How to set to open folder with enter in finder?

Question

I want to set to open a folder in finder with Enter.

I know it's possible to open a folder with ⌘ Command + ↓ Down Arrow but I don't like it and I never use it because it's easier to use the trackpad, but enter would be the easiest way.

I tried to set it trough the keyboard shortcuts but I can't do it.

Answer 1

Any person new to Apple and Mac would find lot of things un-intuitive or just forced on the user, w/o any options to change it. Or it might be that just many of us had their first experiences on Win/Linux systems.

But just found this plugin to finder XtraFinder which among lot of other options allows you to ENTER/RETURN to open a file.

Feeling a lot relieved now! Hope it helps.

Answer 2

As I know you can not set it to enter in a normal way (but maybe exist some tricky way) but you can change open shortcut by going to System Preferences > Keyboard > Keyboard Shortcuts tab from the left window choose Application Shortcuts and press + to add new shortcut then find Finder in Application and choose Open in Menu Title and press any desired shortcut in textbox.

Answer 3

PresButan (Mac OS X 10.4.x-10.7.x): An idiotically named solution to a spectacular UI oversight (rather apropos, eh?).
It also lets you use either the backspace or delete key to delete files.

I can confirm it works (just installed it). Apparently it leverages the accessibility system and uses a daemon to catch the return events.

If you are on 10.3-10.5, you also have the option of using ReturnOpen.

Answer 4

You could also use KeyRemap4MacBook, but it would make pressing return open items even in rename mode. And there are a lot of other places besides Finder where return renames items and other key combinations open them.

If you don't use a QWERTY keyboard layout, change KeyCode::O to KeyCode::CURSOR_DOWN:

<item>
  <name>Use Return as Open</name>
  <identifier>private.app_finder_return2commandO</identifier>
  <only>FINDER</only>
  <autogen>--KeyToKey-- KeyCode::RETURN, ModifierFlag::FN, KeyCode::RETURN</autogen>
  <autogen>--KeyToKey-- KeyCode::RETURN, KeyCode::CURSOR_DOWN, ModifierFlag::COMMAND_L</autogen>
</item>

Answer 5

Edit: Well crud, got halfway through typing this up and then found that Karabiner doesn't work on Mac OS 10.12+. They are working on Karabiner-Elements but it's still pre-alpha.

These instructions still work for 10.11 and lower though:

Karabiner was easier than the top answer here because you don't have to make a System Integrity Protection exception (El Cap).

1. Install app from here: https://pqrs.org/osx/karabiner/

2. Open Karabiner with Spotlight Search (Cmd+Space)

3. In Karabiner search menu (upper left): "use return as open"

4. Check the box

5. Option-click on Finder in taskbar, Relaunch it.

Answer 6

For anybody looking for this in 2018: use BetterTouchTool to make the Enter key simulate ⌘ Command + ↓ Down Arrow key press.

Answer 7

ControlOptionSpace serves as an Enter key

Also enabling voice over for when you need to navigate, helps a lot too