - Bookmarks, Quick Look, single-click open, keyboard control
And many other small quality of life features.
I used Claude Code for making the app and the tech stack is .NET/C# with AppKit. The app is compiled to Native AOT so the total app size is only around 9 MB. Since file operations are very important to get right (I don’t want to lose any important files) I put a lot of time into hardening file move/copy/delete operations. Copies are written to a temp file and atomically renamed into place. I also made a dedicated audit of move/copy/delete and verified each operation by hand.
Another thing that’s important to me is apps that are privacy first so the only network request the app makes is to check if there’s a new version (this is not done at all for the trial version, the trial expiry date is enforced locally by just checking the date and trusting the user) and the only information that is sent is the current app version.
The app is Apple Silicon, macOS 12+ and has a 30-day free trial with a one-time launch price of $19.99 (no subscription).
I used to have a greater need for a file manager in other jobs. I don’t have the same need anymore but Forklift (https://binarynights.com/) has always been great and I still use it from time to time.
does this index the disk to do this ? So the filemanager is working with an index rather than the files ? It could be stale ?
I haven't found a good file manager for mac since 15 years now. They all just about do the things I need but not good enough. I've never really done the dual pane thing, my favourite gui for file management was Windows XP. Every iteration of explorer since has gotten objectively worse.
On mac I don't even bother trying to filemanage. I remote in to a windows machine.
I need to be able to get paths and paste paths.
for my downloads I just sort by type in list view and delete whatever by type. just do that a few times a year no big deal. I don't understand why we can't have an AI that sorts out the files they half baked 'stacks' onto the desktop, but all that happens is i now have dozens and dozens of stacks which contain dozens and dozens of files.
//confused noises//
Wait, are you telling me that macOS has gotten so ensh---ified that many of its users feel the need to purchase a bespoke file manager, arguably one of the most fundamental functions of an operating system?
Surely this is a very specific product for a very specific class of users? This can't be a widespread need, right? RIGHT?
(Context: I haven't used modern macOS in roughly a decade and have no idea what it's like these days)
I really, really need a better Finder. I've been using Path Finder for many years, but it was always a so-so replacement and the company wasn't very interested in moving it forward (even fixing bugs took many years). I eventually gave up and stopped paying for it.
I now use the Finder (column view) and it sucks.
At a first glance, I like this app. The problem I have is that I tend to think about the long term: will this app be around in 5 years? There is a plethora of AI-coded apps (this in itself doesn't bother me) where the author loses interest after just a couple of weeks.
And (here come the HN downvotes, because this is really unpopular on HN) the one-time pricing model doesn't lend itself to long-term sustainability, unfortunately. I know people hate to hear that, but ask anyone who tried to run a small or solo-founder business whether it's possible to make ends meet with one-time purchases.
First screenshot on the front page has a design issue: text of selected file is in black instead of white.
Do you have any kind of public AI statement on the ways this product utilizes or is built with generative AI, if any?
That's a great tool dude! I was looking for similar thing would give it a try
“Your Downloads folder has 847 files.” Oh no.. do I have a problem? +10k files
Why would anyone trust an app from an anonymous source access their whole filesystem with read/write access? Who are you [email protected] and where are you from?
Just switched from windows to Mac and the rumors are true. Finder is terrible.
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I like many of the ideas in this app, but IMHO it does not yet look like a macOS app: eg. strange blue focus outlines to denote active state, which on my system are larger vertically than the button they contain but not horizontally which results in a very untidy display, some buttons are smaller than the required/recommended minimum size. Some other things I've noticed, compared to Finder: far less items in the same vertical space, different keyboard shortcuts for same feature makes migration difficult.
My favourite Finder-likes: Nimble Commander, Marta