How to rename multiple files at once on Windows and Mac

You come back from a trip with 200 photos, all called things like IMG_4021.jpg. Or you have a stack of scanned documents named Scan_001. Renaming them one at a time would take an afternoon. The good news is that you do not have to. Windows and Mac can both rename a whole group of files in a few seconds, with nothing to install.

This guide shows the quick way on each, plus a few tricks for when you want more control.

Rename multiple files at once on Windows

This works in File Explorer on Windows 10 and Windows 11. It gives every file the same name plus a number, which is just what you want for a set of photos.

1. Open the folder that holds your files.
2. Select the files you want to rename. Press Ctrl + A to pick everything in the folder, or hold Ctrl and click to pick certain ones. To pick a run of files, click the first, hold Shift and click the last.
3. Press F2. The name of the first file becomes editable.
4. Type the new name, for example Lisbon trip, and press Enter.

Windows renames every selected file and adds a number in brackets to keep them apart: Lisbon trip (1).jpg, Lisbon trip (2).jpg, and so on. The files keep their endings.

You can also use the Rename button in the toolbar at the top of the window in Windows 11, or right-click and choose Rename. F2 is just faster.

Different name for each file: the Tab trick

If each file needs its own name, such as a set of documents, use Tab.

1. Click the first file and press F2.
2. Type its new name and press Tab instead of Enter.
3. Windows saves that name and opens the next file for editing. Keep typing and pressing Tab.
4. Press Shift + Tab to step back if you slip up.

You never touch the mouse, so it is quick even for a long list.

Made a mistake?

Press Ctrl + Z right away. It undoes the last rename, and pressing it again goes back another step.

Rename multiple files at once on Mac

Finder has a proper batch rename tool built in. It works on any Mac with a recent version of macOS.

1. Open the folder in Finder.
2. Select the files. Press Cmd + A for all of them, or hold Cmd and click to pick certain ones.
3. Control-click (or right-click) one of the selected files and choose Rename. The menu item says how many you picked, for example Rename 24 Items.
4. In the box that opens, use the menu at the top to choose what kind of change you want. The three choices are described below.
5. Check the example name shown under the fields, then click Rename.

Option 1: Format (a new name with numbers)

This is the one for a pile of IMG_ photos. Choose Format. Then:

• Set Name Format to Name and Index (or Name and Counter, depending on your macOS version).
• Type the name you want in Custom Format, for example Lisbon trip.
• Set Start numbers at to 1, or any number you like.

You get Lisbon trip 1, Lisbon trip 2, and so on. The example line in the box shows the first name before anything changes.

Option 2: Replace Text (fix part of each name)

Choose Replace Text. Type the piece you want to swap in the first box, and what to put there instead in the second. For example, replace IMG_ with Holiday_. The rest of each name stays as it was, so the numbers from the camera are kept.

Option 3: Add Text (put a word at the start or end)

Choose Add Text, type the words, and pick before name or after name. This is handy for adding a year or a person's name to a set of files.

Made a mistake?

Press Cmd + Z straight away. Finder undoes the whole batch rename in one step.

Tips that save trouble

• Sort first. The numbers follow the order the files are shown in. Sort by Date or Name before you select, so the numbering comes out the way you want.
• Try a copy first. If the files matter a lot, copy the folder and practice on the copy.
• Keep names simple. Letters, numbers, spaces and dashes are fine. Windows does not allow these characters in a name: \ / : * ? " < > |.
• Use dates for sorting. A name like 2026-03-14 Invoice keeps files in the right order in any folder.

Where Key can help

The slow part of renaming is often getting to the right files in the first place. Key is a free assistant for Windows and Mac that you can speak to or type to. It opens your apps, finds your files, and tells you what it did. It finds files by what is inside them, not just the name, so a request like "open the folder with my Lisbon photos" does not depend on remembering what the folder is called. If two things match, it asks which one you meant.

Once the folder is open in front of you, the steps above take about ten seconds.

KeyVoice

Open the folder with my Lisbon photos

looked through your Pictures foldersfound the folder with the Lisbon photosopened it in a Finder window

I opened your Lisbon photos folder, so you are ready to select them and rename.

Checked: the folder window is open and shows the Lisbon photos.

You can say the request out loud or type it in the chat. Both give the same result. While Key works, a small panel shows what it is doing, and you can stop it at any point.

If your files are scattered across Downloads, our guide on cleaning up your Downloads folder is a good first step before you rename. And if you can only remember something about what a file says, see how to find a file by what is inside it.

A quick recap

• On Windows: select the files, press F2, type a name, press Enter.
• On Mac: select the files, Control-click, choose Rename, then pick Format, Replace Text or Add Text.
• Undo with Ctrl + Z or Cmd + Z if the result is not what you wanted.

Related guide: How to move files to a new folder in one step

Related guide: How to see which files and folders are using the most space

Related guide: How to zip and unzip files on Windows and Mac