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How to Fix Drag and Drop Not Working on Mac

Start moving files on your Mac again with these 15 quick fixes

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Drag and drop not working on your Mac? This guide will walk you through a series of solutions to fix your Mac’s cursor problems, whether you’re experiencing them when using your trackpad or mouse.

Why Is My Click and Drag Not Working Mac?

A Mac’s drag and drop function not working can be due to incorrect settings or an out-of-date operating system, software, or firmware. Mouse and trackpad preferences can also often confuse as there are several options users can select to customize how an item is selected and moved via Mac’s mouse cursor.

How to Fix Drag and Drop on a Mac

Here are all of the best ways to get drag and drop working correctly on your Mac. It’s best to work through this list in the order presented as the most straightforward tips are listed first while the more complex fixes are at the bottom.

Try a different trackpad finger combination. Some users find it easier to use a thumb to select an item and an index finger to drag and drop it. Others use both their left and right index fingers.

Restart your Mac . Restarting your computer can fix a variety of problems.

Update your Mac's software . Your Mac may need a software or firmware update to fix some bugs associated with your mouse or trackpad.

Clean your Mac’s trackpad and mouse . Some dirt or oils may be interfering with the mouse’s functionality.

Try a different surface. A firm, non-reflective surface usually works best for mouse gestures.

Change or charge your mouse’s battery. A flat battery can affect how well a mouse works with a Mac.

Switch USB ports. If you have the option, try connecting your mouse to a different USB port to see if this fixes the problem.

Check your multi-button mouse’s settings . If you’re using a multi-button mouse, you may need to adjust its settings to get it to drag and drop properly on your Mac.

Adjust the cursor and click speed . If you’re having trouble moving the mouse cursor and clicking on files and icons, try changing the speed settings to suit your style.

Change your Mac’s left-click settings . You can adjust the left-click settings for both your Mac’s trackpad and your mouse to make it easier to drag and drop content.

Change your right-click settings on your Mac . Similar to the above tip, you can also change the right-click settings on your Mac to suit your style and workflow. If the default mouse settings don’t work for you, choose an option that does.

Enable three-finger drag. Select Apple > System Preferences > Accessibility > Pointer Control > Trackpad Options > Enable dragging and then select three finger drag . It will let you drag and drop on your Mac by tapping three fingers at once on the trackpad. Some people find this easier than the single-finger default.

Disable Force Click and haptic feedback. Select Apple > System Preferences > Trackpad and uncheck the box next to Force Click and haptic feedback . Some people find drag and drop easier with this setting disabled.

Refresh the Mac’s mouse and trackpad files. Back up your Mac and then select Finder > Go > Go to Folder , type ~/Library , select Go , and then delete the following six files. 

• com.apple.AppleMultitouchMouse.plist
• com.apple.driver.AppleBluetoothMultitouch.mouse.plist
• com.apple.driver.AppleHIDMouse.plist 
• com.apple.AppleMultitouchTrackpad.plist
• com.apple.preference.trackpad.plist
• com.apple.finder.plist 

When done, restart your Mac. This process will refresh the above files by recreating them.

Visit an Apple Store . If none of the above fixes worked, it might be worth heading into an Apple Store and asking an employee for advice.

How Do I Enable Drag and Drop on a Mac?

Drag and drop is a feature that allows you to move files from one location to another on a Mac computer. This functionality is on by default because it is a standard function of mouse and trackpad usage, so you shouldn’t need to enable it.

To drag and drop on a Mac, click on an item and drag your finger on the trackpad, or move your mouse. Release your finger to place the file in its new location.

Why Can’t I Drag and Drop Files on My Mac with Universal Control?

Apple’s Universal Control feature is a form of drag and drop where you use a single keyboard and mouse with up to three Apple devices. Once connected, Universal Control can be used to seamlessly move a single mouse cursor from one screen to the other and even drag and drop files between connected devices. 

If you’re having trouble getting Apple’s Universal Control drag and drop feature to work correctly, make sure your devices are running at least either the macOS Monterey or iPadOS 15 operating system and are at least one of the following.

• iPad Air (3rd generation)
• iPad (6th generation)
• iPad mini (5th generation)
• MacBook Pro (2016)
• MacBook (2016)
• MacBook Air (2018)
• iMac (2017)
• iMac (5K Retina 27-inch, late-2015)
• Mac mini (2018)
• Mac Pro 2019

Any Mac or iPad that matches or is newer than the models in the above list should support Universal Control drag and drop.

Press Shift while selecting multiple files on your Mac located next to each other or Command while clicking files that aren't close together. Another option is to use the Command+A keyboard combination to select all files in a folder. Then use your mouse or trackpad to select and drag the files to a new location.

To drag and drop on a Mac using the trackpad, click or tap to select an item > press and hold the trackpad while moving the selection > and let go of the trackpad to reposition the file or files. If you want to change trackpad dragging behavior by turning drag lock on or off, visit System Preferences > Accessibility > Pointer Control > Mouse & Trackpad > Trackpad Options . Check the box beside Enable dragging and choose with drag lock or without drag lock from the drop-down menu.

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How to use drag and drop on iPhone

Using drag and drop in iOS 15

• Coming soon in iOS 16

Apple's drag-and-drop tool for mobile has always had more features on iPad than iPhone because of the former's larger screen. However, that changed with iOS 15, as Apple's top-selling handset now offers the ability to move certain items from one app to another.

In iOS 16 , Apple has expanded the feature by introducing "lift subject from background." As the name suggests, the feature allows you to lift a subject from an image or isolate the subject by removing the background. The newest feature works in Photos, Screenshot, Quick Look, Safari, and more in iOS 16 and iPadOS 16. It will work on all of the best iPhones and best iPads when the new software updates arrive to the public this fall.

Apple occasionally offers updates to iOS , iPadOS , watchOS , tvOS , and macOS as closed developer previews or public betas . While the betas contain new features, they also contain pre-release bugs that can prevent the normal use of your iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Apple TV, or Mac, and are not intended for everyday use on a primary device. That's why we strongly recommend staying away from developer previews unless you need them for software development, and using the public betas with caution. If you depend on your devices, wait for the final release.

Because iPhone doesn't include side-by-side multitasking, it's never been feasible to move content between two apps — at least in the same way as on the iPad . So in iOS 15, Apple created something different to get the job done. Now it's easy to move photos, text, files, and other documents. To do so:

• Hold down the object you wish to move until it becomes light blue. Once you do, the object will begin to float like a cloud, which you can move by sliding your fingertip around the screen.

• Next, while still holding the object with your finger, use a finger on your other hand to switch between apps using the Home bar . It's the white bar at the bottom of your screen.
• Position the floating content where you want to put it in the second app.
• Drop the content into its new position in the new app.

Here's how it looks when dragging photos:

Lift subject from background in iOS 16

With the lift subject from background feature in iOS 16, you can "lift" a subject from the background of any image, screenshot, or document. From there, you can place the object in another app. As we previously noted, it's like a sticker tool. You can only use the lift subject from background feature on an iPhone or iPad with A12 Bionic or later .

To use the new feature in iOS 16/iPadOS 16:

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• Find the object you wish to "lift" on your supported device.
• Press on the object until you feel haptic feedback.
• Choose Copy or "Share..." from the button that appears.
• With Copy, you can copy and paste-like any other object. You can use the share sheet with **Share..."*** to perform similar tasks.

Because iOS 16 is currently only available in developer beta, we cannot show these steps with images. We'll add them once the first public version of iPadOS 16 is released.

It's terrific that Apple has expanded drag-and-drop in iOS 16, which launches to the public this fall. Until then, it's limited to developer and public betas. Stay tuned.

Updated June 2022 : Added information about lift subject from background in iOS 16.

Bryan M. Wolfe has written about technology for over a decade on various websites, including TechRadar, AppAdvice, and many more. Before this, he worked in the technology field across different industries, including healthcare and education. He’s currently iMore’s lead on all things Mac and macOS, although he also loves covering iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch. Bryan enjoys watching his favorite sports teams, traveling, and driving around his teenage daughter to her latest stage show, audition, or school event in his spare time. He also keeps busy walking his black and white cocker spaniel, Izzy, and trying new coffees and liquid grapes.

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Drag and Drop not working in Safari #1433

azaroth42 commented Jun 1, 2017

Sorry, something went wrong.

schwemmer commented Jun 16, 2017

yulgit1 commented Nov 1, 2017

Yulgit1 commented nov 1, 2017 • edited loading.

philip-firstorder commented May 3, 2019 • edited Loading

camillevilla commented Sep 10, 2020

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Drag And Drop not working with safaridriver

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Safari won't allow drag-and-drop in bookmarks sidebar

I recently imported all my bookmarks (successfully) into Safari for my Macbook Air. However the "favorites" were re-ordered during the import and I want to put them in the previous order. However, drag-and-drop does not work in the favorites sidebar for me, even though "people say" that I should be able to do that. I have "drag enabled" for the trackpad. How can I reorder?

MacBook Air 13″, macOS 10.14

Posted on Jan 1, 2021 1:27 PM

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Jan 1, 2021 3:04 PM in response to The_Knowledge_Seeker

Thanks for the clarity ... your reply made me think to try with the mouse, not the trackpad, and it works fine that way. So I went back to the trackpad and found that I can't delay more than a couple tenths of a second after the single-click -- I must immediately drag the file or it goes into edit mode. Anyway, I got it working. Appreciated.

Jan 1, 2021 2:46 PM in response to ronfrommt

Just make sure you click once (not twice) on the one you want to move and it probably won't go into edit mode. :-)

Jan 1, 2021 2:31 PM in response to The_Knowledge_Seeker

Wow -- that worked! As long as I select some random bookmark first, I can move one other bookmark. (Rinse, repeat). So that's a workaround. Any idea of root cause? It surely can't be like this for everyone. In any case, thanks.

Jan 21, 2021 10:30 PM in response to The_Knowledge_Seeker

I've tried and tried. No can do. Support, remove startup apps, safe mode (not sure what to tinker with in trackpad settings). I do know this - it is mind numbingly frustrating that I can move files and folders in finder with no issue, but safari bookmark management - moving only - is some art form I can't capture. So, what I have been doing is.. delete .. readd. Delete.. readd. All this to use Safari and have iCloud syncing.

It's just not worth it anymore. I appreciate reading all these threads and trying all the new suggestions.. and eventually this seems to work for some. I also know I can attach a mouse and do it. Weird. Built in trackpad, can't.

I just wanted to share. I need to move on. Thanks for those who do try to address.

Jan 1, 2021 2:25 PM in response to ronfrommt

Only one thought on that screenshot - it's already in file name edit mode (Owner Support, Customer has a blue background) so can't be moved. Single clip and drag another other link - does that move?

Jan 1, 2021 1:41 PM in response to ronfrommt

Not sure what to say as dragging works fine for me.

Do you need the blue line which shows where the folders should go?

Jan 1, 2021 2:20 PM in response to The_Knowledge_Seeker

Jan 2, 2021 2:13 AM in response to ronfrommt

You might also want to check out the trackpad system preference in case any tinkering with that makes it easier to use

Jan 1, 2021 2:21 PM in response to ronfrommt

Note: I am trying to reorder bookmarks within a folder.