Change Safari settings so upload feature in finder becomes columns *not* list

Hey BeaneNoodler2020,

We do understand your request, however this may be an opportunity for feedback. Before doing so though, you should try out the steps here and also ensure that the folder launching isn’t set to “Always open in Icon view” using these steps:

Customize the view for a folder

You can customize the view for a folder—for example, set the size of the icons and grid spacing in Icon view. You can also choose to always use the view for the folder, and use it for other folders.

1. On your Mac, click the Finder icon  in the Dock to open a Finder window.

2. Select the folder whose view you want to customize, then choose View > Show View Options or press Command-J.

3. Set options to customize the view for the selected folder.

4. Each view has various options. For example, you can specify how recent dates are shown in List view or hide filenames in Gallery view.

5. Choose whether to always use this view for the folder and for other folders.

* Always use this view for the folder: Select the “Always open in” checkbox. If the folder contains subfolders and you want them to also open in the view, select the “Browse in” checkbox.

* Note: If a subfolder still opens in a different view, select the subfolder, choose View > Show View Options, then deselect the “Always open in” and “Browse in” checkboxes. The checkboxes must be selected for the main folder and deselected for the subfolder.

* Use these settings for any folder that uses the same view: Click Use as Defaults.

6. When you’re done, click the Close button  or press Command-J to close the options window.

This is outlined further here: Change how folders are displayed in the Finder on Mac - Apple Support

If this doesn’t help out, please submit feedback here: Product Feedback - Apple

Take care!

It could be worth it to try creating a new user and see if the problem shows up there, too. If it works fine with the new user, then it suggests a problem with a preference file or something.

Hey BeaneNoodler2020,

Perhaps we weren’t clear enough in the last post. By making sure that "Always open in icon view” is disabled, this would ensure that whatever you last selected as your view in Finder would be the same the next time you launch a window, which is what you’ve requested.

If you didn’t yet do so, please make sure this is disabled, set up your Finder window to the view option you prefer, and the next time you launch it, it should reopen in the same view you last set.

If that doesn’t happen, you’ll need to contact Apple Support for further assistance since you’re experiencing unexpected behavior. They can be reached here: Get Support

Take care!

It kind of sounds like a problem with a Safari plist preference file not saving the options. If you change to list view in the upload pop-up, that setting should be saved. It could be a file corruption or a screwy permission setting (I had some permissions issues recently). Although if other settings seem to stick, then maybe it is something else or perhaps this particular setting is saved elsewhere. Sorry that's not much help.

(I came here looking to fix a different problem: How to change which columns are displayed in the file upload window. Apparently one has to right click on the column titles to get a popup to select what is shown. Darn you, Jony Ives.)

Hi BeaneNoodler2020,

Thanks for posting here in Apple Support Communities. You should be able to go to Finder and change the view from icons, lists, columns, or in a gallery once you open Downloads. Check this out as it may help to address the issue you're facing: Get to know the Finder on your Mac - Apple Support

Take care.

BeaneNoodler2020,

We appreciate you getting back to us. Can you please let us know what version of the macOS your computer is currently running? This will help us narrow down your issue some more.

• Find out which macOS your Mac is using - Apple Support

Farewell!

The people answering here do not understand your issue. I have the SAME issue and I have no idea how to fix it. This doesn't seem to be a Finder issue but a Safari issue. Only in Safari when uploading images, it reverts my uploading Finder to Icons. I have my system set to Columns, just like you. This has been a frustrating conversation to read. Same issue here.

Sound like a bot submitted an answer to a question they don't understand. This issue has become a big headache... having to click back to the mode you prefer from icon mode. When will they understand?

Mine is running Ventura 13.5.2 and I have the same issue. I've done all the suggested options and whenever I'm uploading to Safari, Finder reverts to icon mode. Makes me tempted to go back to Google Chrome. At least there I have options. So frustrating.

I second this! I've set almost all of my folders to "Always open in List View" and it works throughout Finder, but only when uploading through Safari, it just switches over to Icon view. Very annoying! I don't remember this happening before in previous macOS versions. I hope this gets fixed soon.

Having recently bought a new MacBook Air (previous MacBook Pro), I am having the opposite problem, I work with thousands of pictures a day, whenever I want to UPLOAD one to an application, the default is always on Columns, I don't want this, I want ICONS, I need to see the pictures to pick the one to UPLOAD.

Its annoying having to change the setting hundreds of times a day to ICONS, my old Mac had no problem remembering this setting, but this Mac is really annoying.

As a side not, I also cannot get my Mac to remember any of my Facebook settings either, it defaults to no settings, and needs setting up every single time I open Facebook. If my old MacBook was supported by Apple (they labled it unsupported because its a 2017 model and wanted to charge me over $800 to fix the keyboard), I would never have bought this new one, I have wanted to launch it out the window soo many times !!!