How to Rename Multiple Files at Once on a Mac

If a folder is full of files named “photo-01,” “photo-02,” and so on, you don’t have to rename each one by hand. Finder can replace the same piece of text across a selected group in one operation.

Quick answer: Select the files, Control-click one, choose Rename, and select Replace Text. Enter the text to find and its replacement, check the example, then rename and inspect the results.

Start with copies when the files matter. A batch rename changes the names of the items you select, so make sure you’re working in the right folder and have selected only the intended files.

Replace part of several filenames

1. Open a folder in Finder and select the files you want to change. To select separate items, hold Command while clicking them; to select everything in that folder, use Command+A.
2. Control-click one of the selected files and choose Rename. Finder’s menu shows how many items you selected.
3. In the rename dialog, choose Replace Text. In Find, enter the existing text shared by the filenames. In Replace with, enter the new text.
4. Read the Example at the bottom. It previews a sample name, not a complete review of every file. If it isn’t right, change the fields or cancel.
5. Select Rename, then inspect the resulting filenames in Finder. Check the count and a few individual names before moving or sharing them.

We tried this on three disposable text files in macOS 27.0.1. Replacing “photo” with “trip” changed photo-01.txt, photo-02.txt, and photo-03.txt to the corresponding “trip” names. The numbers stayed in place in this example. We then pressed Command+Z in Finder and observed all three original names return.

Before you rename a real folder

Pick a distinctive Find term. Replacing a short string can change more of a filename than you intended, and a file that doesn’t contain the term may not change as expected. The single example in the dialog won’t show every possible mismatch, so check the entire selection afterward.

Keep filename extensions intact. Renaming a file’s extension isn’t the same as converting its contents; for images, use an actual export workflow such as Preview’s image conversion.

If the result is wrong, try Edit → Undo or Command+Z immediately in Finder, then verify the names. Undo worked in our disposable test; don’t assume it will always be available after other actions. A separate copy or backup is the safer fallback.

Other rename choices

Apple also documents options to add text or change the name format, including numbered names, in its Finder rename guide. Those are useful for different jobs, but we tested only Replace Text here. Menu wording and behavior can vary with macOS versions.

The featured image shows our three renamed test files in Finder; interface credit: Apple.