How to Batch-Rename files in the macOS Finder
Built into the macOS Finder is a handy tool for renaming files. I use it just about every day for something or another.
For example, the Sony A1 generates “.HIF” files that won’t open in Photoshop without renaming them to “.HEIF”.
How to Batch-Rename files in the macOS Finder
- Select files. works great, since non-matching files are unaffected.
- Right click (control click) on a file and choose or use ... to bring up the file renaming dialog.
- Enter the text to replace and the text to replace it with.
- Click .
If more files got renamed than you intended perhaps from a too-liberal matching text, then
and try again.
The
dialog can do more than simple text substitution, but there is no regex support and it is brain dead about formatting. But it’s still useful for some quick jobs.

Don H writes:
If you don’t already use it, I highly recommend ‘A Better Finder Rename’:
https://www.publicspace.net/ABetterFinderRename/version10.html
It’s stand-alone. I think including the word ‘Finder’ in the app name makes it sound like it’s some sort of extension. It’s a fantastically-capable batch processor. I have used it for normalizing many filenames (thousands at a time) from disparate sources, along with folder names. It’s great for OCD file organization.(After using it in trial mode I was impressed enough to buy the ‘Forever Upgrade’ a number of years ago, and have benefitted ever since.)
The ‘Big Mean Folder Machine’ is also a good app when managing large hierarchical libraries:
https://www.publicspace.net/BigMeanFolderMachine/index.html
They’re not free like the Finder feature, but are vastly more capable.
MPG: I have not looked into these products, but a quick look suggests they are vastly superior to the macOS Finder.
UPDATE: see Quick Look: A Better Finder Rename.
I’ve generally avoided add-ons as I try to keep things as vanilla as possible to forestall problems. I weight the issues of cost/complexity/frequency of use before I take on new software.