You just imported 200 photos from your camera. They’re all named something like IMG_4821.JPG, IMG_4822.JPG… and you need them named Bali-Trip-Day1-001.jpg instead. Renaming them one by one? That’s going to take your whole afternoon.

Good news: macOS has had built-in batch renaming since macOS Yosemite, and it takes about 30 seconds once you know where to find it. Plus there are faster, more powerful options if you need them.

This guide covers every method — from the dead-simple Finder trick to Terminal commands for power users — so you can pick the one that fits your situation.

Method 1: Batch Rename Files Using Finder (Built-In, No Downloads)

This is the fastest approach for most people. No extra apps, no Terminal — it’s built right into the Mac Finder and works on any Mac running macOS Yosemite or later (basically any Mac from 2014 onwards).

Step 1: Select the Files You Want to Rename

Open Finder and navigate to the folder containing your files. Select the files you want to rename:

• Command + A — select all files in the folder
• Click + drag — select a group of files
• Command + click — select specific individual files
• Shift + click — select a range of consecutive files

You can select files from anywhere in the folder. Finder will rename them in the order they’re sorted (by name, date, or whatever your current sort is).

Step 2: Open the Batch Rename Dialog

With your files selected, right-click (or Control + click) on any of the selected files. In the context menu, look for “Rename X Items…” where X is the number of files you selected. Click it.

Alternatively, go to the File menu in the menu bar and select Rename X Items…

A rename dialog box will appear with three modes you can switch between.

Step 3: Choose Your Rename Mode

The Finder batch rename dialog has three options in the dropdown at the top:

Replace Text Mode

Use this when you want to swap out a word in existing filenames. For example, renaming all files that say “Draft” to “Final”:

• Find: Draft
• Replace with: Final

Finder will update every selected filename that contains “Draft” — files that don’t contain that word are left untouched.

Add Text Mode

Adds a prefix or suffix to every selected filename without changing the existing name:

• Set “before name” to add a prefix — e.g., 2026-Bali- becomes 2026-Bali-IMG_001.jpg
• Set “after name” to add a suffix — e.g., -FINAL becomes report-FINAL.pdf

Format Mode

This completely renames all files using a custom base name plus a number, counter, or date. Choose from three sub-formats:

• Name and Index — e.g., “Bali Trip 1”, “Bali Trip 2”, “Bali Trip 3”
• Name and Counter — padded numbers, e.g., “Bali Trip 001”, “Bali Trip 002”
• Name and Date — adds current date/time, e.g., “Bali Trip 2026-04-16 09.32.01”

You can also set the starting index number — useful if you’re doing files in batches and want them to continue numbering from where you left off.

Step 4: Preview and Confirm

The dialog shows you a live preview of the first few renamed files before you commit. Double-check it looks right, then click Rename. Done — all files are renamed instantly.

Method 2: Batch Rename Using Terminal (For Power Users)

Terminal gives you more flexibility than Finder — especially for complex patterns, file extensions, or when you need to rename files based on their content or metadata. It’s faster for very large batches too.

Rename Files Using a Simple Loop

Open Terminal (Applications → Utilities, or Spotlight search). Navigate to your folder:

Add a prefix to all JPG files:

Replace spaces with hyphens in all filenames:

Sequentially number all PNG files:

Method 3: Use Automator to Build a Reusable Rename Workflow

Automator is Apple’s built-in automation app — most Mac users don’t know it exists. You can build a rename workflow once and run it forever with a right-click.

1. Open Automator (Applications, or Spotlight search)
2. Choose New Document → Quick Action
3. Set “Workflow receives current” to files or folders in Finder
4. Search for “Rename Finder Items” in the action library and drag it into the workflow
5. Configure your rename style (Add Date/Time, Make Sequential, Replace Text, etc.)
6. Save the workflow with a name like “Batch Rename”

Now whenever you right-click a group of files in Finder, your custom rename action appears in Quick Actions. One click — files renamed, every time.

Method 4: Third-Party Apps for Advanced Batch Renaming

If you rename files regularly or need features like regex matching, renaming based on EXIF metadata, or chaining multiple operations, a dedicated app is worth it.

NameChanger is the best starting point — completely free, clean interface, live preview before committing, and regex support. Transnomino is great if you want to chain multiple rename operations in sequence.

Pro Tips for Batch Renaming on Mac

• Sort before renaming — the order files are sorted in Finder determines the numbering order. Sort by Date Created first if you want chronological numbering.
• Keep file extensions intact — Finder’s batch rename preserves extensions automatically. In Terminal, target the filename part only, not the extension.
• Use hyphens not spaces — spaces in filenames cause issues when uploading to servers or sharing across systems. Use - or _ instead.
• Test on copies first — especially with Terminal, always run on a duplicate folder before touching originals.
• Be consistent with capitalization — decide upfront: all lowercase, Title Case, or ALLCAPS. Mixing creates sorting headaches later.

Common Use Cases for Batch Renaming on Mac

• Camera photos — renaming IMG_XXXX files to something meaningful like Bali-Trip-001.jpg
• Screenshots — macOS names screenshots with a long timestamp. Add a project prefix to stay organized.
• Client deliverables — adding client name or project code as a prefix to all files before sending
• Podcast episodes — sequential numbering for audio files before uploading
• Downloaded files — cleaning up messy downloaded filenames before organizing into folders
• Ebook chapters — adding chapter numbers to ensure correct reading order

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I undo a batch rename on Mac?

Yes — if you used Finder, press Command + Z immediately after renaming to undo all changes at once. This doesn’t work in Terminal, which is why you should always test Terminal commands first.

How do I rename files and change the file extension at the same time?

Finder’s batch rename doesn’t change file extensions. For that, use Terminal or a third-party app like NameChanger. In Terminal: for f in *.JPG; do mv "$f" "${f%.JPG}.jpg"; done converts uppercase .JPG to lowercase .jpg.

Why can’t I see “Rename X Items” in Finder?

You need at least two files selected — Finder only shows the batch rename option with multiple files. Also make sure you’re running macOS Yosemite (10.10) or later.

Does batch rename work on folders too?

Yes — you can select folders in Finder and batch rename them exactly the same way as files. The “Rename X Items” option works on any combination of files and folders.

How do I rename files to lowercase on Mac?

Finder can’t do case conversion. Use Terminal: for f in *; do mv "$f" "$(echo $f | tr '[:upper:]' '[:lower:]')"; done — this converts all filenames in the current folder to lowercase.