The Unwanted File Grouping
The macOS Finder is a powerful file management tool, but it occasionally tries to be too helpful. One of its more divisive features is the ability to automatically group files into distinct categories. For example, if you open your Downloads folder or a large project directory, you might suddenly find that all your files have been separated into visual blocks based on when they were modified (e.g., “Today,” “Previous 7 Days,” “Previous 30 Days”) or what kind of files they are (e.g., “Images,” “PDF Documents,” “Developer”). While this grouping can help you quickly find a recent download, it completely destroys traditional, unified alphabetical sorting. If you prefer to view your files in a simple, continuous list or a standard grid of icons, this automatic categorization is highly disruptive.
How to Disable “Use Groups” in Finder
The automatic organization feature in macOS is called “Grouping.” You can easily turn this off for a specific folder to restore a traditional, un-categorized view.
1. Open the Finder and navigate to the folder that is currently exhibiting the unwanted grouping behavior (such as your Downloads or Documents folder).
2. Look at the menu bar at the very top of your screen (where the Apple logo is) and click on View.
3. In the dropdown menu, look for the option labelled Use Groups.
4. If there is a checkmark next to “Use Groups,” click it to uncheck it.
Alternatively, you can use the keyboard shortcut Control + Command + 0 (zero) while the Finder window is active to instantly toggle the grouping feature on or off.
The moment you disable grouping, the visual category headers (like “Today” or “Images”) will vanish, and all your files will merge back into a single, contiguous list.
How to Ensure Standard Alphabetical Sorting
Once you have turned off the visual grouping, you may still need to instruct the Finder on exactly how you want the files sorted (e.g., by name).
1. With the Finder window still open, click the View menu at the top of the screen again.
2. Hover your mouse over the Sort By option.
3. In the secondary fly-out menu, select Name (or whichever sorting method you prefer, such as Date Modified or Size).
Your folder will now display a clean, uninterrupted list of files, sorted exactly the way you requested, without macOS attempting to organize them into smart categories.