Use or remove Finder tags, the coloured dots on files

Why it happens

Tags are labels you can stick on any file or folder, shown as coloured dots. They make related things easy to find again, since clicking a tag in the sidebar lists every file that has it. Finder starts with a set of colour tags in the sidebar, which some people find cluttered.

How to fix it

1. Control-click a file or folder, or click with two fingers on a trackpad, and click one of the coloured dots near the bottom of the menu. A dot appears next to the name.

2. To take a tag off, Control-click the file again and choose Tags…. Click the tag's name in the box, press Delete, then press Return.

3. To choose which tags show in the sidebar, choose Finder, then Settings…, click Tags and tick or untick them.

   Finder›Settings…›Tags

4. Click a tag in the sidebar any time to see every file that carries it.

Still not fixed?

1. If no tags show in the sidebar at all, open the Sidebar tab in the same settings window and tick Recent Tags.

   Finder›Settings…›Sidebar

2. To rename a tag or give it a different colour, Control-click it in the sidebar. The menu lets you rename it, change its colour or delete the tag everywhere.

3. If tags you add keep disappearing from files on your Mac, restart it and tag them again. If they still vanish, contact Apple Support.