If the Finder sidebar keeps disappearing, first determine whether the entire sidebar is hidden, a section such as Favorites is collapsed, or individual custom folders are being removed. Those are three different problems. Start with View → Show Sidebar, then check Finder → Settings → Sidebar, and only after that investigate preference corruption or account-specific issues.
Do not delete Finder preferences as the first step. Most “missing sidebar” cases are caused by a hidden sidebar, a collapsed section or unchecked items. Resetting preference files can remove working customizations and make the problem harder to diagnose.
1. Is the entire sidebar hidden?
Open a Finder window and look at the left side. If there is no sidebar at all:
- Make Finder the active app.
- Open the View menu.
- Choose Show Sidebar.
You can also use Control–Command–S to toggle the Finder sidebar.
If the sidebar returns and stays visible, nothing was deleted. The view had simply been hidden.
2. Are Favorites, Locations or Tags collapsed?
Finder sidebar sections can be collapsed. Move the pointer over a section heading such as Favorites or Locations. If an arrow appears, click it.
A collapsed Favorites section can make it look as if Desktop, Downloads and custom folders disappeared even though the sidebar is working normally.
3. Check Finder → Settings → Sidebar
For built-in items:
- Open Finder.
- Choose Finder → Settings.
- Open the Sidebar tab.
- Enable the items you want to see.
This controls built-in locations such as Desktop, Documents, Downloads, iCloud Drive and connected-device categories. It does not automatically restore every custom folder you previously dragged into Favorites.
4. Re-add a custom folder properly
To add a folder back to Favorites, locate it in Finder and drag it into the Favorites section. Wait until you see the insertion position before releasing it.
Adding a folder to the sidebar does not move the folder. The sidebar item is only a shortcut to the original location.
If Finder itself is having trouble locating files, that is a separate issue. See Spotlight Not Finding Apps or Files on Mac.
5. Does the sidebar reset after every restart?
If you can rebuild Favorites successfully but the list returns to an old state after logout or restart, the issue is different from a simple hidden setting.
Check whether:
- you are logging into the same macOS user account;
- the home folder is writable normally;
- a profile or management tool controls Finder settings;
- cleanup software is removing preferences;
- the Mac is restoring a managed configuration;
- the problem happens only in one user account.
6. Test another macOS user account
A second user is one of the cleanest diagnostic tests.
If the Finder sidebar works normally in a new test user, the Mac-wide Finder application is probably fine. The problem is more likely tied to preferences, sync state, permissions or configuration in the original account.
If the same issue occurs in every account, look for system-wide management, storage problems or a broader macOS issue.
7. Do not confuse Finder sidebar with Open/Save dialog sidebar
Apps use macOS Open and Save panels that look similar to Finder but are not exactly the same window. A giant sidebar, missing file list or off-screen buttons in those panels can make it seem like Finder itself is broken.
If the problem appears only when choosing File → Open or Save As, use the separate guide Open/Save Dialog Broken on macOS Tahoe.
8. External disks missing from Locations
If Favorites are present but an external SSD, server or iPhone is missing under Locations, that is not necessarily a sidebar-preference problem.
Check whether the device is actually mounted or connected. A disk that Finder cannot mount will not be fixed by ticking a sidebar box.
For an iPhone specifically, use iPhone Not Showing in Finder on Mac to check USB trust, cable and device detection.
9. Network locations may disappear for a different reason
A server shortcut can remain in Favorites even when the server is unavailable, but a mounted network volume under Locations disappears when the connection ends.
Make sure you distinguish between:
- a favorite shortcut to a network folder;
- a currently mounted SMB volume;
- a server shown through network discovery.
If you need a network location to reconnect automatically, solve the connection or login-item workflow rather than repeatedly rebuilding Finder Favorites.
10. When should you relaunch Finder?
If settings are correct but the sidebar is not refreshing, relaunch Finder before restarting the whole Mac.
You can use the Force Quit window:
- Press Option–Command–Escape.
- Select Finder.
- Choose Relaunch.
Open a new Finder window and recheck the sidebar.
11. Safe Mode is a diagnostic step, not a permanent fix
If the sidebar keeps resetting only after login, Safe Mode can help determine whether third-party login items or background software are involved. The exact Safe Mode startup procedure differs between Apple silicon and Intel Macs, so use the method for your hardware.
If the problem disappears in Safe Mode but returns after a normal restart, review login items and background utilities rather than repeatedly using Safe Mode.
12. Before deleting Finder preferences, make a record
Preference resets are sometimes suggested because Finder stores view and sidebar state in user preferences. But a reset is destructive to custom settings.
Before doing anything at that level:
- take screenshots of your current sidebar;
- write down custom Favorites;
- confirm the issue occurs after relaunch or restart;
- test another user account;
- disable suspicious cleanup or customization utilities.
Only then does a preference reset become a reasonable troubleshooting step rather than a guess.
13. If files open in the wrong apps, that is unrelated
Finder controls file browsing, but default-app associations are a different setting. If the sidebar is working and the actual problem is that PDFs, images or text files open in the wrong application, see Mac Opens Files in the Wrong App.
A safe troubleshooting order
- View → Show Sidebar.
- Expand Favorites/Locations.
- Finder → Settings → Sidebar.
- Re-add one custom folder and test.
- Relaunch Finder.
- Restart the Mac once.
- Check whether the problem is Finder or only Open/Save dialogs.
- Test another user account.
- Review login items, management and cleanup tools.
- Only then consider resetting Finder preferences.
FAQ
What is the shortcut to show the Finder sidebar?
Control–Command–S toggles the Finder sidebar.
Why are Favorites empty even though the sidebar is visible?
The Favorites section may be collapsed, or the built-in items may be disabled in Finder → Settings → Sidebar.
Why did a folder disappear from Favorites?
The sidebar shortcut may have been removed even though the folder itself still exists. Find the original folder and drag it back into Favorites.
Why does an external drive disappear from Locations?
If the drive unmounts or disconnects, it disappears from Locations. Check the connection and mount state rather than only the sidebar settings.
Should I delete com.apple.finder preferences immediately?
No. Start with visible settings, relaunch Finder and test another user account. Preference deletion should be a later diagnostic step because it can reset working Finder customizations.