How to batch rename files on a Mac.
Finder is better at this than most people know — and renaming can do more than relabel.
macOS has shipped a real batch renamer inside Finder since Yosemite, hidden behind a right-click. For pure renaming it's genuinely good. The interesting question is what happens when a rename could do work.
1Finder's Rename tool (built in)
- Select the files, right-click → Rename…
- Choose Replace Text, Add Text, or Format (name + counter).
- Apply — all files rename instantly.
Excellent for its scope: find & replace and sequential numbering. No dates from EXIF, no case changes, no conditions.
2Terminal / scripts (unlimited, unfriendly)
- for f in *.jpg; do mv "$f" "${f/IMG_/Trip-}"; done
- Or install rename via Homebrew for regex power.
- Test on copies first — there is no Undo.
Anything is possible, including disasters. No safety net.
3RenameTo (when renaming should do work)
- Rename files to what you want them to become: photo.dated.jpg date-stamps from EXIF, batch-renaming to .jpg converts, folder → Folder.zip archives.
- Every processed source is backed up first; Undo restores the backup without deleting a produced conversion output.
- Combine with Finder's Rename tool for pure-text passes.
The layer Finder is missing: renames that transform files, safely.
Finder renames labels; RenameTo renames outcomes. dated builds chronological archives from EXIF, extension changes convert, zip archives — the same gesture, doing actual work.
Questions? Answers.
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