Unable to drag and drop files in Tahoe 26 on MacBook Pro

This is a bug in macOS Tahoe. In List view, if you drag and drop a file onto the folder icon it 'misses'. The workaround is to drop the file onto the name of the destination folder, not the icon.

Bugs can be reported to Apple here:

Feedback - macOS - Apple

For the rest of y'all, this issue isn't exclusive to Macbooks. I'm experiencing it on my Mac Studio as well. Dragging and dropping to the icon or filename doesn't matter; the issue exists regardless, including dragging into an open folder.

Often times, if you have other windows open, MacOS seems to switch between open windows and randomly select which one your files will land on. This is especially annoying if I'm moving a large number of RAW photos into a folder and suddenly MacOS drops them onto Safari, which is active in a different space and display from where my mouse cursor/pointer is.

The only fix I've discovered as reliable is ye olde Cmd+C and Cmd+V commands for copying and pasting. Until such a time as Apple works out this bug at least.

[Edited by Moderator]

Susan Gehr wrote:

I am also unable to drag and drop files in Tahoe 26.2. I just bought a new MacBook Pro and manually moved over files from the 2019 MacBook Pro, the last Intel machine. I was surprised that I could not drag and drop any more. Then I wondered with all the new gestures, maybe there was a new gesture. (Maybe it is PEBCAK, problem exists between chair and keyboard?) When I found this thread, I tried dragging and dropping onto the name. But clicking and holding does not reliably result in being able to drag at all.

Going to fire up the Intel MacBook Pro to see if I can still click and drag. Yep, I can click and drag on that machine 100% of the time.

Turn off the "Force click & haptic feedback" option in the Trackpad System Settings. I have never been able to master the Apple trackpad with that option enabled since there are multiple pressure points involved for various operations. Add in different laptops where the Trackpad may behave slightly different, then you will have even more trouble because what you may have mastered on the 2019 model may not be quite the same on the new laptop.....you will need to take the time to master the pressure required to allow for a drag & drop operation.

Thank you for this simple solution, neuroanatomist !!

I also was having trouble dragging and dropping files after upgrading to Tahoe.

It does work to drag and drop into the name, not the icon, of the destination folder. Such an easy fix.

System Settings > Accessibility > Pointer Control > Trackpad Options…

Enable Three-Finger Drag:

Or search System Settings:

Three-finger, or Dragging style:

Very unfortunately, this bug is typical of how Apple has changed its approach to creating new systems. It is a sloppy bug which should have been caught in development and which users should never have needed to experience. So yes, do not drop your files into the folder but drag it the folder's NAME. What a shame.

I couldn't figure out the three-finger drag for the life of me. Turning off Force click and haptic feedback solved the problem though. Thank you!

I discovered by holding down shift command and click the file you can drag it. When to get to the destination lift up shift and command and the file will be dragged to the new location.

Mahone Bay boy wrote:

Three-finger drag works. Not as smooth as what it was but better than not. Thanks

You didn't explain the issue with any specific detail. However, I know I have issues with the Force Click & Haptic Feedback with Apple's trackpads so I always have to turn that setting off in the Trackpad System Settings. It is possible the behavior of the Force Feedback & Haptic Feedback has changed slightly with Tahoe & you not able to compensate for it.

Brian King2 wrote:

For the rest of y'all, this issue isn't exclusive to Macbooks. I'm experiencing it on my Mac Studio as well. Dragging and dropping to the icon or filename doesn't matter; the issue exists regardless, including dragging into an open folder.

Often times, if you have other windows open, MacOS seems to switch between open windows and randomly select which one your files will land on. This is especially annoying if I'm moving a large number of RAW photos into a folder and suddenly MacOS drops them onto Safari, which is active in a different space and display from where my mouse cursor/pointer is.

The only fix I've discovered as reliable is ye olde Cmd+C and Cmd+V commands for copying and pasting. Until such a time as Apple works out this bug at least.

[Edited by Moderator]

I haven't found any problems (or differences) in drag & drop on my two Macs running Tahoe.

Three-finger drag works. Not as smooth as what it was but better than not. Thanks

AngieMSWC wrote:

In newly downloaded Tahoe 26 on my MacBook Pro I can no longer drag and drop a file to a folder if I want to move it to a different folder. Is there a way to allow this as in the past?

Newly downloaded— have you shut down and restarted more than once...

>Shut Down...

Barney-15E wrote:

I haven't found any problems (or differences) in drag & drop on my two Macs running Tahoe.

There is a Tahoe bug, still present in 26.1. Affects list view only. See here:

MacOS 26.1 Still not fixing trackpad issu… - Apple Community

neuroanatomist wrote:

Barney-15E wrote:

I haven't found any problems (or differences) in drag & drop on my two Macs running Tahoe.

There is a Tahoe bug, still present in 26.1. Affects list view only. See here:

MacOS 26.1 Still not fixing trackpad issu… - Apple Community

Yeah, I don't have that problem.