Steps to enable Terminal are the following: Since the goal to create files after browsing to the folder in the Finder app we start by enabling the Terminal app for current Finder folder. If you are not afraid to be more technical you can use the Terminal app for creating files. You can, however, change the file extension when needed.įor instance, if you are creating a bash file you need to create a file in plain text format and save it with a. But if you need you can also change the Encoding.īy default, the extension of the new file will be. By default, it’s Unicode (UTF-8) and it should be enough in most cases. The last option in the Save File dialog is a Plain Text Encoding. You can even create a new folder if needed. In this window, you can browse and find the folder for your file.

This will change the folder selection from the list to a Finder window. If the folder you need is not in the list, click on an icon that looks like a down arrow. If you click on the dropdown next to Where label it will provide a list of different locations including Favorites and Recent folders. Now make sure that the file will be saved in the correct folder by checking Where section. To save the document either press Command-S or go to the app menu, select File and then Save.įirst, change the name of the file from Untitled to whatever you need. Or go to the app menu, select Format, this will display a dropdown where you need to click on Make Plain Text option. To switch to plain text either press Shift-Command-T. In a search windows type TextEdit and hit Enter.īy default, TextEdit creates files in RTF format (look like Word documents). To start TextEdit hold Command key and hit Space bar. TextEdit is a default application that comes with every Mac and it is free. Instead, you have to browse to the required folder every time when creating a file. The disadvantage of this approach is that you cannot create files in the Finder. Create Text File on Mac With TextEditĬreating a file using TextEdit is the simplest way for someone who does not want to do anything too technical.

Let’s review four possible solutions in detail.

There are many ways to make creating files easier. This will create a new, untitled file that you can rename and save in the desired location. Alternatively, you can right-click on the desktop and select “New Document” from the context menu. To create a new file on a Mac, open the Finder and select “File” > “New Document” from the top menu. But if there is one thing, I miss a lot, the thing that Windows does better than Mac, is easiness of creating a new file. They are very easy to use and much more stable than Windows computers. If you buy through affiliate links, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

How to create a new folder on macbook