How do I automatically resize Finder columns to fit the longest file name using OnyX?

Question

How do I automatically resize Finder columns to fit the longest file name using OnyX?

Turns out the answer is OnyX. I use to use this years ago for system tweaks then fell away from it in an effort to have less stuff installed on my Mac. I have been looking for something to automatically expand my column width to fit the longest file name since column view was a thing. Xtra Finder does it but you have to disable SIP and thats a hard pass on disabling SIP. Then I found my way back to OnyX, like today, and to my surprise it offers the option to auto resize columns. At least OnyX 4.7.5 for Sequoia does. Now, it does have a limitation. It will auto expand to whats currently visible in the finder window. So if you open the window to be bigger and show more of whats below or scroll down those files may still be longer than the column is wide and names will still be shortened or abbreviated or however you describe it. If Titanium Software tweaks the feature so it's live and actively adjusts column width as the window is resized it would be pretty much perfect. They could even give the option to adjust to largest file name in folder or on screen if thats possible. I would just set it to adjust to the largest file in the folder... maybe. I'd have to play with it and see what worked best. One giant file at the bottom could make that annoying. Anyway... it does work-ish. Definitely better than nothing and so close to perfect. They should tweak and and charge just for that feature. For now I'm gonna donate and send them a note of appreciation with suggestions for improvements.

[Re-Titled by Moderator]

Mac Studio, macOS 15.3

Posted on Mar 18, 2025 6:38 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

z3ro1

Level 1

8 points

Mar 25, 2025 8:31 AM in response to Luis Sequeira1

Yes. I am talking about this exact feature. The point is - it suppose to work automatically if you wish to do so, else there is no point in this. It only works one single time and than when you continue to browse the files - all columns are again of the same width, cutting file names in the middle or wasting space around files / folders with short file names. That is - this feature is basically broken.

Double clicking between the columns does adjust the width of the column to the file / folder length, but this behaviour is not persistent.

Such functionality works perfectly fine in various Finder replacements, such as Forklift and others.

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Answer 2

Mar 18, 2025 7:31 AM in response to Eric Strausser

This could make for extremely wide columns and reduce the amount of information that is actually presentable onscreen, so I have to say I fail to see the benefit from having it on all the time.

You can make it happen on demand in the (presumably rare) cases where seeing full names is required, simply by

Option-double clicking on any column separator in the window.

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Answer 3

z3ro1

Level 1

8 points

Mar 25, 2025 5:06 AM in response to Eric Strausser

Found out about this workaround with OnyX just recently. It is not perfect, but columns width does automatically adjust to the name of longest file / folder in like 85-90% of the cases.

Meanwhile, Apples build in native Finder functionality in Column view "Right Size All Columns Individually" is completely broken and it has been like that since at least OS X Mavericks in 2013 (the year when I fully converted to Macs).

[Edited by Moderator]

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Answer 4

Mar 25, 2025 7:53 AM in response to z3ro1

z3ro1 wrote:

Found out about this workaround with OnyX just recently. It is not perfect, but columns width does automatically adjust to the name of longest file / folder in like 85-90% of the cases.

Meanwhile, Apples build in native Finder functionality in Column view "Right Size All Columns Individually" is completely broken and it has been like that since at least OS X Mavericks in 2013 (the year when I fully converted to Macs).

Can you elaborate on that?

Do you mean the feature whereby you option-double-click on a column separator, or something else?

That feature appears to work perfectly well here: I can have a hierarchy of folders in column view,

Option-double-click on a separator and all the columns change to accomodate the longest file names.

Is that not what you get? Or are you talking about something else?

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Answer 5

Mar 25, 2025 9:31 AM in response to z3ro1

It is only a bug if it is not working as it was designed to. It was never written, as far as I know, that it should change automatically.

As far as I can tell, it is working as designed, but that does not fit your workflow.

The simple solution is to use a tool that does fit your workflow. If Forklift or PathFinder work that way, use them, there is nothing wrong with them. It seems far more productive that expecting Finder to change - that is extremely unlikely.

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Answer 6

Mar 18, 2025 8:27 AM in response to Luis Sequeira1

The benefit of any system is dependent upon how you use it and for me the auto column resize is a life saver. I work with libraries of sound FX that can have pretty long file names with minor variations in those names so being able to see the full file name all the time is crucial to differentiate one very descriptive file name from another. Sometimes files are only 5 characters long and sometimes they can be up to 50 and over and they tend to sit in bunches depending on how the window is sorted. I often work in programs that read file names and meta data and they do give me various options on how to display that data but I often find myself needing to work with these massive libraries at the finder level and in those situations the auto column resize and hopefully one day the option to live resize are absolutely crucial. I don't want to have to manually resize the column width to fit the full file names every time I need to see the full file names which is all the time. That would be, and has been, an insane hassle for my work flow. I have tried working in list view but its just not for me. Computers are suppose to be tools that conform to fit the way the user needs to work. I'm still hoping that Apple adds granular levels of column resizing to the OS. It's been sorely overlooked and missed for as long as column view has been a thing. But as long as 3rd party developers are willing to pick up the slack there is at least some kind of a fix. If Titanium Software implements my suggestion to add an optional live resizing settings so the column will resize as I resize the window or even let me decide whether or not to adjust to files on screen or all files in the folder that would be very useful to me. I can dial it in as the situation demands. Being able to automatically resize columns to fit file names is super useful. It should be built into the Mac OS as an option so that it can be disabled or enabled depending on the needs of the individual.

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