Command for retracting full folder tree expansion command?

Command+A for select all, followed by Command+right keyboard arrow expands fully everything in the folder tree; and command+left keyboard arrow contracts everything. But then if after all that, I click on a right facing expansion arrow in the top level of one folder in Documents, the entire folder tree expands 100% again, very inconvenient. I could get rid of the full expansion command by a shut down, although a restart likely would work. My question is whether there is a method for retracting the full expansion command, so that clicking on one right facing expansion triangle will cause only a one level down expansion, not an all the way down expansion. Overall, can one manage the expansion depth in Finder based on clicking on one right facing expansion triangle? I can imagine a setting for going three levels down with each expansion triangle click, or two levels, or four levels, etc.

Mac mini

Posted on Feb 23, 2025 05:11 PM

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7 replies

Feb 24, 2025 05:54 PM in response to Brandnewuserid

Brandnewuserid wrote:

Interesting. Your final sentence suggests that Mac keyboard commands generally are not very effective or reliable.

no, what I meant was any keyboard method of doing things may not match what you can do with a mouse. I don’t know how reliable fits into it, they will reliably do exactly what they were designed to do, but that may not be what you can do with a mouse.


It would be uncharacteristic of Apple to allow the creation of such a large number of them, if the keyboard method creates a lot of problems.

Ive never seen them cause problems.


On the other hand, my experience of Cmd+arrow has been mixed.


Maybe that’s because it does nothing.

I can’t find cmd-arrow in this list of shortcuts in the Finder section.

Mac keyboard shortcuts - Apple Support

As far as I can tell playing with it, cmd-arrow isn’t a thing. It is just Arrow right or left. Adding the command key doesn’t do anything different.

Opt-Arrow does the same as Option-clicking.

Feb 24, 2025 06:14 AM in response to Barney-15E

Ok, but it seems to be more complex than that. Where "arrow" refers to the right and left facing keyboard arrows, I used Cmd+arrow for full subfolders and file expansion or contraction. But after that, clicking on the same triangle still gave me all or none, full expansion or full contraction. I could not get back to expanding one or two folder levels down with one triangle click, until I rebooted. What is the command+arrow exit method, so to speak?

Feb 24, 2025 03:09 PM in response to Barney-15E

Interesting. Your final sentence suggests that Mac keyboard commands generally are not very effective or reliable. I wouldn't know either way, being new to the Mac, but there sure are a lot of keyboard commands available in these online listings of them. It would be uncharacteristic of Apple to allow the creation of such a large number of them, if the keyboard method creates a lot of problems. On the other hand, my experience of Cmd+arrow has been mixed.

Feb 24, 2025 07:35 PM in response to Barney-15E

Yes, I got the keyboard shortcut name wrong. I have been on a Mac as my main general use computer for ten days. Thank you for pointing out the error. Because Command is used for select all, which is the first step, I carried over the word Command into the other two changes under discussion, when it was Option instead.

Command+A is the select all.

Option+right arrow is the full expansion of all selected folders.

Option+left arrow contracts them.

I had keyed in notes on this, but I got too many notes piled up as of right now.

Feb 25, 2025 03:55 AM in response to Brandnewuserid

Brandnewuserid wrote:

Yes, I got the keyboard shortcut name wrong. I have been on a Mac as my main general use computer for ten days. Thank you for pointing out the error. Because Command is used for select all, which is the first step, I carried over the word Command into the other two changes under discussion, when it was Option instead.
Command+A is the select all.
Option+right arrow is the full expansion of all selected folders.
Option+left arrow contracts them.
I had keyed in notes on this, but I got too many notes piled up as of right now.

It appears to be working as designed.

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Command for retracting full folder tree expansion command?

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