How to Make ComfortFiles Your Default File Viewer
Updated August 6, 2026
Open Settings with ⌘, and turn on Default file viewer in the Integration pane. From then on, folders opened from other apps — a “Reveal in Finder” or “Show in Finder” command, a folder double-clicked elsewhere — open in ComfortFiles instead.
Turning it on
- Press ⌘, (or click the ⋯ button in the title bar and choose Settings…).
- Choose Integration in the toolbar.
- Flip Default file viewer on. It takes effect immediately — nothing to restart.
The same switch appears in the welcome screen the first time you launch ComfortFiles, where it starts off.
Turning it off
Same switch, click it again. Folders go back to opening in Finder straight away.
Good to know
- It claims the folder role, and only that. ComfortFiles registers itself as the handler for folders and leaves every other file type with whatever app you’d set. Turning it off removes only ComfortFiles’ own entry — if another viewer was registered before, its setting survives.
- Finder keeps running either way. macOS requires it — the Desktop and system dialogs are Finder. This setting only changes which app opens folders.
- Uninstalling reverts automatically. If you delete ComfortFiles, macOS falls back to Finder on its own — no cleanup needed. (Also covered in the FAQ.)
Related
- The rest of the switches in that window: showing hidden files and summoning ComfortFiles from anywhere.
Frequently asked questions
Why does a folder on my Desktop still open in Finder?
Because the Desktop is Finder. Double-clicking a folder there — or inside a Finder window — makes Finder open it in itself, without ever asking macOS which app handles folders, so no setting can redirect that particular gesture. Everything else can: right-click the folder → Open With → ComfortFiles, or right-click → Services → Open in ComfortFiles. Both work anywhere in Finder, including the Desktop.
What is the fastest way to open a Desktop folder in ComfortFiles?
Drag it onto the ComfortFiles icon in the Dock, or press ⌃⌥⌘Space to summon the app and navigate from there. If you prefer the mouse, the right-click routes — Open With, or Services → Open in ComfortFiles — are one gesture longer and always available.
Does this replace Finder?
No, and macOS would not allow it. Finder keeps drawing the Desktop and the system open/save dialogs. The setting only changes which app opens a folder when another app asks the system to open one.
How do I switch it back?
Flip the same switch off, and folders go back to Finder immediately. Deleting the app has the same effect — macOS falls back to Finder on its own.