How to convert files directly from Finder on Mac
macOS can convert a few things from Finder with Quick Actions, such as images to JPEG, PNG or HEIF. FileMate adds more to the same right-click menu: images to JPEG, PNG, HEIC or TIFF, Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents to PDF, images to PDF, MOV to a smaller MP4, and a video’s sound to M4A. Right-click the file, choose FileMate, then the conversion. The result appears next to the original.
Every conversion runs on your Mac. No app to open, no website to upload to.
Convert a file in Finder with FileMate
- Select the file, or several files of the same kind, in Finder.
- Right-click and choose FileMate. The menu only lists actions that work for what you selected.
- Choose the conversion, such as Convert Image › JPEG or Convert to PDF.
- The new file appears next to the original. The original is never changed.
What FileMate can convert from Finder
| You select | FileMate action | You get |
|---|---|---|
| Any image macOS can open (HEIC, PNG, WebP, TIFF…) | Convert Image | JPEG, PNG, HEIC or TIFF; WebP where macOS supports it |
| Word, Excel or PowerPoint (.docx, .xlsx, .pptx) | Convert to PDF | A PDF, without Microsoft Office |
| One image | Create PDF | A one-page PDF |
| Several images or PDFs | Merge into PDF… | One PDF, in the order you choose |
| Several images | Create Video from Images… | A 1080p MP4 slideshow |
| MP4, MOV or M4V | Compress Video | A smaller MP4 |
| A video with sound | Extract Audio | The sound as M4A |
| MP3, WAV, AIFF, M4A, CAF | Compress Audio | A smaller AAC file (M4A) |
What’s already in macOS
Finder’s own Quick Actions, in the right-click menu, include:
- Convert Image: JPEG, PNG or HEIF, with a size option.
- Create PDF: combines selected images or PDFs into one PDF.
- Encode Selected Video Files and Encode Selected Audio Files: re-encode media to M4V or AAC.
If one of those covers what you do, you don’t need anything else. FileMate is for everything around them: Office documents to PDF, image formats Quick Actions don’t write, choosing the order of a merged PDF, and compression with levels, all in one menu.
Why convert from Finder at all?
Because the file is already there. Opening an app means finding the file again, exporting it, and choosing where to save the copy. A converter website adds an upload and a download on top. From Finder, it’s one right-click, and the result lands next to the file you started with.
Can I set it up the way I like?
Yes. In FileMate Settings › Finder Menu, choose between a FileMate submenu and actions directly in the right-click menu, turn groups off, and change their order. FileMate can also add a button to Finder’s toolbar.
Get FileMate
The file is already in Finder. FileMate puts the conversion there too: right-click, choose, done, on your Mac.
Normal price €9.99, now €4.99 incl. VAT
One payment, no subscription. macOS 14 Sonoma or later, Apple silicon or Intel.