REVIEW · SPOTLIGHT-BASED FINDER
Verdict: FileMinutes is worth it if you know which folder a file is in and want to get there faster than Finder: folder-scoped queries, arrow-key browsing and Finder window control make everyday searches quick, and Pro is a one-time 10 USD. It searches through Spotlight's index, so it inherits Spotlight's reach.
9 November 2026 · By Ishtiaque Hossain · 4 minute read
Looking for a file you can describe but not name? Try Shlexball. The first 30 searches are free and need no account.
macOS 15 or later. Apple silicon. 16 GB memory. On a phone? Email yourself the link.
This review is based on FileMinutes's own pages, read on 14 October 2026. Every claim links to the page it came from. We are the makers of Shlexball, so we say plainly where FileMinutes does better.
| Price | Free version; Pro 10 USD for 1 Mac, 21 USD for 3, 30 USD for 5; pay once, lifetime updates |
| Runs on | macOS 13 Ventura or later, Intel and Apple silicon |
| What it searches | Names, and contents of PDFs, Markdown, documents and text files |
| How it searches | Through the Spotlight index |
| Privacy | No tracking; files stay local |
| Best for | Keyboard users who know roughly where their files live |
FileMinutes is a Mac app for finding and working with files: fast search, easy navigation and file actions in one window. You open it with Control-Space or from its menu bar icon.
Its idea is to search where you actually need to. Type downloads>invoice to find invoices only in Downloads, or a path such as ~/Projects/ClientName>report to search one project folder.
You can also search everywhere first and narrow afterwards: invoice<downloads filters the results to the Downloads folder.
FileMinutes' own guide boils it down to three steps: launch FileMinutes, find your files or folders, and take action on them.
Launch it with the global shortcut Control-Space, or a custom shortcut you set, or click its menu bar icon and choose Open FileMinutes.
From there you type a query, scope it to a folder if you know one, and use the arrow keys and file actions to finish the job without touching the mouse.
Arrow keys move through results and folders: up and down to browse, right to enter a folder and left to go back. Path navigation lets you walk folders without leaving the search bar.
File type filters accept extensions such as .pdf and .txt or smart categories such as .image and .document. Favorites keep frequent files and folders one keystroke away, and recent searches appear on the home screen.
You can open, copy or preview files with keyboard shortcuts, and Quick Look previews a file with the Spacebar.
Finder integration shows your open Finder windows and tabs, so you can switch to or close them from FileMinutes.
Content Search finds files by what is inside them, with support for PDFs, Markdown, documents and text files.
FileMinutes uses the Spotlight index to search. External drives work as long as Spotlight indexes them, and for drives it does not index you can still reach files through path navigation.
That makes FileMinutes a faster, more focused front end to Spotlight rather than a separate search engine.
There is a free version and a Pro version. Pro is a one-time payment with lifetime free updates: 10 USD for one Mac, 21 USD for three and 30 USD for five.
You can try Pro free for 14 days without a credit card, and FileMinutes offers a 30-day money-back guarantee. Students and people in lower-income countries can email for a discount.
FileMinutes says it does not track how you use the app, your files stay local and private, and the app is a native Swift app notarized by Apple.
It suits people who keep files in sensible folders and want to jump straight to them. Its users describe it as faster and easier than Finder's search, which defaults to searching everywhere.
At 10 USD for Pro, with a free trial and a refund window, it is an easy experiment.
FileMinutes is fastest when you know where to look. Shlexball works from what you remember about a file, searching file and folder names and the text inside files, including PDFs and Word documents, across your Mac.
Shlexball searches your folders directly, not only through the Spotlight index, and its language model runs on your Mac. The first 30 searches are free.
Shlexball does not depend on how Spotlight ranks words: 30 free searches.
▶ DOWNLOAD SHLEXBALLThere is a free version. Pro is a one-time 10 USD for one Mac, 21 USD for three or 30 USD for five, with lifetime free updates.
Yes. Content Search supports PDFs, Markdown, documents and text files.
Yes. It searches through the Spotlight index, so external drives work when Spotlight indexes them.
Yes. Pro has a 14-day free trial with no credit card, and purchases have a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Yes, as long as Spotlight indexes them. For drives Spotlight does not index, you can still reach files with path navigation.