How to Remove an Item from the Finder Sidebar on a Mac

If you’re a Mac user, you may have noticed that the Finder sidebar can quickly become cluttered with various items and shortcuts. This can make it challenging to locate essential folders or files when you need them most. Fortunately, removing unnecessary items from the Finder sidebar is a simple process that can help declutter your workspace and improve your overall productivity.

Here’s how to remove an item from the Finder sidebar on a Mac:

  1. Open Finder: Start by opening a new Finder window on your Mac. You can do this by clicking on the Finder icon in the dock.
  2. Locate the Item: In the Finder sidebar, find the item that you want to remove. It could be a folder, a device, or a shortcut.
  3. Remove the Item: To remove the item from the sidebar, simply click and drag it out of the sidebar. Once you see a puff of smoke animation, release the item to delete it.
  4. Customize Sidebar: You can further customize the Finder sidebar by adding or rearranging items. To add an item, drag it from the Finder window to the sidebar. To rearrange items, click and drag them to your desired position.
  5. Refresh Finder: Finally, to apply the changes and refresh the Finder sidebar, either close and re-open Finder or press “Command + Option + Escape” to relaunch Finder.

By following these simple steps, you can easily remove unnecessary items from the Finder sidebar on your Mac and create a more organized and efficient workspace. Decluttering your sidebar can lead to improved productivity and make it easier to access the files and folders you use most frequently.