Hello everyone,
is there an option that is disabled ? or why I can't find the "paste" menu when right clicking in a folder, after I right click -> copy a file from a different folder?
Using CMD+V it does the paste action, but I don't understand why it's missing from the right click menu
[Re-Titled by Moderator]
Mac mini, macOS 15.5
The contextual menu is contextual. If you control click on a folder, it gives you the options for what to do with that folder. You cannot paste a file onto a folder icon, so the paste command does not exist. If you control click inside of a folder, it should give you the option to paste, but I’m not at a Mac to ensure that truly possible.
if you avoid the extra step of clicking going to the keyboard and then going back to the mouse by command, dragging the file onto the folder icon, it will copy into the folder.
The contextual menu is contextual. If you control click on a folder, it gives you the options for what to do with that folder. You cannot paste a file onto a folder icon, so the paste command does not exist. If you control click inside of a folder, it should give you the option to paste, but I’m not at a Mac to ensure that truly possible.
if you avoid the extra step of clicking going to the keyboard and then going back to the mouse by command, dragging the file onto the folder icon, it will copy into the folder.
As a little addition or clarification to what Barney correctly said:
in your screenshot, you have selected a file, not a folder.
You can't paste a file inside a file. If you have a folder selected, the Paste Item will appear:
Say you are in folder "A", and there is a subfolder "B" :
if you have "B", selected (as in the image above), this will paste into "B"
If you are in folder A with no file selected - this will paste into "A":
The area you are encircling is NOT "outside the files" - each row corresponds to a file, not just the part where the name is.
If you can click on an area near the bottom of the window, past the last file on the list, it will work. This is easier is the folder has only a few files, otherwise you get only a tiny sliver after scrolling past the very last one. It is far easier to just use Command-V, anyway.
If the files are displayed as list you can't click outside of the files, this is weird to me, anywhere I click outside of the file names it still acts as I right clicked a file.
It should show a different menu when clicking the filename compared to clicking outside of the file, in a empty area
Indeed if I'm not already inside the folder where I need to insert the file, and I right-click the folder , it shows the Paste menu.. but if I already have the folder opened and I want to right click in an "empty" area , I can't do it ... is there a way to remove the " full line highlight " while in list mode ?
Thank you
If you are in List View, you either have to right-click on the folder you want to paste the file into or just press Command+V.
Predicated on using an Apple Magic Mouse
System Setting >> Mouse >> Secondary click
Change mouse or trackpad tracking, double-click, and scrolling speed on Mac
My colleague @Barney-15E is correct " If you control click inside of a folder, it should give you the option to paste "
I haven't selected the file, when I right click anywhere (in an empty area) in that window it automatically selects the file, this is a really stupid behaviour. It should not do it when right clicking inside an empty area.. it should do it when clicking or right-clicking over the file name .. not over the empty area in that window
Your screen shot shows you have a file selected. You cannot paste a file into a file.
Why is 'Paste' option missing from the right-click menu in Finder after copying a file on macOS 15.5?
