Show HN: Fast, native Mac file manager (filters, fuzzy find, 9 MB, no Electron)

Show HN: Fast, native Mac file manager (filters, fuzzy find, 9 MB, no Electron)(whimfiles.com)

28 points by whimbyte 4 hours ago | 19 comments

My Downloads folder had been left unkept for a really long time and cleaning it up using Finder was quite cumbersome. So I started creating a simple app to help me filter out and delete or move the files in the folder.

It started out very basic and the filtering options genuinely helped me clean out the Downloads folder, then as I thought of more features I would like to see in a file manager I started to add them. Some of the features are:

- Fuzzy go to folder/file where you only need to write a few letters of a full path, get suggestions and can jump to the correct path instantly - Hover over a file to preview an image or PDF without opening it - Dual-pane view and tabs that remember selected filters - Command palette to find actions fast - Batch rename (with regex support and presets for common operations), image conversion (HEIC/WebP/AVIF to JPG/PNG), zip creation - Bookmarks, Quick Look, single-click open, keyboard control

And many other small quality of life features.

I used Claude Code for making the app and the tech stack is .NET/C# with AppKit. The app is compiled to Native AOT so the total app size is only around 9 MB. Since file operations are very important to get right (I don’t want to lose any important files) I put a lot of time into hardening file move/copy/delete operations. Copies are written to a temp file and atomically renamed into place. I also made a dedicated audit of move/copy/delete and verified each operation by hand.

Another thing that’s important to me is apps that are privacy first so the only network request the app makes is to check if there’s a new version (this is not done at all for the trial version, the trial expiry date is enforced locally by just checking the date and trusting the user) and the only information that is sent is the current app version.

The app is Apple Silicon, macOS 12+ and has a 30-day free trial with a one-time launch price of $19.99 (no subscription).

ninefathom 14 minutes ago |

//confused noises//

Wait, are you telling me that macOS has gotten so ensh---ified that many of its users feel the need to purchase a bespoke file manager, arguably one of the most fundamental functions of an operating system?

Surely this is a very specific product for a very specific class of users? This can't be a widespread need, right? RIGHT?

(Context: I haven't used modern macOS in roughly a decade and have no idea what it's like these days)

abanana 2 minutes ago | |

(Context: similar to you)

I suppose it's similar to how people used to buy things like Directory Opus. The point isn't so much that the default one doesn't work. A bunch of functions like those listed here, e.g. batch rename and easy image conversion, would be a great help to power users, and should be better than having to install a separate program for each one.

I doubt it's aimed at everybody, but it shouldn't need to be. Software tailored to a specific group's needs is likely to be better for them than something too generic.

msephton 3 minutes ago | |

I think it's more people would rather built their own opinionated file manager than explore or understand how much Finder can really do. This app does a tiny fraction of what Finder can do and has been able to do for decades.

jaffa2 2 hours ago |

does this index the disk to do this ? So the filemanager is working with an index rather than the files ? It could be stale ?

I haven't found a good file manager for mac since 15 years now. They all just about do the things I need but not good enough. I've never really done the dual pane thing, my favourite gui for file management was Windows XP. Every iteration of explorer since has gotten objectively worse.

On mac I don't even bother trying to filemanage. I remote in to a windows machine.

I need to be able to get paths and paste paths.

for my downloads I just sort by type in list view and delete whatever by type. just do that a few times a year no big deal. I don't understand why we can't have an AI that sorts out the files they half baked 'stacks' onto the desktop, but all that happens is i now have dozens and dozens of stacks which contain dozens and dozens of files.

msephton 38 minutes ago | |

I assume this just uses standard system API, so spotlight or mdfind.

There's an app called Hazel that does your stack sorting. And you can get paths (copy file populates pasteboard with multiple forms, one of which is the file path) and paste paths easily (I use keyboard shortcut but it's also on the context menu). You can paste paths into goto box or even into file selector to instantly change the directory to the location of the file and select it. There are so many "hidden" things like this throughout macOS that it's worth asking before giving up hope that something might not be possible.

ttoinou 1 hour ago | |

I’m in the same boat, I don’t like Finder (better than Windows Explorer though), nor do I like default macOS files / folders dialogs, and I really dislike drag and drop behavior on macOS

I dont understand why we are stuck in stone’s age with filesystems GUI

whimbyte 1 hour ago | | |

> and I really dislike drag and drop behavior on macOS

In the app you can have a dual pane with two folders side-by-side and select the file(s) you want to move/copy to the other folder and right click or open the command palette to do the operation, so you do not have to drag them (though dragging still works too). It's also possible to cut files with CMD + X and paste them somewhere else with CMD + V.

jaffa2 1 hour ago | | |

One thing worth knowing is in the mac file dialogs you can drop a file from finder into these and it will change directory to where that file is.

The other thing is in most apps in the title bar there is an icon. Drag that to finder and it saves the file. Kinda Risc os style.

seanclayton 1 hour ago |

Do you have any kind of public AI statement on the ways this product utilizes or is built with generative AI, if any?

nubg 57 minutes ago | |

the point being? the battle of using agentic AI for software development being "stealing" has long been lost.

frizlab 52 minutes ago | | |

Says who?

I do not think people actually think it’s not stealing in all honesty. I’m pretty sure it’s something like “but we cannot do differently” and we kind of collectively “decided” to stop talking about it.

It’s still plainly wrong, and a theft.

aagd 57 minutes ago |

Why would anyone trust an app from an anonymous source access their whole filesystem with read/write access? Who are you hello@whimfiles.com and where are you from?

217 49 minutes ago | |

nothing beside the lack of willing is stopping you from removing its internet access before giving it the file system permissions

frizlab 56 minutes ago |

First screenshot on the front page has a design issue: text of selected file is in black instead of white.

whimbyte 52 minutes ago | |

> First screenshot on the front page has a design issue: text of selected file is in black instead of white.

Good catch. That's already fixed (selected-row text is white now, matching Finder). Just an old screenshot on the site. I'll get it updated. Thanks for flagging it.

HeavyStorm 1 hour ago |

Just switched from windows to Mac and the rumors are true. Finder is terrible.

nottorp 13 minutes ago | |

it's only port install mc that keeps me from reviewing all alternative file managers for mac os :)

walthamstow 57 minutes ago | |

Slightly unrelated but do yourself a favour and download the Alt Tab app for MacOS. I haven't used a Windows machine daily for a long time but that window switching behaviour never went away for me, especially if I'm working on just the laptop screen.

alimbada 47 minutes ago | | |

I've been using it for the last 3 years since I needed to use Macs for work and it is a boon compared to the janky/jarring native Mac app switching behaviour.