Mac List View Title column: Default full file names?

I don't know if there is a way to force Finder to show the whole name by default, but

there is a quick way to match the column width to the file names.

a) Point your cursor at the separator between columns and double-click. This adjusts the column width according to the contents

b) If you do the same but hold down the Option key, it will automatically adjust the width of ALL columns.

jaswilsox wrote:

In recent months, my Mac opens List View with the Title column too short to reveal the entire file name. I'm constantly dragging that thing to the right to see the full names. Is there a way to make my Mac default to showing the entire file names?

Yes it does seem a bit buggy here... I know of no straight forward resolve.

You can try deleting the plist...

Could be corrupt plist, delete the com.apple.finder.plist

Found here Finder>Go>Go to Folder, copy and paste:

~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.finder.plist

Relaunch your Finder from the >Force Quit>Finder>Relaunch and compare your results.

To be proactive you can file a bug report / submit your feedback here: Feedback - macOS - Apple

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The current stable release of Tahoe including bug fixes, security updates is macOS 26.5.2

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It is a huge & annoying problem. You will find that if you open a folder, then go back to the previous folder......it is a crap shoot whether the custom setting will be retained. The more folder or locations you access before going back to the first folder, the more likely the width of that column will reset to system defaults.

I've just learned to deal with it, but you can try to find a third party utility to navigate your file system. I've never bothered to look to see what is out there. You have to be careful since they are unlikely to integrate as seemlessly into macOS or take advantage of certain macOS features.

Luis Sequeira1 wrote:

I don't know if there is a way to force Finder to show the whole name by default, but

there is a quick way to match the column width to the file names.

a) Point your cursor at the separator between columns and double-click. This adjusts the column width according to the contents

b) If you do the same but hold down the Option key, it will automatically adjust the width of ALL columns.

I never knew this, thanks. However, I don't think "B" is doing anything on my Tahoe system, but it is hard to be certain.

Luis Sequeira1 wrote:

It works reliably in Column View, and I think I did try it successfully in List View, but I may have been mistaken. Sorry.

Ahh, that makes sense. I can confirm option "A" does indeed work in List View as does "B", but without any extra benefits. Definitely a nice trick to remember when I use Column View which is rare, but necessary sometimes.

It works reliably in Column View, and I think I did try it successfully in List View, but I may have been mistaken. Sorry.