Create handy shortcuts to your favorite files, folders and apps
REQUIRES Files, folders or apps that you want easy access to
YOU WILL LEARN How to create aliases on your Mac
IT WILL TAKE 5 minutes
GENIUS TIP
When creating an alias, your pointer should turn into a curved black arrow as you drag the file or folder. If not, you’re just moving an item.
THERE WILL HAVE probably been many times when you’ve wanted to access a file or folder on your Mac without having to rummage around inside your computer to locate it. On occasions like that, aliases can be invaluable.
In short, an alias provides a shortcut to an item on your Mac. So, you could store a group of files inside a folder in your Documents folder, then create an alias of that folder on your desktop. Open the alias and you’ll be taken to the original location, with all the proper files in place. This is useful if you want to keep files in their original place while still having an easy way to access them. It also means there’s no need to duplicate files and folders and lose storage space on your Mac as a result.
MANY ADVANTAGES
You can create aliases of files, folders, apps and drives, and they’re easily identified by the small black arrow in their bottom–left corner. One benefit of aliases is their flexibility —once you’ve created one, you can rename it or move it to another location and it will still work as expected. You can also move the original file (that is, the one that the alias links to) and the link will remain intact, so there’s no need to worry about breaking aliases by changing them.
The ease of use belies the utility of an alias, and they can be deployed in all sorts of ways. Let’s get started and see just what they can do.
HOW TO Create aliases on your Mac
To create an alias, hold the Cmd and Opt keys, then drag an item to a new location. For instance, you could drag a file from the Downloads folder to the desktop and an alias is then created at that destination.
Alternatively, pick a file in Finder, then select File > Make Alias. Or Ctrl– click it and choose Make Alias, or select the item and press Ctrl+Cmd+A. These methods create an alias
