Built-in editor with live preview
Edit Markdown, code, JSON and plain text in place. The rendered preview follows every keystroke.
FileBeacon
Files, Editor & Disk Analyzer
Coming soon to the Mac App Store
A file manager with an editor inside it. Edit Markdown, code, JSON and text right where you browse, watch the preview update as you type, and see what fills your disk with a fast, APFS-aware scan.
The difference
An editor inside your file manager.
Select a text, Markdown or code file and edit it right there, between your folders and the preview. No switching apps to fix a typo in a README or change one value in a config file.
- The preview updates as you type: Markdown, JSON, CSV, HTML and code.
- Syntax highlighting, line numbers, Find & Replace, auto-indent and comment toggling.
- Saves only when you press ⌘S, keeping the file's encoding and line endings.
- Unsaved edits stay open while you browse, and files changed elsewhere reload.
Features
Everything in one native window.
Browse, preview, edit and measure without leaving FileBeacon.
1–4 panes, tabs in each
Side by side, stacked, three-up or a 2×2 grid. Every pane has tabs, and your layout comes back next launch.
List, Icons, Columns, Sizes
Four views per tab, plus Group By name, kind, dates or size, the way you already organise folders on a Mac.
Live folder sizes
Folder sizes fill in right in the list, measured in the background and cached, with a bar to compare them at a glance.
Rich previews
Markdown, code in 30+ languages, JSON and plists as a tree, CSV tables, PDF, images, audio, video, fonts, ZIP contents and a Git card for projects.
Disk Scan
Treemap, nested and sunburst charts, a list of the largest items, suggestions for space you may not need, and what grew since your last scan.
Fast and APFS-aware
Scans use every CPU core and can show Size on Disk or Private Size, which leaves out bytes shared by APFS clones and snapshots.
Built for developers
Copy paths as plain, ~, shell-quoted or file URL. New File from templates. Open the folder in Terminal, iTerm, Ghostty or Warp.
Familiar and undoable
Cut, copy and paste files, drag and drop, inline rename, a typed path bar with Tab completion, and undo for file changes.
Private by design
Your files stay on your Mac.
FileBeacon has no network access at all, so nothing you browse, preview or edit can leave your computer.
No account
Open the app and start. There is nothing to sign up for.
No analytics or ads
No tracking, telemetry or third-party SDKs. Data not collected.
No network access
The app isn't allowed to connect to the internet, so it can't send anything anywhere.
Sandboxed
Runs in the macOS App Sandbox, with no helpers, background tools or login items.
You choose what it sees
Access comes only from what you pick in a standard macOS panel. Remove it any time in Settings.
Deletes go to the Trash
Nothing is removed on its own. Every Move to Trash is your choice, confirmed and undoable.
How access works
One choice, then it just works.
Mac App Store apps can't see your files until you allow them. FileBeacon walks you through it.
Choose Macintosh HD once
On first launch a standard macOS Open window appears with Macintosh HD selected. Click Allow Access and macOS remembers it, so you only do this once. Prefer less? Allow single folders instead.
Full Disk Access is optional
Only needed to look inside data macOS protects even from allowed apps, like Mail and Messages. You turn it on yourself in System Settings; the built-in guide shows where.
Change your mind any time
Settings ▸ Access lists what FileBeacon can see. Remove All revokes it instantly.
FAQ
Questions, answered.
Is FileBeacon free?
Yes. FileBeacon will be free on the Mac App Store, with no in-app purchases, subscriptions or ads.
Does it replace Finder?
It works alongside Finder rather than replacing it. Use FileBeacon when you want panes, tabs, folder sizes, previews or the editor; Show in Finder is always one click away, and copy and paste of files works between the two.
Why does it ask for Macintosh HD?
A file manager and disk analyser needs to list and measure your folders. In the App Sandbox the only way to allow that is for you to choose the disk in a standard macOS Open window. macOS then remembers your choice with a security-scoped bookmark.
You can allow single folders instead, and remove access at any time in Settings ▸ Access. Either way, nothing leaves your Mac.
Does it need Full Disk Access?
No. Everything works without it. Full Disk Access only lets FileBeacon look inside data macOS protects even from allowed apps, such as Mail, Messages and Safari. If you want that, Help ▸ Permissions shows exactly where to turn it on in System Settings. FileBeacon never changes the setting itself.
Which macOS version do I need?
macOS 15 Sequoia or later, on Apple silicon or Intel Macs.
Will it delete anything on its own?
No. Files are only moved to the Trash when you ask, after a confirmation that lists the items, and you can undo or put them back from the Trash.
Browse, edit, and see what fills your disk.
FileBeacon is coming soon to the Mac App Store, free, for macOS 15 and later.