Finder navigation guide
How to go up one folder on Mac
Press Command–Up Arrow in Finder to open the folder containing the current folder. That is different from going back in history. SADFinder also maps the parent-folder action to Option–Up Arrow — the same chord as Alt+Up in Windows Explorer.
Quick answer
Press Command–Up Arrow in Finder to open the folder containing the current folder. That is different from going back in history. SADFinder also maps the parent-folder action to Option–Up Arrow — the same chord as Alt+Up in Windows Explorer.
Open the parent folder in Finder
- Make the Finder window active
Click the window or switch to Finder with Command–Tab.
- Press Command–Up Arrow
Finder opens the folder that contains the current folder.
- Use Command–Left Bracket only for history
That shortcut goes to the previously viewed folder, which is not always the parent.
Parent folder and previous folder are not the same
The parent is determined by the path: the parent of ~/Documents/Projects is ~/Documents. Back history depends on where you navigated before, so it might lead to an unrelated folder.
Apple calls the parent action 'open the folder that contains the current folder' and assigns it to Command–Up Arrow. The Go menu also exposes Enclosing Folder.
Use Option–Up Arrow to go up
SADFinder assigns Option–Up Arrow to the parent-folder action — physically the same Alt+Up chord Windows File Explorer uses, so switcher muscle memory just works. It opens the real parent, not a replay of navigation history. Command–Up Arrow works too.
The editable path bar also lets you jump directly to any ancestor or type a completely different path.
| Action | Finder | SADFinder |
|---|---|---|
| Open parent folder | Command–Up Arrow | Option–Up Arrow |
| Go back in history | Command–[ | Command–[ |
| Go forward in history | Command–] | Command–] |
Native Mac reference: Apple: Mac keyboard shortcuts.
Try the familiar keys
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Frequently asked questions
What is the shortcut for the parent folder on Mac?
Press Command–Up Arrow in Finder.
Why doesn't Backspace go up in Finder?
Finder does not assign Backspace to parent-folder navigation. Use Command–Up Arrow. SADFinder maps the parent-folder action to Option–Up Arrow — the same chord as Alt+Up in Windows Explorer — and reserves Backspace for Move to Trash, like the Delete key on Windows.
Is Command-[ the same as going up?
No. Command–[ goes back in navigation history. Command–Up Arrow always opens the folder containing the current folder.