Batch rename files on Mac, hundreds at a time
Patterns, sequential numbering, and find-and-replace — applied across an entire selection in one pass. And because renaming hundreds of files is exactly when a mistake hurts, it's all undoable with ⌘Z.
Included in FileNav and FileNav Pro · macOS 12.4+
Where Finder runs out
Credit where it's due: Finder canbatch rename. Select some files, right-click, and you get replace-text, add-text, and a name-plus-index format. For renaming a dozen holiday photos, that's genuinely enough.
It runs out when the job gets real: a shoot of 400 files that needs a specific scheme, a client folder where half the names are wrong in a different way, or a rename you got subtly wrong and now have to reverse across every file. That's the gap FileNav fills — a proper pattern builder, and an undo that treats the whole batch as one action.
What the tool does
Find and replace
Swap a string across every selected filename at once — strip "IMG_", fix a client's misspelled name, normalize separators.
Patterns and numbering
Build a naming scheme and apply sequential numbers, so 300 camera dumps become a clean, ordered set in one pass.
See it before you commit
Batch rename is destructive by nature. FileNav shows you what you're about to do rather than making you guess.
Undo the whole thing
Rename is in the undo history. If the pattern was wrong, ⌘Z puts every file back — no manual repair across hundreds of names.
Frequently asked
How do I rename multiple files at once on a Mac?
Select the files, then use a batch rename tool. Finder has a basic one (select files → right-click → "Rename N Items"). FileNav's is built for bigger jobs: patterns, sequential numbering, and find-and-replace, applied to hundreds of files at once, with undo if the result isn't what you wanted.
Can Finder batch rename files?
Yes, but only simply. Finder can replace text, add text, or apply a name and index format. It has no pattern building and no undo history for the operation. For a handful of files it's fine; for hundreds with a specific naming scheme it runs out quickly.
Can I undo a batch rename?
In FileNav, yes — rename is part of the app's undo history, so ⌘Z reverses it. That matters most exactly when batch renaming, because a mistake hits every selected file at once.
Do I need FileNav Pro for batch rename?
No. Batch rename is included in FileNav ($14.99) as well as FileNav Pro ($29.99). The 14-day free trial includes it too.
Rename 400 files before your coffee cools
Batch rename is included in every copy of FileNav. Free for 14 days, no account, no credit card.