LATEST v0.2.9 July 31, 2026
The “Your Pane, Your Rules” Release Split panes now behave like two capable file browsers instead of one browser and its unpaid intern. Selection, dragging, views, and sorting all respect the pane you are actually using.
Pane and simple Makes Command-A select every item in the active directory instead of the path bar Moves every selected file and folder when dragging a group between panes Moves view and multi-criteria sort controls into each pane’s navigation row Keeps view and sorting choices independent for each pane Keeps Back, Forward, and Up beside the controls they affect ARCHIVE v0.2.8 July 30, 2026
The “Folders Have Names Too” Release Folder renaming now works everywhere, including icon and compact views. A folder should not need to become a file before Freeloader lets you change its name.
Name-calling, restored Shows the inline rename editor for folders in icon view Shows the inline rename editor in compact view Makes Return start renaming in every view mode Keeps double-click responsible for opening folders Adds regression coverage for renaming a folder and keeping it selected ARCHIVE v0.2.7 July 30, 2026
The “Two Panes, Zero Backseat Drivers” Release Split view now gives both panes the navigation controls they deserve. The right pane no longer has to ask the left pane for directions.
Both panes have the wheel Fixes Up Directory so it works independently in both split-view panes Adds dedicated Back, Forward, and Up controls to each pane Keeps separate browser-style history menus for each pane Preserves the shared navigation toolbar in single-pane mode Gives the new controls Freeloader’s purple gradient, bounce, and tilt ARCHIVE v0.2.6 July 29, 2026
The “Your Offline Server Can’t Hold Us Hostage” Release A focused startup hotfix: disconnected SMB shares no longer leave Freeloader bouncing forever before its first window appears.
Released on good behavior Stops restoring transient /Volumes tabs after relaunch Falls back to a local Home tab when the previous session ended on a network share Keeps SMB addresses available in Recent Servers for quick reconnection Avoids synchronous network checks while rebuilding recent locations and Favorites Adds regression coverage for disconnected mounted-volume sessions ARCHIVE v0.2.5 July 29, 2026
The “Finder Isn’t the Only One Who Knows a Server” Release Freeloader can now mount SMB shares itself, because a file manager should not need to borrow another file manager to reach your files.
Network neighborhood Adds Connect to Server to the File menu and Locations sidebar Mounts smb:// shares with native macOS authentication and share selection Opens successfully mounted shares directly in Freeloader Remembers recent server addresses without storing usernames or passwords Refreshes mounted network volumes live in the sidebar Supports safely disconnecting mounted network shares Adds the familiar Command-K shortcut ARCHIVE v0.2.4 July 28, 2026
The “Select Company Included” Release Finder-style marquee selection arrives, complete with additive selection, blank-space deselection, and a preview pane that knows when to sit still.
Selection, selected Adds click-and-drag marquee selection in icon and compact views Highlights every item touched by the live selection rectangle Supports Command-drag to add items to the current selection Clears the current selection when empty space is clicked Keeps file drag-and-drop separate from background selection Prevents icon-grid jitter when an image preview is open ARCHIVE v0.2.3 July 28, 2026
The “Links Should Lead Somewhere” Release A sharper preview pane, a tree that knows where you are, and symbolic-link folders that finally behave like folders.
Polished Makes the preview pane responsive and centers media in the available space Expands, highlights, and scrolls to the active folder when Folder Tree opens Tracks the active folder in tree view while navigating Recognizes folder symlinks throughout the file pane, tree, and path autocomplete Resolves folder symlink targets before loading, watching, or building breadcrumbs ARCHIVE v0.2.2 July 28, 2026
The “A Little Less Clicking” Release The folder tree arrives ready to browse, and view modes finally get a proper seat at the toolbar.
Navigation, promoted Automatically expands the top level when Folder Tree is enabled Adds a toolbar control for List, Compact, and Icons views Changes the toolbar icon to match the active view mode Keeps the new control consistent with Freeloader’s purple toolbar style ARCHIVE v0.2.1 July 28, 2026
The “Nobody Invited That Permission Prompt” Release A focused privacy fix: Freeloader no longer asks to access data from other apps when it launches.
Permission slip revoked Removed the unnecessary shared App Group entitlement Stopped accessing a cross-app preferences container at startup Kept the Finder context-menu extension working inside the home folder No approval or Privacy & Security workaround required ARCHIVE v0.2.0 July 28, 2026
The “Fine, We’ll Build the Whole File Manager” Release Previews, split panes, serious batch tools, and enough quality-of-life improvements to make Finder glance nervously over its shoulder.
See more Image thumbnails and a general inline preview pane Image dimensions and color-profile details Calculated folder sizes in list view Optional Git status badges Mounted-drive capacity and safe eject controls Do more Split-pane browsing and pinned or duplicated tabs Advanced batch rename with a live preview ZIP creation and archive extraction Finder tags, file templates, aliases, and symbolic links Open With, default-app selection, file comparison, and multiple checksums Wait less Controllable transfer queue with concurrency, reordering, retry, and history Command palette, configurable toolbar controls, and editable shortcuts Recently closed window restoration Temporary hidden-file reveal and Show Package Contents Browser-style navigation history and a properly paste-friendly path bar ARCHIVE v0.1.0 July 27, 2026
The First Public Freeloader The original open-source release. Free as in no invoice, and useful as in somebody finally added real file cut.
The opening argument Editable address bar with path autocomplete Real cut and paste for files Drag and drop across the file pane, tree, and Favorites Detailed transfers with pause, resume, cancel, speed, and byte counts Tabs, search, multiple views, Quick Look, and Finder integration