Cannot rename files in Finder

To double-click a file name so that you can edit it in Finder, you need to click more slowly than the threshold set in macOS for a double-click (the one that opens a file or folder).

If you are having trouble double-clicking the file name, you can adjust the double-click threshold to a faster setting, or wait longer between clicks on a file name. Personally, I wait about 1 second between clicks, as in click-"one-one-thousand"-click, and then the file name becomes an editable text field. That has worked reliably for me, for years.

To adjust the double-click threshold, go to System Settings > Accessibility > Pointer Control and drag the slider to the right for a faster double-click, which means a shorter interval between clicks to edit a file name.

More info: Change Pointer Control settings for accessibility on Mac – Apple Support

Right-click on the file to rename and then choose Rename from the Finder contextual menu. This preselects the basename text and you just enter the replacement name followed by a return. Or, if you want to edit the existing name, click in that preselected basename and edit.

You will go daft trying to achieve the first paragraph with a double-click in more recent versions of macOS.

As noted, double-click is not meant to rename a file, but to open it; you need to click, then slight pause, then click again; or use the control-click, and choose Rename; or yet (and this one I don't think has been mentioned), click to select, and then press Return and start editing the name.

I don't remember ever double-clicking on a file to rename it. Maybe years ago. First, in Finder, select the file, either by clicking on it, or by "moving around" with the arrow keys, or by typing the first one or two letters in the file name (in folders with lots of items that at least gets you in the neighborhood). Then a single click with the cursor on the file allows it to be renamed.

abovdal wrote:

I don't remember ever double-clicking on a file to rename it. Maybe years ago. First, in Finder, select the file, either by clicking on it, or by "moving around" with the arrow keys, or by typing the first one or two letters in the file name (in folders with lots of items that at least gets you in the neighborhood). Then a single click with the cursor on the file allows it to be renamed.

It's not really a double-click. It's a click, wait a beat and click again. It still works fine for me.

With my current settings, I can click once on the file icon, and one-second later, click on the filename area to get to an edit capability. Whether I use this approach, or the Rename menu item is a coin toss… 🤨

Yes... that's basically what I wrote. I was just pointing out that the first click is to select the file, but you can select it in other ways. For example, if the folder has too many items to all appear on the screen at the same time, and you know the file name, you can type the first one or two characters and it will be selected, or the first file with those characters will be selected.

I’ve owned a MacBook since 2010, and there has always been an option to use a slow double-click to rename a file, but now, with this update, it no longer works.