NewFile
The New File button macOS forgot.
Free, open-source, native. A small Finder extension that adds ‘New Text File’ to the right-click menu and toolbar.
brew install --cask newfile
macOS 13 or later, universal binary.
- Right-click in Finder → New Text File. That’s it.
- Toolbar button: drag it once, use it forever.
- Auto-incrementing names, reveals the new file selected.
FAQ
- How do I create a new text file in macOS Finder?
- Install NewFile, enable its Finder extension once, then right-click in any Finder window and choose ‘New Text File’. The file appears in that folder, named
New Text File.txt, auto-incremented if one already exists. - Why doesn’t macOS have a ‘New File’ option built in?
- Apple has never shipped one — users have requested it since the early OS X era. NewFile is a small Finder Sync Extension that adds the missing option without modifying the system.
- Does NewFile work on macOS Sequoia, Sonoma, and Ventura?
- Yes — NewFile supports macOS 13 (Ventura) and later, including Sonoma (14) and Sequoia (15). On Sequoia 15.0–15.1 the System Settings Extensions UI was buggy; update to 15.2 or later if the NewFile Extension toggle does not appear.
- Is NewFile free? Does it collect any data?
- NewFile is free, open source, and collects nothing — no analytics, no telemetry, no network requests. The source is on GitHub at github.com/mariusgm/newfile.
- Can I uninstall it cleanly?
- Yes — drag
NewFile.appfrom/Applicationsto the Trash. The Finder extension toggle disappears automatically; nothing is left behind.
Turn on the Finder extension (one time)
- Open System Settings → General → Login Items & Extensions.
- Scroll to Added Extensions.
- Toggle NewFile Extension on. Then in any Finder window choose View → Customize Toolbar… and drag the NewFile icon into the toolbar.
NewFile collects nothing, sends nothing, has no analytics. The site doesn’t either — no cookies, no trackers, no fonts loaded from third parties. The whole thing is open source on GitHub.