Find a file you saved but can't find on your Mac

Why it happens

Apps save to different places, usually Documents, Desktop, Downloads or iCloud Drive, so it's easy to lose track. Spotlight searches the whole Mac at once, by file name and by the words inside documents. You don't need to know which folder it's in.

How to fix it

1. Press Command-Space. The Spotlight search bar opens in the middle of the screen.

2. Type a word from the file's name, or a word you know is inside it. Results appear as you type. Press Command-2 to show only files if apps and other results get in the way.

3. Use the arrow keys to pick the right file. Press Return to open it, or Command-R to open the folder it's in, so you know where it lives next time.

4. Prefer Finder? Open a Finder window and press Command-F. Type the name, then click This Mac at the top so it searches everywhere, not just the folder you're in.

5. To narrow it down, click the add button (+) next to Save, on the right of the window, and add a rule like Kind is Document or Last opened date within the last week.

Still not fixed?

1. Opened it recently? In Finder, choose Go > Recents to see the files you used most recently. Most apps also list them under File > Open Recent.

   Finder›Go›Recents

2. Downloaded it from the web or an email? Look in the Downloads folder: in Finder, choose Go > Downloads.

   Finder›Go›Downloads

3. Check the Trash in the Dock in case it was deleted. Control-click the file there and choose Put Back to return it to where it was.

4. If Spotlight can't find a file you know is there, open Spotlight settings and click Search Privacy… to see the list of places Spotlight skips. If the folder or drive is in the list, select it and click the minus button. If the list is empty, rebuild Spotlight's index: click the add button (+), choose your Mac's drive (usually Macintosh HD), then select it in the list and click the minus button to remove it again. Spotlight then re-indexes your whole Mac, which can take a few hours, and searches may miss things until it's done.

   Spotlight›Search Privacy…

5. If Finder keeps searching the whole Mac when you only want the folder you're in, open Finder > Settings…, click Advanced and change When performing a search.

   Finder›Settings…›Advanced›When performing a search

6. If Spotlight and Finder find nothing at all after a restart, and the file isn't in the Trash or a backup, contact Apple Support. They can check whether search is working properly on your Mac.