OS X: Rename File or Folder
Contributed by David Kirk 
Tagged: Apple Mac Windows users will frequently complain that there is no easy way to rename files or folders in OS X. They expect F2 to rename files in OS X, it does not. Here are the ways to rename files in OS X.
As a windows user, renaming files in OS X was not intuitive to me. Here are the ways to do it.
The mouse method of renaming files in OS X can be pretty tricky. I don’t know why. Basically, you select the file and then click the text. After a brief pause, the text will change to show that it can be renamed.
Or you can use the rename shortcut…
The F2 equivalent for mac users is actually the Enter key.
Select the file or folder you want to rename and then hit the Enter key. The text will change to show you that it can be renamed.
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Hugh Gallagher said on March 4, 2009
Yeah the mouse method is very annoying.
I’d forgotten about using Enter.. but I remember discovering it by accident a while back, when I thought it would be the obvious key to use when opening a file or folder.
Anyway, thanks for the tip!
John Mack said on June 7, 2010
F2 = Intuitive. ? LOL.
Theres NOTHING in F2, that makes an association with “file rename”.
At least enter is used to enter lines and text stuff. >_>
Crezo1 said on September 3, 2010
ah my god!! You have no idea how much easier you have just made my life!!!
Been using macs for about 8 years, and the double clicky thing was the only issue that has bugged me in OSX. Especially as I use a Wacom tablet it makes it even more tricky for some reason, it always either doesn’t work or opens the files, and when there are loads of files to re-name it can be a major pain in the booty regions.
I’f I’d have known about this shortcut earlier it could have saved me years of frustration.
Thank you!!
Robbo said on November 16, 2010
Lovely… I was getting a little worried that the Mac was unintuitive, but it’s posts like this that show that everything has a solution (most of them more intuitive than the Win equivalent…)