Release notes

Every release, closer to the way you work with files.

Only the new features you can use and the everyday improvements you will notice after updating.

1.6: Bring scattered files together with less effort.

This update adds Folder Sync, more flexible selection and drag and drop, a more useful Recent view, and smoother previews. Windows, sorting, filenames, and Store startup have all been refined for the file work you do every day.

Folder Sync: review changes before they happen

  • Compare two folders side by side, then update the left, update the right, or keep both sides in sync. You no longer have to hunt down every difference yourself.
  • Preview the planned changes before starting. If a file changed on both sides, choose how to handle the conflict.
  • Save a task you repeat often and schedule it to run daily, weekly, or monthly.
  • When a file is still downloading from iCloud, other sync items that are ready can keep moving.

Select and move files with fewer detours

  • Use the arrow keys in folder trees to choose a row, expand or collapse a folder, and return to its parent.
  • Drag a selection box from empty space in List and Columns to choose multiple files at once.
  • Drop a file onto a destination folder in List, Icons, Columns, or Gallery.
  • Drop onto another tab or pane to send files to the folder open there, without juggling windows.
  • Common Paths in the sidebar and Floating Files accept dropped files too, keeping frequent destinations close at hand.
  • Hold Shift while dragging to switch between copying and moving for that drag.

Clearer names and long lists

  • Renaming to a name already in use now shows a clear conflict instead of leaving you to wonder whether the change worked.
  • Long names can wrap while you edit them. Renaming and text selection in Columns and the sidebar are clearer too.
  • Long names in cloud folders no longer cover dates and other columns.
  • Alternating List row colors remain consistent after scrolling, making large directories easier to follow.
  • Widen the Name column farther when you need to check more of a long filename.

Windows and Recent: pick up where you left off

  • Hide the bookmarks and workspaces bar when you want more space for files.
  • Remember each window’s size and position so it opens in a familiar layout next time.
  • Recent now opens inside the main workspace instead of a separate dialog.
  • Look back over the past week or month, or choose your own date range.
  • Start at Desktop, a chosen folder, or the location you last used.
  • Open a new DirDeck window directly from its Dock menu.

Sorting and grouping that follow your habits

  • Pin favorite folders above the current folder’s regular sort order, so important destinations stay in reach.
  • Group files in List, Icons, Columns, Gallery, and Floating Files, keeping a consistent way to organize them across views.
  • Folders First now lives in Sort, leaving the main toolbar simpler. The toolbar remains the place to show or hide hidden files.
  • Choose a default sort for newly opened folders.
  • Pick Light, Medium, or High Contrast date colors to make time information easier to read.

Preview and Floating Files without breaking your flow

  • Open a folder found in Global Quick Search directly in DirDeck and keep browsing there.
  • Adjust where Floating Files appears from its own settings, and tailor the top or side activation area to your habits.
  • Resize Floating Files more easily and move through selected files with the keyboard.
  • Use the arrow keys in Super Preview to browse files in the same folder without reopening the preview each time.
  • Open a file or send a copy directly from Preview. Supported archives can also be extracted beside the original.

Connections and folders that keep up

  • Connect to familiar network locations using SMB, AFP, NFS, WebDAV, or FTP.
  • Folder contents refresh more promptly after a download finishes or a file is renamed or deleted.

A smoother Store edition

  • On later launches, a recently verified purchase state can get you back into your workspace faster.
  • You can buy Lifetime Access while Annual Access is active. Manage annual auto-renewal in the App Store.
  • Updating continues to recognize existing trials, annual subscriptions, and lifetime access, including previously redeemed access.

1.5 is now available: Easier file actions, clearer previews and search.

1.5 updates the toolbar, folder information and search actions, with fixes for restored tabs, shortcut recording and renaming.

Toolbar and sorting

  • An uncustomized toolbar shows icons only, with Sort last and AirDrop in More. Existing icon-and-text preferences are preserved.
  • More now includes icons for commands such as New Tab, Quick Look and AirDrop. Customize Tool Order and Visibility lets you arrange and show the actions you use.
  • Folders First is off by default, so files and folders follow the selected sort together. Turn it on when needed; existing preferences are preserved.

Tabs and file actions

  • Fixed a brief blank view on the first switch to a restored tab after reopening a window.
  • Open duplicate locations when needed, then use Remove Duplicate Tabs or Shift + Command + K to tidy up. Pinned and multi-pane tabs are kept.
  • Fixed unresponsive shortcut recording. Record primary or alternate shortcuts, then choose Apply. Improved rename entry from Return and context menus.
  • Fixed unintended opening after dragging in single-click mode. Copy, Cut and Copy Path show brief status feedback, which can be disabled in Interaction settings.

Folder information and previews

  • Select a folder to calculate its contents size in the Inspector. Incomplete scans of large folders show a lower bound rather than presenting a partial total as complete.
  • Folder and archive contents load as you expand them. Browse subfolders and preview files in the Inspector; double-click a folder to navigate there.
  • The Inspector offers Rename and Copy Path. Improved Sony ARW identification and Illustrator previews; preview availability depends on the file and system support.

Global search

  • Each result has separate Copy Path and Open Directly actions. Copy keeps search open; Open Directly uses the default application.
  • Full-width separators connect each filename and path to its actions. Click the result body or press Return to locate the file as before.

Bookmarks and network locations

  • Bookmark folder disclosure arrows sit beside their names, making the relationship easier to see.
  • Mounted NAS shares with an identifiable server are grouped by server. Expand a server to access its shares instead of seeing every share at the top level of Locations.

Dates, filenames and appearance

  • Choose full or relative dates independently of colored date backgrounds. A color guide explains how to identify recently modified files.
  • Choose where long filenames truncate in icon and gallery views. Browse the gallery with arrow keys, and configure blank-area double-click to go up or back.
  • Choose native or colored sidebar icons and list thumbnails by file category. Date templates for new filenames offer presets and placement without adding unwanted separators.

Extraction and reliability

  • Faster ZIP extraction, especially for many small files. Keep browsing and selecting files during extraction, or cancel the operation.
  • Fixed a global search indexing issue that could cause sustained high CPU usage and abnormal energy consumption on macOS 15. Improved cancellation when switching previews and background work.

1.4 is now available: Floating Files, Floating Ball and easier file browsing.

Reach files from a floating window and organize them with pane actions. This update refines lists, bookmarks and cloud folders, fixes search background activity and adds local performance diagnostics.

Floating Files keeps frequently used files within reach

  • Staging, Downloads, bookmarks and saved folders now share one floating window. Use the plus button to add a frequently used folder.
  • Drag to resize the window and adjust thumbnail size with the footer slider, without an extra toolbar row. Disclosure triangles expand nested folders in List view.
  • Drag files and folders out of any directory. Moving is the default; choose Copy in Settings if preferred. Moving leaves the clipboard unchanged, and successfully dragged staging items leave the staging list.
  • Fixed Reveal in DirDeck and Quick Look being obscured by the floating window, and refined Copy, Share and file selection.
  • Improved notch hover activation and automatic hiding after the pointer leaves. Automatic placement uses the notch when available and the right edge otherwise, preserving saved placement choices. Pinning keeps the window open.

A Floating Ball for each pane

  • The Floating Ball sits over the middle of the list’s right edge without reserving an empty column. Its low-contrast circle has a single small center dot.
  • Go Back, Forward or Up, Select All, Reload and Copy Folder Path directly in the pane that owns the ball.
  • Separate actions compress or collect selected items into a new folder, or process all items in the current folder. Hidden items are included only when they are shown.
  • Customize transparency, double-click behavior, enabled hover actions and their order. Right-click to turn the ball off or open Floating Ball Settings.

More flexible lists, previews and window layouts

  • Right-click a list header to choose visible information columns. Expand folders with disclosure triangles while staying in the current list.
  • Improved column sizing during window resizing, right-aligned Workspace controls and preservation of preview width after shrinking and enlarging a window.
  • The side preview stays open until you close it. Returning from multiple panes to a single pane removes the active blue border.
  • Preview individual files after browsing into an archive. Improved scanned PDF-to-image export with clearer quality choices that also show DPI.
  • Optional per-folder sorting and grouping remembers only folders you customize, sharing those choices between the main window and Floating Files. It is off by default.
  • Browse archive folders in columns, press Space to preview or double-click to open a read-only copy. Extraction reveals results in the original pane, with password prompts for protected archives.
  • Super Preview has separate switches for folder contents, archive contents and Git information. Repository folders carry a branch badge; previews show the local branch and change counts without fetching or changing the repository.

Bookmarks, cloud folders and file actions

  • Fixed deleting one sidebar bookmark affecting other bookmarks. Improved selection, moving and ordering in Manage Bookmarks.
  • Bookmark folders and saved folder shortcuts have distinct icons: shortcuts carry an arrow while bookmark folders retain a plain folder icon.
  • Improved recognition of OneDrive, Nutstore and other cloud-sync folders. System-provided icons are preserved where available, with cloud markings to distinguish recognized synced folders from ordinary paths.
  • Network locations now support WebDAV and read-only FTP through the system connection flow, and Finder aliases to folders can be opened.
  • Built-in new-file templates stay blank, including a neutral Excel sheet name, without DirDeck branding or template markers.
  • Context menus show existing keyboard shortcuts, including Command + X for Cut. Update reminders link to the changelog. Related settings are grouped under Special Features; Shortcuts moves to Basics and Floating Ball sits below Super Preview.

Search and performance diagnostics

  • Fixed repeated background work that could keep CPU usage elevated after global search became stuck waiting. Improved cancellation and stopping work when search closes.
  • Improved rapid tab switching and repeated clicks with many folders, reducing interference from browsing, refresh and preview work. Search sorting controls stay aligned to the right.
  • New Diagnostics in Settings records a performance session and exports a local report to help investigate unusual CPU usage and stalls. It includes app performance data, anonymous operation events and available historical hang information.
  • Close Settings while recording and continue working. Stopping keeps partial results, and cancelling Save allows a later export. Reports are never uploaded automatically and do not read file contents, clipboard contents or other apps’ logs.

Better thumbnails, file actions and everyday navigation.

Resize thumbnails and see their default apps at a glance, with broader undo and redo, PDF image export, Invert Selection and tab organization, plus refinements to network locations, Finder favorites, the sidebar and previews.

Thumbnail size and default apps at a glance

  • A new size slider updates the current pane immediately: scale Icon thumbnails from 75%–400%, or adjust thumbnails and row height together in List view. Each pane remembers its own sizes.
  • File thumbnails in Icon view now show the actual default application icon at the lower right, so you can see both the content and which app will open it. Hover for the application name; the badge follows your default app association.
  • Broader content thumbnail support includes text, Office documents, images, audio and video that macOS can preview. Files without an available content preview keep their system file icons.
  • Enlarged thumbnails retain their proportions and clarity, while narrow panes keep a usable grid and scrolling. Fixed mismatches between the selection rectangle and the files selected in Icon view.

More complete file actions and shortcuts

  • Command + O opens the selected items: one folder opens in the current pane, multiple folders open as separate tabs, and files open in their default applications.
  • Command + Z and Shift + Command + Z undo and redo common file actions, including creation, copying, moving, renaming, moving to Trash and built-in tool exports. History belongs to the current window and app session; externally modified files trigger a conflict message.
  • New Invert Selection, with Shift + Command + I as its default shortcut, switches the selection among currently displayed files. Its shortcut and context-menu entry are customizable in Settings.
  • Improved copy, paste and keyboard focus in List and Icon views. While editing a filename, copy, paste and undo continue to work on the text.

PDF image export and renaming

  • Export every page of a PDF as PNG or JPEG images, with 72 / 150 / 300 DPI options and adjustable JPEG quality. Numbered pages go into a separate folder, leaving the original PDF unchanged.
  • Renaming an ordinary folder no longer incorrectly warns about an extension change. Actual file extension changes still require confirmation.
  • Batch Rename has a more compact live preview, reducing empty space for small selections while keeping original and new names side by side.

Tabs and multi-pane browsing

  • Scroll horizontally through a crowded tab strip. Drag tabs to reorder them, with automatic scrolling near the edges and a saved tab order.
  • The tab context menu now offers Close Tabs to the Right, preserving the chosen tab, tabs to its left and pinned tabs.
  • A clearer active-tab style, plus improvements to context-menu targets and Space preview in Column view, and consistency between grouping, sorting menus and displayed files.

Favorite locations, network connections and tags

  • Add saved SMB, AFP and NFS network locations directly from the sidebar, with guidance and address examples for each protocol. Quickly reconnect, rename or remove saved locations.
  • Import Finder favorites into Common Paths or bookmarks, choosing folders and skipping duplicates. Search names and paths in All Bookmarks to find entries in larger collections.
  • Add Common Paths from existing bookmarks or local folders, or remove individual shortcuts. Customize sidebar module order, visibility and default expansion.
  • Create tags and choose their colors from the sidebar without selecting a file first. New tags are saved for organizing files later.

Easier window and preview adjustments

  • New installations open with a balanced window layout and the right-hand preview enabled. Existing window and preview preferences are preserved.
  • Drag to resize the right-hand preview and keep your chosen width when changing pane layouts. Fixed issues with the preview divider range and initial width.
  • Hover over list-column boundaries, pane dividers or the preview divider to see the appropriate resize cursor. Sidebar buttons now have more consistent styling and click areas.

Update reminders and everyday refinements

  • Update checks continue while the app stays open, with a redesigned reminder, options to hide it for today or this week, and a direct close button.
  • Fixed mixed-language sidebar and empty-folder messages after changing the app language, so text in open windows updates promptly.
  • Operation error sounds are off by default and can be enabled in Settings. Error messages remain visible, keeping everyday work quieter.

A complete productivity upgrade for Workspaces, archives and everyday file actions.

This release goes beyond named, auto-saving Workspaces with major improvements to Finder Tags, archives, image-to-PDF, saved column and preview choices, shortcuts, multi-pane drag and drop, and File Transit.

Workspaces remember what you were doing

  • Save a tab as a Workspace and its one-to-four-pane layout and ratios, folders, history, views, sorting, grouping, hidden files, column widths, search, selection and active pane keep saving automatically.
  • Opening a Workspace creates a matching new tab by default, with a setting to replace the current tab instead.
  • Rename, duplicate, delete or reorder Workspaces. If one is already open, DirDeck takes you straight to it instead of creating a duplicate.
  • If a path is offline, a disk is unmounted or permission expires, its pane keeps the original layout and path with a way to reconnect or authorize it again.

Finder Tags are more complete and appear sooner

  • Tags now have their own address and file view instead of borrowing the Advanced Search interface.
  • Custom Finder tags and colors stay in sync. Use the context menu to change a custom tag color or remove its sidebar definition without deleting files.
  • Standard color tags recognize both current tag metadata and older Finder labels, including files that could previously be missed.
  • The first matching items appear quickly while the rest continue to fill in. Switching again prevents late results from an older tag entering the new view.

More complete archive creation, extraction and Copy To

  • Create ZIP or 7Z archives, choose faster or smaller compression, and optionally split the result into size-based volumes compatible with 7-Zip tools.
  • Add AES-256 password protection to ZIP archives. The password option is clearly disabled for 7Z instead of producing an unprotected file.
  • Double-click still opens an archive in the macOS default app. To handle it inside DirDeck, choose Extract or Extract To and select the destination folder explicitly.
  • Copy To can target Bookmarks, Locations, nested folders or any chosen directory while keeping the source. A failed or cancelled multi-archive job preserves work that already finished.

Smaller and safer PDFs from images

  • Create a PDF from multiple images in the current selection order, using original dimensions or portrait and landscape A4 and US Letter pages.
  • A new photo compression strategy prevents JPEG, HEIC, HEIF and WebP sources from expanding to several times their original size inside a PDF.
  • Transparent source images keep their transparent pixels instead of being flattened simply to reduce the file size.

Folder trees, lists and previews fit the way you work

  • Drag to resize each folder-tree column and the Name, Modified, Size and Kind columns in List view. DirDeck remembers those widths independently.
  • DirDeck remembers whether you left the Inspector visible. Explicit choices remain respected as you move between single-pane and multi-pane layouts.
  • Folder previews keep the name, full path and asynchronously calculated size in a fixed header, and an entire folder row toggles its tree.
  • Finder tag and iCloud local, cloud-only and downloading states appear as clear badges in List, Icon, Column and Gallery views.

Everyday file actions are closer at hand

  • Press Command + Delete in a file view to move items to Trash. The shortcut can be changed or disabled and never takes over while you edit text.
  • New File supports custom text or binary templates, filename rules and date placeholders, shared by the toolbar and context menu.
  • Batch Rename now shows the current selection, thumbnails and a live old-to-new name preview, with number sequences at either end of the name.
  • Mouse buttons 3 and 4 can navigate back and forward, and shortcut changes take effect immediately without relaunching the app.

Clearer multi-pane actions and File Transit

  • A pale green border marks the destination pane while you drag across panes or windows, keeping it distinct from the active pane.
  • Move the current pane to any other position in the open layout from its context menu, across every built-in one-to-four-pane layout.
  • Multi-file drops into File Transit are more dependable. Split stacked items apart or export one without changing the others.
  • File Transit uses a lighter translucent appearance, with opacity you can adjust in Settings.
  • Each item shows a concise import date and time instead of a running countdown.

Tighter details and reliability

  • Bookmarks, Workspaces, the sidebar and labeled toolbar controls now share more consistent icons, spacing, text sizing and hit areas, and the visible label itself is clickable.
  • Settings controls align along one clean edge, and archive previews no longer cover or repeat information.
  • External-disk permission and device identity are restored more reliably after reconnecting, renaming a disk or renewing access.
  • Double-clicking a tab now activates it without closing it. Installed 1.1 copies receive an update prompt for 1.2 with remind-later choices.

Faster switching. Easier file moves.

This release makes the tab, window-resizing and cross-location actions you use most feel better, while adding network locations, image watermarks and more practical improvements.

Smoothness you can feel every day

  • Switch between tabs much more quickly, even in folders with many files or workspaces with several panes.
  • Resize a window and the file lists and layout now adjust live instead of freezing on a still or distorted frame.
  • Tabs narrow to fit smaller windows. Rename any tab once and its custom name stays even when you browse to another folder.

Less friction moving files around

  • Connect to SMB, AFP, NFS and other network locations through macOS, then return to them from the sidebar.
  • Copy files in Finder and paste them straight into DirDeck, including move-paste.
  • Drop across windows onto the empty part of a destination pane, not only onto an existing file row.
  • External-drive access is more dependable, and items stored in File Transit drag out more reliably.

Finish more small jobs in place

  • Batch Rename can now change file extensions along with the rest of the name.
  • Add repeating text watermarks to images, adjust the text, angle and opacity, and preview the result as you work.
  • The Remove Background action is visible again, and file icons have more natural proportions in Gallery view.
  • Choose an interface size anywhere from 10 to 17 pt.

More dependable previews and layouts

  • iCloud images and UTF-8 Markdown files preview more reliably instead of failing when the file is valid.
  • New tabs no longer start slightly scrolled down and hide the first file.
  • When a preview is unavailable, the filename and Open Location action stay at the top while the message remains centered below.
  • First-time folder access and network connection screens now explain the next step more clearly with neater button layouts.

DirDeck arrives on the Mac.

The first release brings tabs, flexible panes, previews, organization and everyday file tools into one window, so complex file work needs fewer windows and less back-and-forth.

Bring several folders into one workspace

  • Browse with tabs and switch among 12 one-to-four-pane layouts.
  • Every pane remembers its own path, history, selection, view and search.
  • Bookmark files and folders in multiple levels, then drag them into the hierarchy and order you want.
  • Press D twice to quickly find filenames and paths in locations you have allowed DirDeck to access.

Preview, move and process files

  • Use Super Preview to explore folders, archives and 100+ everyday file formats layer by layer.
  • Park files, folders, text, images or links in File Transit and continue from any DirDeck window.
  • See every new filename before applying a batch rename.
  • Crop, rotate, convert and compress images, or split, merge, rotate, compress and extract pages from PDFs.

Your files stay on your Mac

  • No DirDeck account, advertising, usage analytics or cloud sync.
  • You choose folder access through macOS, while filenames, paths, previews and processing stay on your Mac.