How to Add a Quit Finder Option to the Finder

2010-03-07 updated 2010-05-06 • SEND FEEDBACK •
Related: Apple macOS, defaults write, How-To, macOS Finder, optimization, software

When the Mac runs low on memory, you can get some of it back by quitting the Finder (the Finder is what draws your desktop).

If you have a messy desktop, quitting the Finder is one way to temporarily hide background clutter.

Or if you’re running tests like MemoryTester, it frees up memory.

Adding the Quit menu

Open Terminal (in the Utilities folder) and type or paste the following command:

defaults write com.apple.finder QuitMenuItem -bool yes

Then log out and log back in, or restart your Mac, and the Finder will now have a Quit menu, just like any other application. Choose it and the Finder disappears!

Adding a Quit menu to the Mac Finder

Start again from the Dock

Getting the Finder back

If you have quit the Finder using its handy Quit command, how do you get it back?

1) The easiest way is just to click on it in the dock, as shown at right.

2) You can logout and log back in. Or you can restart your Mac.

3) Or you can open Terminal, then type the following command:

open -a Finder

The open command can open any application this way.