How to Move Files on Mac: Drag, Keys and the Terminal

To move files on a Mac, drag them in Finder from one folder onto another. On the same disk that moves them; onto a different disk it copies them, unless you hold Cmd while you drag. With the keyboard, copy with Cmd+C, go to the new folder and press Option+Cmd+V to move instead of paste. From the terminal, mv moves anything, as many files as you like, in one line.

What does dragging do in each case?

Where you drop	Plain drag	Hold Option	Hold Cmd
A folder on the same disk	Moves	Copies	Moves
A folder on another disk or drive	Copies	Copies	Moves
A folder in the Finder sidebar	Same rules as above	Copies	Moves

Watch the pointer while you drag: a green plus sign means Finder will copy. If you see it and wanted a move, add Cmd before you let go.

How do you move files by dragging?

Open two Finder windows (Cmd+N), or one window with two tabs, or use the sidebar as the target.
Select the files. Click one, then Cmd-click or Shift-click to add more.
Drag them onto the target folder and let go when it highlights.

Hovering over a folder while dragging springs it open after a moment, so you can dig a few levels down without letting go. Dropping onto a sidebar favorite saves opening a second window at all.

How do you move files with the keyboard?

macOS has no “Cut” for files in Finder’s Edit menu, but it has the same result:

Select the files and press Cmd+C.
Go to the destination folder.
Press Option+Cmd+V. The menu item reads “Move Item Here”, and the originals leave their old folder.

Plain Cmd+V would copy instead. Our guide to cut and paste on a Mac covers this and text cut and paste in more detail. If you first have to track the files down, see how to find a file on a Mac.

How do you move files in the terminal?

mv takes the files first and the destination last:

mv report.pdf ~/Documents/
mv *.png ~/Pictures/screenshots/
mv old-name.txt new-name.txt   # moving in place is renaming

mv -i asks before replacing a file that already exists at the destination, and mv -n never replaces one. Patterns like *.png make the terminal the quickest way to move hundreds of matching files. Our list of Mac terminal commands has mv next to cp, mkdir and the rest.

How do you move files between windows faster?

Most of the time spent moving files is spent arranging windows. A few habits help:

Tabs. Cmd+T opens a new Finder tab; drag files onto another tab’s title to drop them into that folder.
The sidebar. Put the folders you file into most often in the sidebar’s Favorites, and they become drop targets in every window.
The path bar. View, Show Path Bar puts the folder’s path at the bottom of the window. Any folder in it, such as the parent, takes a drop.
Go to Folder. When you know the destination’s path, Cmd+Shift+G jumps straight there.

What about moving files to the Trash?

Select them and press Cmd+Delete. That is a move too: the files go to the Trash folder until you empty it, so you can put them back with File, Put Back.

How will moving work in Monok?

Monok is a Mac browser with a native terminal in its panes, so mv works there. Since version 0.1.1 it also has Files, a native file manager pane, built for the same keyboard-and-panes flow:

Type / in the Magic Bar to open a Files pane at your home folder, then split it next to another one with Cmd+D.
Select with a click-drag rectangle, Cmd-click or Shift-click.
Drag the selection onto a folder, in the list or in the sidebar’s Favorites, to move it there.
Cmd+Delete moves the selection to the Trash after a confirmation.

The home page has a screenshot.

FAQ

Why does dragging copy instead of moving?

Because the target is on a different disk. Hold Cmd while you drag to move instead.

Can I undo a move in Finder?

Yes. Press Cmd+Z right after the move and Finder puts the files back.

How do I move a file without the mouse?

Cmd+C, go to the folder, then Option+Cmd+V. Or use mv in a terminal.

How do I move files to an external drive and remove them from the Mac?

Hold Cmd while you drag them onto the drive. Finder copies them to the drive and then deletes the originals, which is a move. Without Cmd you get a copy and the originals stay where they were.

Is the Monok file manager available?

Yes, since version 0.1.1. Get it on the download page.