In Mac Mail, you can right click on an email and choose 'Move to' or 'Copy to' any of your mailboxes.
However in Finder, if you right click on a file, the only 'move to' option is Move To Trash.
Is it possible to create a customised Finder command to let you move a file to any folder on your Mac with a right click, in the same way that you can move emails in Mail?
iMac 21.5″ 4K, macOS 10.14
The Finder menus are off limits to user customization. One could create Automator Quick Actions for copy and move by right-clicking on filesystem objects, but this would be simply unnecessary and redundant to what the Finder already provides.
The Finder offers multiple means to move and copy files. If you just want to copy a file, then you right-click on a file and select the copy menu item. Then, at the destination for that copy, and right-click and choose paste item. The same copy can be achieved by pressing and holding the option key and dragging the file to its destination. You can even left-click on an item in the Finder, press ⌘C to copy it to the clipboard, and at the destination, click in the FInder window and press ⌘V to paste it. Look at the keyboard shortcut options in the Finder's Edit menu.
Move operations are the preceding right-click and copy operation, but at the destination, you hold down the option key as you right-click and now it says Move item here. Alternatively, you can press and hold the ⌘ key, and just drag an item to its destination and release to achieve a move operation. To move an item using the last sentence of the first paragraph, you add an option key to the paste keyboard shortcut. Select the Finder Edit menu, and watch the entries change as you press the option key.
The Finder menus are off limits to user customization. One could create Automator Quick Actions for copy and move by right-clicking on filesystem objects, but this would be simply unnecessary and redundant to what the Finder already provides.
The Finder offers multiple means to move and copy files. If you just want to copy a file, then you right-click on a file and select the copy menu item. Then, at the destination for that copy, and right-click and choose paste item. The same copy can be achieved by pressing and holding the option key and dragging the file to its destination. You can even left-click on an item in the Finder, press ⌘C to copy it to the clipboard, and at the destination, click in the FInder window and press ⌘V to paste it. Look at the keyboard shortcut options in the Finder's Edit menu.
Move operations are the preceding right-click and copy operation, but at the destination, you hold down the option key as you right-click and now it says Move item here. Alternatively, you can press and hold the ⌘ key, and just drag an item to its destination and release to achieve a move operation. To move an item using the last sentence of the first paragraph, you add an option key to the paste keyboard shortcut. Select the Finder Edit menu, and watch the entries change as you press the option key.
What you want does not exist.
The Automator Quick Action which should end up in Finder -> Services is the closest thing.
You could also associate a Quick Action with a keyboard shortcut.
You can also use for Copy
And for Move
Move operations are the preceding right-click and copy operation, but at the destination, you hold down the option key as you right-click and now it says Move item here. Alternatively, you can press and hold the ⌘ key, and just drag an item to its destination and release to achieve a move operation. To move an item using the last sentence of the first paragraph, you add an option key to the paste keyboard shortcut. Select the Finder Edit menu, and watch the entries change as you press the option key.
Thanks. I'm just trying to find ways of moving items (principally) without having to hold down the mouse button and drag (It's a long story, but it's important to me).
The problem I have with the text I've highlighted in bold, above, is that I always have my Finder windows in List view, they are usually full of folders and it's not always easy to find a bit of white space to click on which doesn't highlight a folder and therefore not to move the item I want to move to within a folder.
Creating Automater Quick Actions may be 'unnecessary' to what the Finder already provides, but we don't all work in the same way and it could be useful for me. Could you give any advice on how to try that, please?
Anyone? Please?
Can you create custom 'move to' or 'copy to' commands in Finder?
