Developer & ITOriginal Reddit post
Finder replacement question
Question from new Mac user: I downloaded a finder replacement app that I really like, but when I go to save a file or open a file from within another app I still get the original Mac Finder. Is there any way to change that to use the app I downloaded? TIA
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Open and save dialogs from within an app has nothing to do with the Finder except that you can interact with it. An app that alters open and save dialogs is Default Folder. http://www.stclairsoft.com/DefaultFolderX/
Second this. Default Folder is an excellent app. I've used it for years, and it has become indispensable.
That Open/Save dialogue is not the Finder, but part of the OS structure for every app and no there is no way to hack a different app into that place.
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That’s not what he’s talking about. He’s talking about Open & Save dialogs.
Just learn how to use the Finder? Either that or go back to windows. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I know how to use finder, it’s just stupidly designed. And if I hadn’t spent so much on the Mac, I would have replaced it with a good Dell or HP months ago… sigh. This is what I get for listening to a friend who assured me Macs were better. At least it’s given me a new hobby—finding apps to make it work better. I never did this with my PC, it just worked. (Ha! The way they say Macs do, but don’t actually.)
As a staunch WIndows user since WFWG 3.11, I made the switch to macOS about 6 years ago. The first few months were ENDLESSLY frustrating. However, once you learn the "Apple Way" of doing things, it's amazing. I'm forced to use Windows 11 at work, and OMG it's so horrible. Is macOS perfect? Heck no, but with the right third-party apps I can't imagine going back. Watching a lot of YouTube videos helped me learn the macOS way.
yeah this one bites everyone. macOS doesn't let third-party apps touch the system open/save panel, full stop. sandboxing limitation, Apple hasn't opened it up. so whatever Finder replacement you're using stays your main browser, but the moment any app opens a dialog, you're back to the native one. Default Folder X is the closest thing to a fix. it doesn't replace the panel but bolts onto it recent folders, favorites, keyboard shortcuts. makes the whole thing much less annoying to navigate. not what you asked for but probably the best you're getting.
I'm not sure what you're using but here is the instructions for how to set Bloom as default when clicking "open in finder" you can probably change the app to whatever you're using. https://www.notion.so/Bloom-as-default-file-viewer-2aaa897f1789801e96dae887fc2d99fd
cual es la app que reemplaza a finder?
This is actually expected behavior, not a bug in your replacement app — the Open/Save dialogs you see from other apps aren't controlled by Finder at all. Each app implements its own file picker using macOS's native panel, completely separate from whatever you've set as your Finder replacement. So there's no setting that fixes this; it's just how macOS is built. The replacement only changes what you see when you browse files directly, not what other apps show you when saving/opening.
yeah everyone else is right that its not your finder app's fault, the open/save box is a system panel (NSOpenPanel) that each app draws itself, so a third party cant replace it. but you're not stuck with the bad version, theres a couple ways to make it way less painful: Default Folder X is the actual answer to what you're asking. it bolts onto the system open/save dialog and adds your favorites, recent folders, and lets you jump the dialog straight to whatever folder you've already got open in a Finder window. its the closest thing to "use my preferred file UI inside the panel". free trick that works everywhere: in any open/save box hit cmd+shift+G and just type or paste the path. or drag a folder from Finder into the dialog and it jumps there. no extra app needed. so keep your finder replacement for actual browsing, and use one of those for the save dialogs. thats the combo most people end up on.
actually, the open and save windows are macos system panels controlled by the app you’re using, not normal finder windows. finder replacement generally can’t globally replace them. some apps add extensions or shortcuts that make navigating those panels easier, but i don’t think there’s a complete system-wide replacement ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
QSpace (my preferred Finder replacement) has a setting that enables that, and it works. So maybe it is up to the Finder-replacement app in question to include such a feature. Maybe you can reach out to the developer to inquire about adding it. Curious: which Finder-replacement app do you use?
Bro, you should at least include a screenshot or a video and clearly describe the issue so people can actually help you answer it.