How to use keyboard shortcuts to navigate the OS X Finder sidebar?

I don't believe it is possible, the only shortcut I can find for the sidebar is CmdT which adds a shortcut for the current selected item to the sidebar.

Another solution is to hit Cmd to move to the 'enclosing folder', which will take you around the file system.


I've been looking and looking for an answer to this too. I can't find an answer (in Snow Leopard at least, don't know about Lion).

The best work-around I've found is this:

  • Create a "Shortcuts" folder anywhere
  • Drag that into the Sidebar
  • Create Aliases for the folders you have in your Sidebar and move them into your Shortcuts folder
  • Open Sidebar Preferences (right-click anywhere in the Sidebar)
  • Go to the 'General' tab
  • Change 'New Finder windows open:' to your Shortcuts folder.

This way, every time you launch a Finder window, you'll be inside Shortcuts and have access to your favourite folders with the keyboard.

YMMV... Obviously this requires you to manage a different set of shortcuts... But possibly it'll help until Apple address this problem (I've submitted a bug report too, surely this is a bug).


You can use "Go To Folder" in the Finder to get to any of those. cmd +shift+G Then just fill in the filepath: ~/Desktop | /Backups | and so on.

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