How do you open a folder in OSX using the keyboard?

38

9

On Windows, pressing Enter when you highlight on a folder in Windows Explorer will open that folder.

Same on Linux.

On OSX, pressing Enter when you highlight a folder edits the folder's name (like F2 on Windows and Linux).

Is there a keyboard shortcut to do the same thing as on Windows, so that you'll open the folder? It doesn't have to be Enter, but I'd like to know if there's another hotkey that does it.

The reason why I ask is because I like to navigate through deep folder structures by using the arrow keys for navigation and Enter to drill down into them.

Daniel T.

Posted 2010-03-14T20:59:31.217

Reputation: 663

Answers

57

You can use Command+Down Arrow to open a folder.

  • Command+Up Arrow will take you to the parent folder.
  • Command+Right Arrow or just Right Arrow will expand (toggle the triangle chic) the folder.
  • Command+Left Arrow or just Left Arrow will retract the folder.

Also good to know is Command + any of 1, 2, 3 or 4 will toggle between the different view types (icon, list, columns, cover flow respectively).

Josh K

Posted 2010-03-14T20:59:31.217

Reputation: 11 754

5Apple+O also opens the highlighted folder. – mindless.panda – 2010-03-14T21:57:26.433

Correct, but he mentioned using the arrow keys extensively, so I went with the arrow keys. – Josh K – 2010-03-14T22:03:27.887

FYI: on my MacBook Pro (MacOX X 10.7.3 Mountain Lion), when in list view, RightArrow and LeftArrow expands/retracts a folder, same as Command+RightArrow/Command+LeftArrow – aqn – 2014-05-02T17:06:08.287

Asked: 2010-03-14T20:59:31.217

Viewed: 17 260 times

Active: 2018-09-06T13:55:36.997