Stacks (Mac OS)

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Stacks (Mac OS)

Stacks is a macOS feature that puts groups of files into a small, organized folder on the Dock, making it quick to access downloaded or other files without opening Finder. It was first introduced with Mac OS X Leopard, with a default Downloads stack shown on the Dock.

Views and how they work
- Fan: icons fan out for quick access.
- Grid: icons appear in a grid.
- List: a list with pop-out menus shows the folder contents.

What changed over time
- In Leopard 10.5.2, Apple added the List view and more sorting options, such as by name, date created, date modified, date added, and kind. You can switch views and sorting by right-clicking (or Control-clicking) the stack, and you can choose whether the Dock shows a folder or a stack icon. The top item in a fan can open the folder in Finder.
- Snow Leopard added the ability to view subfolders without leaving Finder and added scrollbars for large folders.
- In macOS Mojave, Desktop Stacks was introduced as a separate feature to organize items on the desktop by kind, date, or tags to reduce clutter.

See also: HyperCard stacks.