How to see file thumbnails and previews in Finder
Updated 2026-10-15
Finder can show large previews, but you have to switch views and adjust sizes yourself. These are the quickest ways to see what a file is before you open it.
Icon view with bigger previews
- Open a folder and press Command and 1 for icon view.
- Press Command and J to open View Options.
- Drag the Icon Size slider up and turn on Show Icon Preview.
Gallery view
Press Command and 4 for Gallery view. It shows one large preview with a strip of thumbnails below and a metadata panel at the side, which suits photos, PDFs and videos.
Quick Look
Select a file and press Space to preview it without opening an app. Press Space or Escape to close it.
A thumbnail-first browser
FileSift shows your folders as large, clear thumbnails from the start, so you can recognise a file by sight across Images, Videos, Music, Documents, Archives and Apps. It reads your folders in place, and nothing is moved or renamed.
Common questions
Why are some thumbnails blank in Finder?
Finder cannot preview some file types, and files stored only in iCloud may not have a preview until they download.
What is the shortcut for Gallery view?
Command and 4.