But, now that Apple laptops and desktops are getting more and more popular every day, you should know how to perform similar actions on the Mac system. If you have recently purchased a Mac desktop or laptop, you will find all the necessary information available right here. Unlike Windows OS, there are multiple ways to select multiple files on the MAC system. Since the Mac systems differ a lot compared to other operating systems like Windows and Android, you need to carefully check the solutions provided here for the best results. In this guide, we will be going through many different ways to select multiple files on Mac. The methods also differ for sequential and non-sequential files, which you must know to get the best results.
How To Select Multiple Files on Mac
In Mac systems, it is pretty useful to select a single file as you simply need to hover your cursor over the file and click on it. But for selecting multiple files, you will have to use one of the options mentioned here. These options are suitable for sequential files.
#1. Use Shift-Click
To use the shift-click function, simply select the first file on the list. Then, hold down the shift button on your keyboard and select the last file you wish to select in the set. This will automatically include all of the files that are present between the 2 files. This is a very fast process and allows you to select a lot of files at once. In case you don’t want to select all the files, you can deselect the unnecessary files by clicking on them individually. While it is a great method to select a lot of files at once on a Mac, it gets a little annoying if you do not need to select all the files at once. Deselecting files from the selection requires additional time and effort, which is certainly not ideal for productive work.
#2. Press, Hold, and Drag
Here’s another easy method to select multiple sequential files on a Mac system. Here, you won’t even need to use your keyboard for selecting a set of subsequent files. To do that, just move your cursor to the first file on the list. Then, click and hold the mouse and simply move it across the list. By simply dragging your cursor over the files, you will be able to select multiple files very quickly. In this case, the same problem occurs, which is the selection of unnecessary files from the list. Even though you can precisely control the cursor, it still requires you to select the adjacent file before you can move on to the next one. Also, it requires price cursor placement on the left or right side of the file. If you click and drag on the middle of the file name, it will drag the file instead of the selection. You can avoid that by using the Finder in the icon view so that there is a lot more empty space for you to click and drag.
How To Select Multiple Disordered Files
The solutions mentioned above are only suitable for the files that are available in a particular order. If you want to highlight the files that are not in order, you will have to use a different method. In the methods mentioned above, you will have to select all the files at once and then remove the files which you don’t want one by one. As you can imagine, it is a very tedious process. In order to select disordered files at once on your Mac, you will have to use the Command key on your keyboard. After you select the first file, press and hold the Command key and keep clicking on the specific files that you want to select. And if you accidentally select a file that you did not wish to highlight, you can simply click on it again to deselect it right away. You can also use the Command + Click combination to deselect a file from the selection made with the solutions provided above.
How Do You Select All Files in Mac?
If you are sure that you wish to use all the files present in a folder, you can use the method provided here for a much quicker selection. The fastest way to select all files present in a folder at once is using the “Command key + A” key combination. To do that, just open the folder that consists of the files that you want to select and press the Command key followed by the A key. This will instantly select all the available files at once, which you can use right away. Selecting all files at once certainly offers the advantage of quicker operation. It is the fastest file selection method on Mac which you can use on every Mac operated system. Even if you want to select a lot of files from a folder except a few files, you can use the “Command key + A” combination and then remove the unnecessary files from the selection by using the Command Key.
What Can You Do After Selecting Multiple Files on Mac?
Once you have selected multiple files on a Mac system, you can perform a lot of operations simultaneously for all the files at once. This saves a lot of time as you only need to do the process once rather than doing it separately for each and every file. Here are the possibilities after selecting multiple files on Mac:
Once all necessary files are highlighted, you can move all the files together to another location. For that, you will have to click any of the files from the selection and simply drag them to another location. While you are dragging the files, you can press the Option Key. This will create a copy of the files instead of moving them to another location. If you are selecting multiple images at once, you can press the Spacebar to get a quick preview of selected files. Once the quick look window is open, you can use the arrow keys on your keyboard to browse the files. For additional options, you can simply right-click or use the Control+click combination. It will offer a drop-down menu for additional options such as renaming the files, opening via a certain application or even delete the selected files at once.
How To Select Multiple Files Without Using Finder
All of the methods mentioned above are available with the Finder available with Mac systems. Therefore, you will be able to use any of the methods mentioned above with any macOS powered computer or laptop. Whether it is selecting a sequential set of files, or highlighting a couple of files from the folder, you can do it in the Finder app on your Mac. Even outside the Finder, you can use the same features on macOS systems. All applications that operate on Apple’s user interface guidelines offer a similar user interface which also includes a selection of various files. In case you want to scan your system and delete a lot of files at once, you are better off with a 3rd party program like the CleanMyMac X program. This will make it a lot easier for you to identify the files that you do not need on your system and clean them to clear storage space on your laptop or computer.
Conclusion
Selecting multiple files is a very crucial function on any system. It allows you to quickly make a selection of files on your computer and carry out different tasks for all the selected files at once. This is certainly an essential way to boost your productivity while using your computer whether you are using a Windows operated system or macOS. In this guide, you will find all necessary information related to the macOS system and how you can perform the same actions on Mac. As we have offered different solutions for the task, you will definitely find the best method for your requirement. In case you are still facing issues while trying to select a set of files at once on your Mac, you can contact us via the comment section below. Comment * Name * Email * Website
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