BinaryNights Blog

Brazilian Portuguese Localization

ForkLift is now available in Brazilian Portuguese, making the app more accessible to users in Brazil.

Safer Handling of Conflicting Files

In the previous version (ForkLift 4.7.4), we tried to address a potential data loss issue that can occur in two edge cases when transferring items with the same names. Normally, this situation can’t occur because only one item with a given name can exist in a single location. However, if you expand multiple folders or search for a term and select items with conflicting names, ForkLift can end up with two or more source items with the same name that are being transferred to the same destination.

In the previous version, we changed the behavior so that a conflict window was displayed in these cases, asking the user to decide how ForkLift should handle the conflict. However, this type of conflict is different from a normal source-versus-target conflict. The conflicting items are all source files, and they may be transferred in an order that can’t be determined in advance. As a result, it isn’t necessarily clear from the conflict window which file would ultimately overwrite which other file. A user could easily select Replace without realizing which file would be kept and which file would be overwritten. Once this happens, the overwritten file can’t be recovered through ForkLift, which could result in unintended data loss.

Although this is a very uncommon use case, we believe it is safer to prevent the transfer from starting rather than asking the user to make a decision that can’t be made reliably from the conflict window. Since the previous fix still had some issues and we had to revisit this behavior, we decided that when source items with conflicting names are selected for transfer to the same destination, ForkLift stops the transfer before it starts and warns the user about the conflict. ForkLift won’t display a conflict window in this situation.

It is unlikely that a user intentionally wants to copy or move several files with the same name, such as five index.html files, to the same location at once. If this happens accidentally, the user should review the files they are trying to transfer and determine which one they actually want to copy or move. They can then transfer the desired file separately.

We also checked how other file managers handle this situation. They generally transfer only one of the conflicting files without notifying the user that a conflict exists. We believe it is safer to explicitly draw attention to the conflict and require the user to resolve it themselves, with a clear understanding of which file contains which content. This prevents the user from making an irreversible choice in the conflict window without being able to clearly determine which file will ultimately be kept.

Sync and Column View Improvements

At the bottom of the Sync Window, ForkLift displays how many files will be synced and how many of those files will be added, updated, or deleted. We have made these buttons clickable, so you can now use them to filter the view by All, Added, Updated, and Deleted files. This can provide a better overview of what is going to happen during synchronization.

We have also added the option to increase or decrease the text size in Column View using the same keyboard shortcuts that were already available in the other views (Command – + and Command – -).

Hopefully, column widths in Column View will now be calculated correctly when the Resize columns to fit option is enabled. We have tried to take every factor into account that can affect the amount of space required by the contents of each column.

When an external drive was open in a pane of ForkLift and the drive was disconnected without ejecting it first, the file list remained visible in ForkLift, giving the impression that the drive was still connected. We have fixed this issue as well.

We have also fixed an issue (introduced in the previous version) where, when transferring items from search results to a remote location, transfers remained in the queue after the maximum number of simultaneous transfers configured in the settings had been completed.

Full List of changes:

New

• Brazilian Portuguese localization

Improvements

• The buttons at the bottom of the Sync Window are now clickable and filter the view by All, Added, Updated, and Deleted files
• When Resize columns to fit is enabled, column widths now take the Bold Folder Names setting into account
• Adds the option to use the Command-+ keyboard shortcut to increase the font size in Column View
• Adds the option to use the Command– keyboard shortcut to decrease the font size in Column View
• Changes the behavior of file transfers when the source contains items with conflicting names. The transfer now does not start to prevent files from being unintentionally overwritten

Fixes

• Fixes an issue with column widths in Column View when the Resize columns to fit setting is enabled and the scroll bar is visible
• Fixes an issue where, after deselecting all items from synchronization, it was possible to click the Synchronize button
• Fixes an issue in the Logs where the number of synchronized items was displayed as the total number of analyzed items during synchronization instead of the number of synchronized items
• Fixes an issue introduced in version 4.7.4 where transfers from search results to remote connections remained in the queue after the maximum number of simultaneous transfers configured in the settings had been completed
• Fixes a possible hang when the remote server is not responding
• Fixes an issue where the file view did not update when an external drive was disconnected without ejecting the disk first
• Fixes small localization issues

Download ForkLift 4.7.5

Version 4.7.4 contains a few smaller fixes that address edge cases when assigning tags, as well as a potential data loss issue. When searching inside an archive and trying to copy files from the search results, the activity showed as successful, but the files were not actually copied. When transferring items with the same name from multiple sources, for example from multiple expanded folders or search results, only one of the files was transferred, which could cause data loss during move operations.

There was also a known issue with the Preview API that we use in ForkLift, which did not follow the Folder Color and Icon & Widget style settings configured in System Settings. We reported this issue to Apple, and it has been fixed in the latest Golden Gate macOS beta, so this issue will not be present in the new macOS.

Full List of changes:

Fixes

• Fixes an issue with column widths in Column View when the Resize columns to fit setting is enabled
• Fixes a potential data loss issue when transferring items from multiple locations with the same name at the same time
• Fixes an issue where it was not possible to copy from search results inside an archive, even though the activity log showed the operation as successful
• Fixes an issue where closed output windows of Tools created windows in Stage Manager on macOS 26 and macOS 27
• Fixes a selection issue caused by a Path Bar GUI issue in a very narrow window
• Fixes an issue where it was possible to add the same color tag multiple times through the context menu of items
• Fixes an issue where it was possible to add the same tag multiple times in the text field available through the context menu of items

Download ForkLift 4.7.4

In ForkLift 4.7.3, our main focus was on Icon View. We brought back some of the behavior from earlier native macOS versions that had disappeared over the years and was not included in ForkLift 4.

You can now navigate across rows with the arrow keys, so navigation no longer stops at the end of a row. It is also possible to select a range of items, even across multiple rows, by holding down the Shift key and clicking the first and last item in the selection. You can extend the selection further with either Shift-click or Command-click.

We also improved drag selection in Icon View. Previously, selecting multiple items with the mouse could sometimes be difficult because dragging would start instead of creating a selection. The dimensions of items are now better defined, making the behavior of dragging and drag-selecting much closer to what you see in Finder.

We believe these improvements make working in Icon View much smoother and more intuitive.

Full List of changes:

New

• In Icon View, you can navigate to the next row by pressing the Right Arrow key at the end of a row
• In Icon View, you can navigate to the previous row by pressing the Left Arrow key at the beginning of a row
• Range selection with Shift-click in Icon View
• Open in New Window context menu item for tabs
• Home and End keys in Icon View to jump to the beginning or end of the file view

Improvements

• Improved drag selection in Icon View
• Improved stability and performance to help prevent possible crashes and hangs

Download ForkLift 4.7.3

Version 4.7.2 is a quick update that fixes some issues introduced in versions 4.7 and 4.7.1 related to the Multi-Rename feature.

A bug introduced while adding the option to use metadata for renaming files prevented previously saved Multi-Rename favorites from being used. We have now fixed this issue, and old batch rename favorites should work as expected again.

We have also added a text field for defining custom date formats when using dates extracted from metadata. In addition, this version adds Traditional Chinese localization to ForkLift and changes the item info displayed in Icon View to show file sizes. The update also includes other small fixes and enhancements.

Full List of changes:

New

• Displays file size below the icons in Icon View when the “Show Item Info” setting is enabled in the View Options
• Traditional Chinese localization

Improvements

• Adds a missing text field to specify the custom date format in the Multi-Rename Window when adding dates based on metadata

Fixes

• Fixes an issue introduced in version 4.7 that made it impossible to use previously saved Multi-Rename favorites
• Fixes a possible crash when generating thumbnails
• Improves the wording of the warning message shown when file conflicts occur during copy operations
• Minor fixes and enhancements

Download ForkLift 4.7.2

Smarter File Naming with Built-in Metadata Support

In ForkLift version 4.7.1, we have added a major new feature: the ability to include metadata in multi-renaming operations. This means ForkLift can now read and use the information stored inside files, such as photos, videos, documents and audio files, when renaming them.

Metadata is information attached to a file that describes it. For example:

• For photos: when the picture was taken, camera model, exposure time, ISO value
• For audio files: artist, album, track number, year, or title
• For documents: author, creation date

In ForkLift, you can use the following metadata fields when renaming files:

• Title
• Content creation date,
• Dimensions
• Device model
• Original date
• F number
• Exposure time
• Focal length
• ISO speed
• Authors
• Album
• Track number
• Year recorded

Using metadata allows you to turn automatically generated or meaningless filenames into structured and meaningful ones.

For example, instead of:

• IMG_2481.JPG

you can rename files to something like:

• 2025-06-28_Budapest.JPG

This makes your photo library immediately more readable and easier to navigate without opening files. For large photo collections, this is especially useful because it automatically organizes images chronologically and keeps naming consistent across thousands of files.

The same applies to audio files. For example:

• track01.mp3

can become:

• Madonna – Like a Prayer.mp3

This helps fix messy downloads and creates consistent music libraries where every file follows the same structure, making albums easier to browse and keep in order outside of music apps.

Besides the new metadata support for batch renaming, power users will also appreciate that the $PATH environment variable can now be used when creating tools in ForkLift.

Smoother SMB Integration, Richer Media Previews, and Enhanced Stability

We have also improved SMB share handling: share names are now displayed in the same way as in Finder, ensuring consistent behavior between the two apps.

In addition, ForkLift now supports previewing certain video and audio files (for example: .mka, .mkv, .webm, .wma, .wmv,. avi, .mov, .flv, .f4v) when using the third-party QuickLook Video app. Previously, these previews were only available in Finder, but ForkLift can now display the same previews when the QuickLook Video app is installed correctly.

ForkLift version 4.7.1 also fixes several minor issues in the Go to Folder window. The update resolves a crash during sync operations when excluding items based on file size, and fixes a significant issue on the upcoming macOS 27 “Golden Gate,” where dragging items in column view was not possible. We are not currently aware of other issues on this new macOS version.

The update also includes additional fixes and improvements. Please see the full changelog below.

Full List of changes:

New

• Option to use metadata when renaming files in the Multi-Rename window
• Tools can inherit the $PATH environment variable from the shell

Improvements

• New metadata added to the Info Window
• Aligns SMB share names with Finder for consistent display
• Updates the divider color between preview and info sections in the Preview Pane for better visibility in dark themes
• Adds support for previewing media files in ForkLift when the QuickLook Video app is installed
• Improves undo logging behavior for Multi-Rename operations

Fixes

• After changing the default application for a file type, the change is now saved correctly
• Fixes an issue where the entire path in the Go to Folder window was selected after choosing a path from the dropdown using Tab or Right Arrow
• Fixes an issue where duplicate paths could appear in the Go to Folder history
• Fixes an issue where selecting a path from the Go to Folder dropdown opened the item instead of revealing it in the file view
• Fixes an issue in the Go to Folder window where pressing Tab or Right Arrow after entering / inserted a second slash
• Fixes a possible crash when entering a path starting with ~ in the Go to Folder window on Amazon S3 connections
• Fixes a possible crash when selecting Size as an exclusion filter in the Sync Window or when opening the Sync Window with a previously saved file size filter
• Fixes an issue where the location of a pinned tab could change to a subfolder after switching between column view and other views
• Fixes an issue where reordering remote favorites in the sidebar was not always possible
• Fixes an issue where rotated video dimensions were displayed as negative values

Download ForkLift 4.7.1

A small update focused on usability improvements and fixes

ForkLift 4.6.4 brings a collection of small improvements and fixes that make everyday use of ForkLift smoother and more convenient.

Two notable enhancements focus on file navigation. Quick Select now recognizes accented letters, making it easier to find files whose names contain accented characters. In addition, the Go to Folder window can now recognize and locate aliases and symlinks, improving navigation throughout your file system.

Full List of changes:

Improvements

• Adds warning before deleting a theme from the Settings to avoid accidental deletion
• Small GUI enhancements
• Quick Select is able to find accented letters
• Go to Folder is able find aliases and symlinks

Fixes

• Fixes an issue in Column View in rename mode where the selected file name could float over the other files when scrolling
• Fixes path bar inconsistencies
• Fixes the Quit and Keep Windows command in the Keyboard shortcuts in the Settings
• Makes the Sync to command inactive while one pane is in search mode
• Fixes a possible hang while changing themes in the Settings

Download ForkLift 4.6.4

Item Info in Icon View and Audio Details

In ForkLift 4.6.3, we added Item Info in Icon View. When enabled, it shows the number of items in folders, along with additional details such as video duration and image dimensions. You can enable this option in Icon View via View > Show View Options > Show Item Info. Keep in mind that each tab has its own settings, so you need to enable it in every tab where you want it to appear. When opening a new tab, it inherits the settings of the active tab, so the Item Info setting will carry over automatically. Displaying this information requires additional system resources, so you can disable it at any time under View > Show View Options > Show Item Info.

The Preview Pane and Info Window now display additional information for audio files.

Navigation Improvements: Go to Folder and Keyboard Enhancements

An additional new feature is the option to add the $SOURCE_HOSTNAME and $SOURCE_USERNAME placeholders while creating a tool in the Settings. These placeholders let your scripts automatically access the current remote connection details. This makes tools more flexible because they can run on any server without hardcoding hostnames or usernames. As a result, you can create reusable, context-aware automation.

In this new version, we have added a lot of enhancements to the Go to Folder feature. The Go to Folder feature is useful because it lets you jump directly to any directory by typing its path instead of clicking through multiple folders. You can activate the Go to Folder pop-up with the Command-Shift-G keyboard shortcut (or from the Go menu). We have added a history section to Go to Folder, making it easier to find previously visited locations. Compared to previous behavior, the top match is now the location itself, not a subfolder, which makes navigating to the correct path easier. You can navigate the list of suggested locations using the up and down arrow keys. Pressing the right arrow will insert the selected suggestion into the path, allowing you to continue typing and refine your search as new matches appear. Once the path is correct, press Enter to open the selected location.

Now you can expand and collapse folders not only with the right and left arrow keys, but also using Command key combinations (Command-Right Arrow, Command-Left Arrow), matching Finder behavior. This brings back a familiar interaction that some users missed due to muscle memory.

Full List of changes:

New

• Available Item Info in Icon View, which can be enabled in View Options
• History of previously visited locations in the Go to Folder pop-up
• Option to add the $SOURCE_HOSTNAME and $SOURCE_USERNAME placeholders in the Tools section of Settings

Improvements

• Enhanced Tab key behavior for selecting matches in the Go to Folder pop-up
• Right Arrow key now behaves the same way as the Tab key in the Go to Folder pop-up
• Multiple improvements to navigation in the Go to Folder pop-up
• Displays more information about audio files in the Info Window
• Option to expand folders using the Command-Right Arrow keyboard shortcut
• Option to collapse folders using the Command-Left Arrow keyboard shortcut

Fixes

• Adds back the Open in New Window context menu item for workspaces in the sidebar, which went missing in version 4.6.2
• Fixes an issue that caused the Theme Editor not to close when the Settings window was closed

Download ForkLift 4.6.3

External Drive Tags, comments, and Checksum Improvements

We recently introduced the ability to calculate checksums for files, making it easier to verify that files have not been altered or corrupted during transfers and that two files are truly identical. Checksums can be calculated for multiple files at the same time, with the file names and checksums displayed in a dedicated window.

In ForkLift 4.6.2, we improved the usability of the Checksum Window by adding support for selecting multiple items at once. You can now easily copy selected items or use Command-A and Command-C to copy all entries. The copied content is exported in CSV format, making it easy to paste into spreadsheet applications such as Microsoft Excel or Apple Numbers.

Changes to the Preview API on macOS Sequoia and Tahoe

In version 4.6.1, we introduced a new Preview API to support the new style of folder icon previews. Unfortunately, this API currently has several limitations that cannot be addressed by us directly. We have reported these issues to Apple and hope they will be resolved in future macOS updates.

The new style folder icons are only available on macOS Tahoe, so in ForkLift 4.6.2 we have disabled the new Preview API for users on macOS Sequoia because it caused multiple issues with icon previews on that version of macOS. As a result, users on macOS Sequoia will no longer experience the negative side effects of the new API.

Users on macOS Tahoe will continue using the new API and will still be able to see colored folders and icons added to folders in Finder. However, the API currently does not correctly handle certain folder icon customizations made in System Settings, which means some custom folder appearances may not be represented accurately in ForkLift. Unfortunately, this limitation is outside of our control.

We have also fixed a possible crash introduced in the previous version, along with several other possible crashes and hangs, and some other fixes and improvements.

Full List of changes:

Improvements

• Displays tags on external drives
• Comments added in ForkLift now show up in Finder as well
• Adds an option to select multiple items in the Checksum Window; the copied list is in CSV format, so it can be easily pasted into spreadsheet applications
• Adds “Edit” and “Hide from Sidebar” options to the context menu of Sync favorites in the Sidebar

Fixes

• Fixes an issue with the movement of favorites in the sidebar that pointed to the same server
• Fixes a possible hang caused by recent items in the sidebar
• Fixes a possible crash in List View
• Displays a folder icon on remote locations when the folder name contains a dot
• Displays the Kind of folders correctly when the folder name contains a dot
• Fixes an issue that made it impossible to delete the last remaining digit from the Time Offset Correction field in the Sync Window
• Fixes a possible hang after a tab or window was closed during an unfinished search operation
• Fixes a possible crash after a tab or window was closed during an unfinished search operation
• Removes the new Preview API on macOS Sequoia introduced in version 4.6.1 due to several issues with icon previews

Download ForkLift 4.6.2

Folder icon support on macOS Tahoe and performance improvements

Finder on macOS Tahoe introduced a big change by allowing users to customize folder icons. The last applied color tag now determines the folder color, and it is also possible to add icons to folders to make them stand out.

With ForkLift 4.6.1, we have updated how folder icons are handled. ForkLift now inherits folder colors from Finder, and when you assign a color tag in ForkLift, the folder color updates accordingly. ForkLift also displays custom icons that were added in Finder. However, due to missing system APIs, adding custom folder icons directly in ForkLift is not possible at this time.

We have also fixed multiple possible memory leaks and improved overall memory usage. This results in a more stable and efficient experience.

PDF preview fixes and iCloud tag improvements

In addition, this version includes several smaller improvements. You can now edit file favorites directly from the sidebar, use the Tab key to autocomplete tags more reliably, and benefit from improved information display in the Status bar and in the Preview pane.

We were also able to restore the full functionality of the PDF viewer in the Preview pane. It is now again possible to customize preview options through the right-click context menu, and text selection inside PDF previews has been re-enabled.

It is now also possible to remove the last remaining tag on iCloud Drive, and we have resolved an issue where pressing the Tab key during tag autocompletion could cause the tag to disappear.

Full list of changes:

New

• ForkLift now colorizes folder icons on macOS Tahoe the same way as Finder, inheriting and applying the assigned colors
• ForkLift displays customized folder icons set in Finder, however, customizing folder icons directly in ForkLift is not supported

Improvements

• Improves the display of aggregated date information in the Preview pane when multiple files are selected
• Adds an alert when iCloud Drive is busy and interaction is not possible, to clarify why an action cannot be executed
• Adds an option to edit file favorites from the context menu in the Sidebar
• Improves memory usage

Fixes

• Fixes an issue that made the file view jump in List View after renaming or deleting files when Group by was enabled
• Fixes multiple possible memory leaks
• Fixes an issue that didn’t show the lock icon on locked folders when icon preview is enabled (the lock icon doesn’t show up on files starting from this version)
• Fixes an issue in the Status bar, which didn’t update the displayed info correctly after folders were expanded and collapsed
• Fixes an issue of the preview of PDF file in the Preview Pane introduced in version 4.3.5, which made it impossible to select text inside the preview and to use the right-click context menu to customize the preview options. This version restores the previous functionality
• Fixes an issue that made it impossible to remove the last tag on iCloud Drive when there was only one tag remaining
• Fixes an issue where pressing the Tab key while autocompleting a tag made the tag disappear

Download ForkLift 4.6.1

Two powerful new features in ForkLift 4.6

Exciting news! ForkLift 4.6 introduces two major features that power users will love, especially those who rely heavily on tags and those who create custom tools.

Smarter tagging and autocompletion

The first major improvement in ForkLift 4.6 focuses on tags.

Working with tags in ForkLift has traditionally not been as seamless as in Finder, mainly due to macOS limitations for third-party developers. Unlike Finder, third-party apps cannot access and edit tag data in the same way, which means features like native tag autocompletion are not directly available.

In earlier versions, we introduced the Tags section in the Settings to allow users to add their own tags to the sidebar, making them easily accessible. With ForkLift 4.6, we are expanding this feature and making it more powerful.

ForkLift now uses the tags listed in the Settings for autocompletion in the Tags section of the Preview Pane or in the info window. As you type, it suggests matching tags from your predefined list.

To take full advantage of this feature, you should add the tags you use most frequently to the Settings. This ensures they are always available for quick and consistent tagging.

Better control over sidebar tags

Since you may not want to display every tag in the sidebar, we have made it easier to manage their visibility. To hide a tag, right-click it in the Settings and select “Hide from Sidebar”. To show it again, right-click and select “Show in Sidebar”

If you want to manage the visibility of multiple tags at once, it is easier to use the Sidebar Editor. Add the tags you want in the Settings, then close the Settings window. From the menu, select View > Show Sidebar Editor. When the Sidebar Editor appears, you can quickly hide tags by unchecking them. Once you are done, you can close the Sidebar Editor again from the View menu.

This gives you full control over which tags are visible without affecting their availability for autocompletion.

Assign tags directly from the sidebar

The sidebar is now more than just a way to filter files. You can still click a tag to view all associated items, but now you can also assign tags directly from the sidebar:

• Select one or more files or folders
• Drag them onto a tag in the sidebar
• Drop them to assign that tag

This makes tagging faster and more intuitive, especially when working with multiple files.

Improved tag input field

We have also improved the tag input field in the Preview Pane. Not only does it now include a dropdown to suggest matching tags as you type, but it can also expand to display all assigned tags, making them easier to view and manage. Previously, this field had limited space and could not show all tags at once when working with a large number of tags.

Custom tools, now one click away

The second major improvement focuses on tools.

The Tools feature has always been one of the more powerful, yet somewhat hidden, features of ForkLift. It allows you to create your own tools in the settings using zsh scripts, so you can execute complex actions and workflows more easily.

Previously, these tools could only be executed from the Commands menu, and later they became available in the right-click context menu. Now, we are taking this a step further:

You can add your custom tools directly to the toolbar and execute them with a single click.

Customize your tool icons

When creating or editing a tool, you can assign an icon to represent it in the Tools section, the toolbar, and the Commands menu. By default, new tools use a gear icon, and existing tools are also assigned this icon automatically.

You can easily change it:

• Click the icon in the top-left corner while editing or creating a tool
• Choose a new icon from the pop-up window

This makes it much easier to visually distinguish your tools at a glance.

How to add tools to the toolbar

Adding your tools to the toolbar is simple, but it happens in two steps:

1. Enable the option

• Go to the Tools tab in the Settings
• While creating or editing a tool, enable “Show in Toolbar”

2. Add it manually to the toolbar

• Right-click the toolbar
• Select “Customize Toolbar…”
• Find your enabled tool in the customization tray
• Drag it into the toolbar

Note: Enabling “Show in Toolbar” does not automatically add the tool, it only makes it available for selection.

Full List of changes:

New

• Tags autocompletion feature in the Preview Pane and Info Window based on the list of tags added under ForkLift > Settings > Tags
• Option to assign a tag to a file by dropping a file onto a tag in the sidebar
• Option to add custom tools created under ForkLift > Settings > Tools to the toolbar
• Option to hide and display tags in the sidebar under ForkLift > Settings > Tags through the right-click context menu

Improvements

• Improved expandable Tags field in the Preview Pane, now able to display all tags
• Option to exit the Tags field using the Esc key
• Option to select multiple tools in the Tools section of the Settings

Fixes

• Fixes an issue that indicated it was possible to add remote files as favorites to the sidebar by drag and drop
• Fixes an issue in Column View where, after disconnecting from a remote location, the location did not change back to the starting directory
• Fixes an issue on macOS Tahoe where hitting Esc in the tool editor while adding a new item did not cancel the operation and instead added the new item

Download ForkLift 4.6