Hazel 4 Adds Live Preview for Rules, Sync Support and Smart Folder Monitoring
Mac: Hazel has long been our favorite tool for automating file cleanup on your Mac, and today it just got a little easier to use with live preview, support for sync services, and more.
Hazel’s main goal is to simplify the automatic organization of files. Think of it as IFTTT , but only for files on your computer. You can set up rules to automate the submission of files to specific folders, such as submitting all new MOV files from the Downloads folder to the Movies folder. This is great, but it can get complicated very quickly as well. A new live preview system lets you see how these rules work in real time. Click the Preview button and you will see how your rule works. It’s a small thing, but it makes Hazel much easier to comprehend, especially if you are new to this software. You can now also click the eye icon to see what the rule has done in the past, which also makes troubleshooting much easier. Also new is sync so you can run Hazel rules on multiple Macs, and the ability to view smart folders, which is great if you’re already using the built-in Finder to organize your files.
Hazel 4 now requires Yosemite or newer. Existing users can upgrade for $ 10, but if you purchased Hazel after September 6, 2015, you get the upgrade for free. You can also take advantage of the free trial if you’re interested.
Hazel 4 ($ 32)