Finder fixes and how-tos

When Finder dims a file

Updated 2026-10-30 · 4 min read

A greyed-out file is macOS telling you one specific thing, and the fix depends on where you see it. Here is how to read the dimming and get to the file.

Read the grey by where you see it

A greyed-out file is macOS saying "not available right now", and the reason depends on the window you're looking at. Find your row, then jump to that section.

Where it's grey	What it usually means	What to do
An Open dialog in an app	The app can't open that kind of file	Look for Show Options or a file-type menu, or open the file from Finder
A Finder window, with a progress bar	A copy or move is still running	Wait for it to finish
A Finder window, after a copy stopped	A partial copy was left behind	Compare sizes, then copy again
A file in iCloud Drive	It's in iCloud and not on the Mac yet	Control-click it and choose Download Now
A name that looks faded after ⇧⌘.	It's a hidden file you've chosen to show	Nothing is wrong

In an Open dialog

When you choose File > Open in an app, the dialog dims the files that app can't open, so a Pages document looks grey in a photo editor's dialog. That's the app's file-type filter at work, not a fault in the file. Some apps add a Show Options button or a file-type pop-up menu at the bottom of the dialog that widens the filter; what's offered varies by app. If yours has neither, open the file from Finder instead: Control-click it, choose Open With, and pick an app that handles the type.

If the file should open in this app and doesn't, the extension may be wrong or missing. Select the file in Finder, press ⌘I, and read the Kind line. A file with no extension at all shows as plain "Document", and an app's dialog may then not recognise it as a photo or a PDF. Adding the right extension back usually makes it selectable again.

A copy that's still running, or never finished

While Finder copies a file, the new item shows up dimmed with a progress indicator on it. Leave it alone until the indicator disappears. A copy that's interrupted, for example by unplugging the drive too early or losing the network, can leave a half-written item behind that stays dimmed or won't open.

To tell, compare the two files' sizes in Terminal. Drag each file into the window after ls -l so the paths paste in:

ls -l "/Volumes/<DriveName>/Holiday.mov" ~/Desktop/Holiday.mov

The fifth column is the size in bytes. If the copy is smaller than the original, it's incomplete. Move the partial copy to the Trash in Finder and copy the original again. Don't try to clear the dimming by editing the file's attributes: the data that never arrived still isn't there. If the copy fails again with an error code, note the number and look it up before retrying.

iCloud Drive and other cloud folders

With Optimize Mac Storage on, iCloud Drive keeps some files only in iCloud. Apple's guide says items that aren't on your Mac carry the In iCloud status icon (a cloud), and that you can Control-click them and choose Download Now. Depending on your macOS version, the name may also look dimmed until the download finishes. Folders synced by other cloud services behave much the same way, with their own icons.

If the download never starts or stalls, work through iCloud files not downloading. If you're offline, nothing will download until you reconnect.

Hidden files and other dimmed things

Press ⇧⌘. in a Finder window and hidden files appear in a faded style. That's how Finder tells them apart from your normal files, so a grey name here means "hidden", not "broken". Press the same keys again to hide them. The full list of ways to show them is in show hidden files.

A folder dims for the same reasons as a file: it's a hidden folder and hidden files are showing, or a copy into it hasn't finished. A folder you aren't allowed to open looks different. It keeps its normal colour and gets a small red no-entry badge, and opening it fails. That's a permissions problem, covered in Mac file permissions explained.

Check for a complete copy elsewhere

Before you spend time on a dimmed file, see whether a finished copy already exists. Type the file's name into Everywhere and switch the sort to Largest: a complete copy sorts above a partial one with the same name, and the folder shown beside each result tells you where it sits, whether that's Downloads, a backup drive or a project folder. Desktop, Documents, Downloads, iCloud Drive and external drives are only included once Everywhere has Full Disk Access.

Common questions

Why are some files greyed out in an Open dialog on a Mac?

The app can't open that type of file, so it dims it. Look for a Show Options button or a file-type menu in the dialog (it varies by app), or open the file from Finder with Open With.

Why is a file greyed out after I copied it in Finder?

The copy is probably still running, or it was interrupted and left a partial file. Wait for the progress bar to finish. If it never does, trash the partial copy and copy the original again.

Why are iCloud files greyed out on my Mac?

They're likely in iCloud but not downloaded yet. Control-click the item in iCloud Drive and choose Download Now, and make sure you're online.

Why is a folder greyed out on my Mac?

Usually a copy into it is still running or was interrupted, or it's a hidden folder and hidden files are showing (⇧⌘.). A folder you have no permission to open isn't dimmed; it shows a red no-entry badge instead.