FolderHeat
A Mac app that colors the folders you select in Finder by what’s inside them. It can also put the number on the folder: “1.2 GB”, “24 files”, “3 days ago”.
What it does
- Colors folders in seven steps by size, file count, or last change (thresholds and colors are editable)
- Paints folders any color (hex codes too), with an SF Symbol, your own logo image, or a short label
- Runs from Finder’s right-click menu. Changes show in Finder right away; Cancel puts the original icons back
- Right-click an empty spot inside a folder to color every folder in it at once
- Works on aliases
Folder modification dates stay untouched. Everything happens on your Mac and nothing is sent anywhere. Requires macOS 15 or later.
Price
One-time purchase on the App Store ($2.99 in the US). No in-app purchases or subscriptions.
Getting started
- Open FolderHeat and click “Allow…” to allow access to your home folder.
- Click “Open System Settings…” and turn on the “FolderHeat” extension.
FAQ
“Change Folder Color…” isn’t in the right-click menu
Check that the FolderHeat extension is turned on in System Settings. Inside cloud folders such as Dropbox, Google Drive and iCloud Drive, macOS doesn’t show Finder extension menus; use right-click → Services → Change Folder Color… instead.
It says FolderHeat isn’t allowed to paint a folder
Folders outside your home folder (on an external drive, for example) need their own permission. Click “Allow…” in the panel and allow a location that contains them, once.
Folders flash blue for a moment when I change the color
Finder doesn’t redraw a folder whose custom icon is replaced, so FolderHeat briefly switches it back to the standard icon before applying the new color.
The color didn’t change when the contents did
Colors reflect the contents at the time you paint. When the contents change, paint the folder again from the right-click menu.
How do I get the standard blue folder back?
Click “Remove Color” in the panel.
Support
Send bug reports and requests to [email protected].