Get Home, Documents and other folders back in the Finder sidebar

Why it happens

The Finder sidebar only shows the items that are ticked in Finder's settings. Some, like your home folder, start switched off, and others get unticked by accident. Your own folders can sit there too, once you drag them in.

How to fix it

1. Click Finder in the Dock, then choose Finder, then Settings… from the menu bar.

2. Click the Sidebar tab and tick what you want to see, such as Applications, Desktop, Documents, Downloads, your home folder, iCloud Drive or external disks.

   Finder›Settings…›Sidebar

3. To add your own folder, drag it from a Finder window into the Favorites part of the sidebar. Or select it and choose File, then Add to Sidebar.

   Finder›File›Add to Sidebar

4. To take something off, Control-click it in the sidebar and choose Remove from Sidebar. The folder itself stays safe on your Mac.

Still not fixed?

1. If the whole sidebar is gone, choose View, then Show Sidebar in Finder.

   Finder›View›Show Sidebar

2. If a section like Favorites or Locations looks empty, point at its heading and click the small arrow that appears. The section may just be folded up.

3. If iCloud Drive isn't offered, turn on Sync this Mac in Apple Account, iCloud, Drive, then come back to the Sidebar tab.

   Apple Account›iCloud›Drive›Sync this Mac

4. If your sidebar choices reset after every restart, contact Apple Support.