3 Easy Ways To Select Multiple Files On A Mac

Do you need help selecting multiple files on a Mac? You might want to choose some photographs and send them to an external hard drive, or you need to rearrange the items on your desktop by organizing them in folders. Perhaps you've switched from a Windows laptop to a Mac, in which case, you're definitely going to want to learn about three easy ways to select multiple files for moving, rearranging, and organizing your things.

It is essential to know that to move, copy, or make changes to files, you'd have to select them together, and the methods differ depending on the position of the items. For instance, you click on one file if you're just moving the one. However, if you need to move several files, you might have to choose some or all simultaneously. Try a few of these methods here to see which is most comfortable for you.

The first way to select files manually is by using the Command key, which should be familiar to any ex-Windows users. There are two Command keys on the MacBook and Apple Magic Keyboard: one on each side of the spacebar. To pick out files that aren't next to each other, hold the Command key and click on them. Each file you click on adds to the selection as long as you hold the Command key. While this method is suitable for moving or copying a few items, there's a more efficient way to select multiple files.

Suppose you are viewing numerous photographs or items in the form of a list. Here's how you can mark all those required by just clicking on two: First, click the item at the top of the list, then press the Shift key and hit the last item to include in the selection. Following this, macOS will mark all the entries from the first one you chose to the last, and you can move them together, assuming you need all those files in the directory.

There's another way to save time while picking several files on the screen. Click and hold near the first file and drag over all the others. This method comes in handy when the files you wish to pick are in one part of the display, especially in the Finder's Icon view.

In case you wish to select all the files in a folder, don't go about marking the first and the last file, or dragging the cursor over all. Instead, click on the window that contains all the required files and press Command + A. This keyboard shortcut adds all the files, including photos, videos, documents, PDFs, and whatnot, to the selection. It is useful when you want to empty the entire folder or transfer data to another device.

If you want to unmark an item that is a part of the selection, simply hold the Command key and click on it. This leaves that particular thing out of the mix. Now, you not only know three easy ways of selecting files on Mac, but a way to deselect in case something goes wrong as well. This should help with any file moving in bulk or data transfer needs you may have.