Saved Views
A saved view is a named preset for how a folder looks: its view mode, sort, filters, grouping, column layout, and item size. Saved views help when you switch often between setups on the same folder, for example “Details by date” versus “Thumbnails, large icons, no filters.”
Saved views work in any folder. Inside a Vial, the same controls apply, but the views are stored inside the Vial so they travel with the folder. See Saved views & Boards in a Vial.
Where to find them
Open a folder and look in the View & arrange controls under the path bar:
- No saved views when none exist yet
- Named pills once you’ve made some
- + to create a new view
- Save view settings and Reset view while a view is active
What a saved view stores
- View mode (Details, Thumbnails, Column, Tree, Boards where available, and others)
- Sort, including multi-column sort
- Filters and the filter scope (current folder, flatten, and so on)
- Whether files are shown
- Grouping and which groups were collapsed
- Columns (which are visible, their order and widths)
- Item size for grid and list layouts
Create a saved view
- Set the folder up the way you want it (view mode, sort, filters, grouping, columns, size).
- Click + in the saved-views area.
- Enter a name and choose the view mode for the preset.
- Click Create. The new view becomes active (its pill is highlighted).
Your folder defaults apply only while a folder has no saved views. Once you have one, a pill is always active for that folder.
Apply and switch
- Click a pill to switch which view is active and load its settings.
- Clicking the active pill again does not turn saved views off. Switch to another pill, or delete all views, to return to your defaults.
Update a saved view
While a view is active:
| What you change | How it’s saved |
|---|---|
| View mode, item size, collapsed groups, columns | Automatically to the active view |
| Sort, filters, grouping, scope, show files | Click Save view settings (highlighted until you do) |
Reset view reloads the active preset and discards unsaved edits.
The pill menu
Right-click a pill for:
- Rename view
- Duplicate view copies the preset (it does not switch to the copy)
- Add view to subfolders (ordinary folders only) copies the preset into subfolders. Choose immediate subfolders or all nested ones; folders that already have a view with the same name are skipped.
- Delete view: if you delete the active view and others remain, Phials activates another; if none remain, you are back to your defaults
Returning to a folder
When you open or come back to a folder that has saved views, including back/forward, restarting the app, and pinned tabs, Phials reactivates the last view you used for that folder in that pane. If it cannot tell, it uses the first view in the list. Refresh reloads view definitions, which helps when a synced Vial was edited elsewhere.