Most – if not nearly all – file interactions on a Mac occur in a specialized Finder application. Of course, every user knows basic things like “select and copy / paste”. But the Apple OS also offers many other convenient ways to work with files.
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Take, for example, an operation such as selecting multiple files. In macOS, there are four ways to choose what you need. The OS supports the following commands:
- Single click on a file – single file selection.
- ⇧Shift + click – select multiple files placed sequentially.
- ⌘Cmd + click – select any individual files.
- Select everything – the name speaks for itself.
Each method from the above is supported (and will certainly be supported) in all versions of the macOS operating system and works in any of the viewing modes (icon, list, columns or gallery).
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1. Select (highlight) a single file
Everything is simple here (and as in Windows) – to select a specific document, folder, disk or other type of file in Finder, simply click on it with the mouse. Once.
2. Select (select) all files open in the window
The principle is the same as in Windows – only instead of Ctrl + A all files are selected by pressing keys ⌘Cmd + A.
If for some reason this command does not suit you, there is always an alternative in the graphical interface – for this, when Finder is open, click on the menu bar at the top Edit → Select All.
3. Select (select) several files that are not located nearby
All that is needed is to hold down the ⌘Cmd button on the keyboard and click on the files one by one.
4. Select (select) several adjacent files
Click on the first file in the list.
Press and hold the button on the keyboard ⇧Shift.
Click on the last file in the list.
All files between the first and last will be automatically selected.
Note: this method does not work in Finder when the Icon display mode is selected. To solve this problem, just switch to mode List (⌘Cmd + 2) or select from the menu bar View → List.
You can also use an alternative way – just select the necessary files from the first to the last move the mouse cursor.
If desired, all these methods of selecting files in Finder can also be combined with each other. For example: you selected all the files, and then realized that you do not need two files from the list. What to do? Just hold down ⌘Cmd on the keyboard and click on the files that you do not need. And so on and so forth.
Useful advice: in Finder you can change the highlight color – from “default” blue to eight others (in fact, even more if you are not too lazy to look for the desired shade in the color palette). To do this, go to System Settings → General and opposite the inscription Highlight color click on the drop-down menu on the right. Choose the color that you like – so working with files will be, if not easier, then definitely more pleasant.
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