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Different Methods To Use Dates In Smart Folders To Stay On Top Of Things
How to use dates in Smart Folders to stay on top of things? The Smart Folders feature on Mac provides you the best way to gather items that match particular criteria. You can also use Smart Folders for business or pleasure and rather than finding images, files, or documents.
We have a basic article for how to use Smart Folders on Mac if you’re just getting began. But if you are using Smart Folders before, you probably be interested in extra ways these quite handy folders can also more essential.
If you want to keep up using your work or school projects. Here are various creative methods to use dates as conditions for Smart Folders on your Mac.
Smart Folders with dates on Mac
- Create a Smart Folder
- Save the date
- Created date
- Last modified date
- Last opened date
- Save or simply search
Create a Smart Folder
Some of the recommendations below will begin the same way such as creating a Smart Folder. Also, it uses Finder active or open, tap File > New Smart Folder from the menu bar.
You’ll then initiate input on the conditions we elaborate on below. Also, you can review our Smart Folders guide for more detail on how it works.
Save the date
You can also find several items concerning dates to help you keep up with school, work, and home. Also, it’s items you make, changed, or last opened, you can simply use a Smart Folder to record them down.
However, the date attributes range from Content changed to Date received to Used date. So, you might have to tap the Other choices located in the first drop-down box for a condition to include the Attributes for the dates we’ll use.
Tip: Simply pop the word Date into the search box for the attributes list to view all those related to dates.
For choosing the date or range, you have lots of flexibility. You can also choose from various quick options like today, yesterday, this week, this month, or this year.
But also you can use choices like “within last” X number of days/weeks/months/years, “exactly” for a particular date, or “before” or “after” a certain date.
Created date
So if you need to find a particular type of item that you created within a date range, this is quite easy.
For the 1st condition, in the Name drop-down, choose Created date. (You can also select Created applies to when a file was created whereas Created date applies to when the contents were created.)
Come let’s say you want to view all of the PDFs created this year. However, you simply use these criteria:
- The created date is this year
- Kind is PDF
Or you might want what you want is all of the PDFs created this year for press releases or press kits. You would also use these criteria:
- The created date is this year
- Kind is PDF
- Name contains “press” which will find PDFs with “press” in the name for press kits and press releases
Last modified date
Certainly using the date that an item was last changed is the way to go. For the first condition, in the Name drop-down, choose the Last modified date.
Say you want to view the JPEG images changed in the last few days. You would use these criteria:
- Last modified date is within the last 3 days
- Kind is Image JPEG
But then you want to narrow down it further as you only need those with a certain word in the name. For example, “Mac”. Then you must use these criteria:
- Last modified date is within the last 3 days
- Kind is Image JPEG
- Name contains Mac
Last opened date
The last opening date can be essential for many situations.
At first, while trying to do some cleanup on your Mac. It might be you spotted an application or two you forgot about. Once you open it in ages, it might be the time to get rid of it.
Initially, in the Name drop-down, choose the Last opened date.
You probably like to view the apps you opened in the last month. Simply use the criteria:
- Last opened date is this month
- Kind is Application
Alternatively, it might you just want to view all of the folders you opened yesterday as you can’t recall the name of a folder you want today. Also, you would use these criteria:
- Last opened date is yesterday
- Kind is Folder
Save or simply search
Smart Folders are also everchanging but that’s important to remember. So if you want to create a Smart Folder and save it, any time whenever something might happen using an item on your Mac that matches the conditions, it will appear in the folder.
This is a dreadful way to stay up to date on items you find yourself finding for daily and items that continue to match the criteria you want over time.
Just make sure to press the Save button located on the top right and name your Smart Folder to save it.
At the same time, you can simply use the Smart Folders feature to find without saving. Also, you’ll notice, once you input the criteria, you’ll then view the matching results quickly. So if you want to do a simple search for something using the conditions to narrow down the results, this feature is quite essential.
Then you can close the Finder window once you find what you’re searching for, without saving the Smart Folder.
Conclusion:
Here’s all about “Use Dates In Smart Folders”. Smart Folders are the best whether you save them to use again or just to find what you want in a hurry. Fortunately, these recommendations for creating Smart Folders with just a few of the date choices available will be essential to you!
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