In the early macOS versions, users wanting to rename files in bulk would have to install a third-party tool or resort to the command line. While you can still download and install third-party applications, Apple has introduced a wide range of intuitive batches renaming capabilities via Finder. 

You can launch Finder and rename files in bulk without any hassle. You need to launch Finder on your system > find all the files you wish to rename > select a batch of files by using Shift + click > at the top of the Finder window, you need to click on the three dots and select Rename. Then, you have to choose the Format in the Rename toolbar, which can be selected from Name and Counter, Name and Index, or Name and Date. You have to enter the new name for the files in the Custom Format box and enter a number in the Start numbers at tab. Finally, click Rename. All the files you selected will be renamed to the new name, and you can save your precious time. 

So, what are the benefits of renaming files in bulk? Why are users going gaga over this feature? The reasons are as follows:

• Renaming batch files at once is a great way to save your time and effort. You don’t have to individually change the names of the files when you want to give them the same name. For instance, you want to group all the birthday photos before uploading them to the cloud storage. Instead of individually changing the names on the files and wasting hours, you can complete the task in minutes by renaming all the files in bulk. 
• File renaming in a batch is one of the best ways to declutter and organize your Mac system. It will help you to manage storage space and ensure your system is always at its peak performance. You can get all the files of one type at a particular destination and excel in file management. 
• You can quickly organize files by the date they were modified and find them without much effort. Whenever you need files that were added or modified on a specific date, you will find them grouped. 

Therefore, one of the best ways to tidy your hard drive is to rename files in bulk. It will enhance your organizational and file management skills while keeping your Mac system clean and the files easily identifiable. 

Top Batch Renaming Tools you can Consider Using 

While you can rename files in bulk via Finder, you can also check out some of the best batch renaming tools for macOS that are very popular among users. 

• A Better Finder Rename 

A Better Finder Rename is a popular renaming software that helps make changes to file names in bulk. If you want to change tens of thousands of file names, it can help you accomplish that feat in real time. The software provides a wide range of file renaming features organized into fifteen categories, covering different areas like tags, text, conversion, character, truncation, etc. For instance, the character category covers removing vowels, removing trailing space, removing specific characters, replacing specific characters, etc. 

Moreover, the software works seamlessly with different image formats like CRW, JPG, HEIC, TIFF, ARW, and more. 

• Smart File Renamer 

Smart File Renamer does a fabulous job in batch renaming files and folders. Thanks to its flexible rename patterns, it can even rename your entire hard disk. This is one of the sought-after renaming tools available for macOS users. It simplifies the entire batch renaming process by offering a range of features, including custom filters, bulk rename, audio tags, photo metadata, etc. If Finder doesn’t meet your requirements, you can consider installing this on your system. 

• NameChanger 

If you want to rename several files at once, you must check out NameChanger. This is a fantastic tool from MRR Software. You can use this file to rename files in bulk, and you need to drag and drop the files. So, select the files you wish to rename and drop them into the app. Then, you need to set your criteria, and you are done. Some criteria you can choose when renaming selecting files are appended, wildcard, character removal, replace the first occurrence with, replace all occurrences with, replace the last occurrence with, etc. The tool supports macOS Lion and later versions. 

These are some of the batch renaming tools popular with Mac users. You can install them on your device if Finder is not helping you achieve your goals. With these tools, you can quickly rename the files bulk and save precious time and effort. You can forget having to select and rename files individually, which might take between a few minutes and a few hours. However, if you haven’t tried this feature on Finder yet, go ahead and check it out.