- The four ways to select files
- Select files that aren't next to each other
- Select a range of files
- Drag to select
- Select everything, then remove a few
- What to do once they're selected
- Selecting on a trackpad without a mouse
- Selecting files in other places
- Preview several files with Quick Look
- See how big the selection is
- Keyboard-only selection
- When selecting doesn't work
- My verdict
- Frequently asked questions
To select multiple files on a Mac, hold the Command key and click each file you want. To select a run of files in a list, click the first, hold Shift and click the last. Press Command-A to select everything in the window.
Selecting several files at once is how you move, copy, zip or delete them in one go instead of one by one. On a Mac the keys are Command and Shift, much like Ctrl and Shift on Windows, but there are a couple of twists in how they behave in Finder's different views. Here's every method and when to use each.
The four ways to select files
| What you want | How to do it |
|---|---|
| Files that aren't next to each other | Hold Command and click each one |
| A run of files in a row | Click the first, then Shift-click the last |
| A group of icons | Drag a box around them |
| Everything in the folder | Press Command-A |
Select files that aren't next to each other
- Open the folder in Finder.
- Click the first file.
- Hold down the Command key.
- Click each other file you want. They highlight as you go.
- Clicked one by mistake? Command-click it again to deselect it, without losing the rest.
Select a range of files
Click the first file, hold Shift, then click the last file. Everything between them is selected. This works best in List view, where files sit in one column. In Icon view, Shift behaves more like Command and adds files one at a time rather than selecting the whole range, which catches out people coming from Windows. Switch to List view with Command-2 if you need a range.
Drag to select
Click on an empty spot near the first file, hold the trackpad or mouse button down and drag across the files. A grey box appears and every file it touches is selected. Apple notes this is especially useful in Icon view. You can combine methods too: drag a box, then Command-click to add or remove a few.
Select everything, then remove a few
When you want almost everything in a folder, it's faster to press Command-A to select all, then Command-click the handful you don't want. Make sure the Finder window is active first by clicking inside it, or Command-A will select whatever else is in front.
What to do once they're selected
- Move them: drag the selection into another folder.
- Copy them: press Command-C, open the destination and press Command-V. Press Option-Command-V instead to move them.
- Delete them: press Command-Delete to send them all to the Trash.
- Zip them: Control-click any selected file and choose Compress. Apple names the result Archive.zip.
- Rename them in one go: Control-click and choose Rename for options like adding a word or a number to every name.
Zipping is the tidy way to send a batch of files. If the result is still large, my guide to sending large files in Gmail covers what to do next.
Selecting on a trackpad without a mouse
If dragging with one finger feels fiddly, turn on three-finger drag in System Settings, Accessibility, Pointer Control, Trackpad Options. You can then drag a selection box with three fingers without pressing down. Holding Command while clicking works the same on a trackpad as on a mouse.
Selecting files in other places
The same keys work in most Mac apps. In Photos, Command-click picks individual photos and Shift-click picks a run. In Mail, they select several messages for moving or deleting. In a file upload window in your browser, Command-click lets you upload several files at once. In cloud folders the rules carry over too; my guide to deleting files from Google Drive uses the same idea in the browser.
Preview several files with Quick Look
When you've selected a batch of files, press the Space bar. Quick Look opens a preview, and you can use the arrow keys to flick through every selected file without opening an app. It's the fastest way to check you've picked the right photos or documents before you move or delete them. Press Space again to close the preview.
See how big the selection is
Wondering whether a batch is too big to email? With the files selected, press Option-Command-I. The Inspector window shows the total size of everything selected, and it updates if you change the selection. The normal Get Info command (Command-I) opens a separate window for each file instead, which is messy with more than a few.
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Keyboard-only selection
You can select without touching the trackpad. In List view, use the arrow keys to move to the first file, then hold Shift and press the Down Arrow to extend the selection one file at a time. Typing the first letters of a file name jumps straight to it. It's slower than a mouse for scattered files, but very quick for a block at the top or bottom of a long list.
When selecting doesn't work
- Make sure you're holding Command, not Control. Control-click opens the shortcut menu instead.
- If Shift-click adds one file instead of a range, you're in Icon view; switch to List view.
- If nothing highlights, click inside the Finder window first so it's the active one.
My verdict
Command-click for scattered files, Shift-click in List view for a run, and Command-A for everything. Once the files are highlighted, drag, copy, zip or bin them all at once and you'll save a lot of repetitive clicking.
Frequently asked questions
How do I select multiple files on a Mac?
Hold Command and click each file. Use Shift-click to select a run in List view.
How do I select all files in a folder on a Mac?
Click inside the folder window and press Command-A.
Why does Shift-click not select a range on my Mac?
In Icon view, Shift adds single files. Switch to List view for a range.
How do I deselect one file?
Command-click it while the others stay selected.
How do I select multiple files on a MacBook trackpad?
Hold Command and click with the trackpad, or drag a box around the files.
