Mac Option Key tip #03: Close All Finder Windows

Updated April 20th, 2020.

Our Option Key Super-Tip marathon continues with Tip #3.

Here’s the situation: you have a mess of Finder windows open, like so–

Now you want to close them. So you either go to the File menu and choose “Close Window” over and over, or you click the red button at the top left of the first window over and over. The days of doing things over and over are over! All you need to do is hold the Option key when you go to the File menu and you can do close them all in one shot. See below.

See? What used to be “Close Window” is now “Close All.”

Bonus: Hold the Option key and click ANY Finder window’s red close button to close them all in one click. Very nice.

Double Bonus: this Option key technique isn’t specific to the Finder. It also works in Safari, Mail, Microsoft Word (but only if you use the Option-click-the-red-button method– the Option-click-File/Close method does not work for Word), and Microsoft Excel (same restriction as for Word).

That’s three.

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Click here to see all of my blog posts involving the Option key. Save yourself time and effort with the tips in those posts! Copyright 2008-2024 Christian Boyce. All rights reserved.

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