Folder Peek: Pin Folders to the macOS Menu Bar

My notes

Summary

Folder Peek is a macOS menu bar app by Sindre Sorhus that pins arbitrary folders to the menu bar with file previews, drag and drop, and keyboard shortcut access. It replaces the Dock folder-stacks workflow with a faster, more configurable alternative that works even when the Dock is auto-hidden. After 4 years free and 50K+ downloads, the developer moved to a paid model to cap the support burden.

Key Insight

• Menu bar beats the Dock for quick folder access because the menu bar is always visible while most focus-friendly setups auto-hide the Dock.
• Aliases trick: create a folder of aliases pointing to files/folders scattered across the disk, then pin that alias folder to Folder Peek. Effectively builds a custom cross-location launcher (apps, projects, references) in one menu.
• Shortcuts integration: use the “Set Folder Visibility” action in macOS Shortcuts to swap work vs personal folders based on time of day or context. On macOS 26 this can be fully automated; older versions need the Shortery app.
• Screenshot queue trick: point macOS Screenshot’s “Other Location” to a dedicated folder, pin it with sort by Date Created and Max Items = 20. Menu bar becomes a rolling screenshot archive you can drag from directly.
• Webloc files work: drag a URL from Safari into a pinned folder and it becomes a clickable menu item, turning Folder Peek into a lightweight bookmark launcher.
• Option key reveals hidden actions everywhere: Copy Path, Copy Dimensions, reveal in Finder, copy instead of move on drag. Worth memorising.
• Smart Folders are NOT supported, sandboxing limits prevent virtual folder replication.
• Pricing pivot rationale: the developer explicitly said paid status isn’t about revenue, it’s about reducing support-request volume to sustainable levels. Useful data point for anyone shipping free indie software.