Google Drive Gains Support for Cut, Copy, and Paste Shortcuts Across Multiple Chrome Tabs

[MacRumors]

Google has announced long-omitted support for using keyboard shortcuts to cut, copy, and paste files in Google Drive on the web – but only if you're accessing the service through its Chrome browser.

In what may come as a surprise to some, Google Drive on the web has never offered access to clipboard functions, despite providing keyboard shortcuts to perform several actions on selected items.

The new support for ⌘ + C (or Ctrl + C on PC), ⌘ + X, and ⌘ + V to copy, cut and paste Google Drive files should save users time by allowing them to copy one or more files and move them to new locations in Drive – and across multiple Chrome tabs – with fewer clicks.

Google says a link to the file and its title is now captured when copying a file, which allows users to paste them into a document or an email. In addition, copying a file and pressing ⌘ + Shift + V key creates shortcuts for organizing files in multiple locations without necessarily creating duplicate files.

Lastly, Chrome users can now open files or folders in a new tab using ⌘ + Enter, which should make it easier to view multiple files at once, or use different tabs to more easily organize files between two different folder locations.

Earlier this month, Google Docs gained an additional new feature that allows users to select multiple sections of text and apply actions such as delete, copy, paste, or format to all selections at the same time.

Article Link: Google Drive Gains Support for Cut, Copy, and Paste Shortcuts Across Multiple Chrome Tabs

 

[Nimrad]

cmd + c to copy, but ctrl + v to paste?

 

[manofthematch]

Wow. Incredible.

No, I won't put any files into Google Drive. And I won't use Chrome.

 

[everlast3434]

About time. Pretty useful.

 

[BootsWalking]

In what may come as a surprise to some, Google Drive on the web has never offered access to clipboard functions, despite providing keyboard shortcuts to perform several actions on selected items.

It comes more as a surprise that keyboard shortcuts for Google Drive to copy and move files around would be faster for anyone than either dragging 'n dropping, or right-clicking and using the "Move to..." popup-menu item.

 

[DHagan4755]

So weird this is now a feature…in 2022.

 

[Leon Ze Professional]

It's 2022 and you're only providing this functionality now? Sorry I'm scratching my head and feeling very perplexed!

 

[Unggoy Murderer]

As a web dev, this isn't quite as trivial as you think. I suspect this is a "work around" to tab sandboxing.

Each tab has its own process and memory, and they won't be able to access and / or modify each others content. So when you did cmd+c on one tab, the other wouldn't be "aware" of the content that has been "copied". Google have probably added a feature to Chrome that will listen for this behaviour, then pass it between the sandboxed processes safely.

I suppose they could pass the information back to the server and then have it retrieved on a polling basis, but that would be extra load on infrastructure, and wouldn't work offline.

Just even more evidence that Google Chrome is the new IE 6.

 

[Leon Ze Professional]

As a web dev, this isn't quite as trivial as you think. I suspect this is a "work around" to tab sandboxing.

Each tab has its own process and memory, and they won't be able to access and / or modify each others content. So when you did cmd+c on one tab, the other wouldn't be "aware" of the content that has been "copied". Google have probably added a feature to Chrome that will listen for this behaviour, then pass it between the sandboxed processes safely.

I suppose they could pass the information back to the server and then have it retrieved on a polling basis, but that would be extra load on infrastructure, and wouldn't work offline.

Just even more evidence that Google Chrome is the new IE 6.

Thanks for the great explanation.

 

[Michael Scrip]

I remember when people slammed the iPhone for not having copy and paste... in 2007

?

 

[Unggoy Murderer]

Thanks for the great explanation.

You're welcome, but I can't say for sure this is the actual reason, just a suspicion based on previous experience in the area.

 

[GeoStructural]

It's 2022 and you're only providing this functionality now? Sorry I'm scratching my head and feeling very perplexed!

Which means iCloud will gain the functionality in 2035.

 

[Leon Ze Professional]

Which means iCloud will gain the functionality in 2035.

Such a precise prediction. I'll hold you to it, 🍻.

 

[MauiPa]

Which means iCloud will gain the functionality in 2035.

Sorry didn't mean to like this, it is pretty bad. I use cloud integration through finder. Copy and paste is there now. Not some crappy Google tool to steal my data. It works with Google Drive too. So what is the fuss. does anyone really use the web interface?

 

[erikkfi]

Nice feature that I won't switch to Chrome for.

 

[krusnof]

But I still cannot duplicate a folder... In any browser... without some custom script with spreadsheet inputs.

 

[themone]

So… where’s dark mode for the iOS app?

 

[Gherkin]

Sorry didn't mean to like this, it is pretty bad. I use cloud integration through finder. Copy and paste is there now. Not some crappy Google tool to steal my data. It works with Google Drive too. So what is the fuss. does anyone really use the web interface?

is this a real question? Millions of people every day use the web interface lol

Pretty sure this is the first web storage platform that is offering copy/paste in the browser.

 

[GeoStructural]

Sorry didn't mean to like this, it is pretty bad. I use cloud integration through finder. Copy and paste is there now. Not some crappy Google tool to steal my data. It works with Google Drive too. So what is the fuss. does anyone really use the web interface?

I use the web interface since the desktop client uses too much resources.

 

[HorstBockman]

Google sux

 

[smallduck]

Copying & pasting files is an abomination that breaks the metaphor. An abomination!!!1!

 

[svish]

Small but very useful and needed. Glad that this is now finally available.

 

[Smearbrick]

Google sux

You’ve added much to the discussion. Thanks for your input. The millions of Google users hear you.

 

[sideshowuniqueuser]

As a web dev, this isn't quite as trivial as you think. I suspect this is a "work around" to tab sandboxing.

Each tab has its own process and memory, and they won't be able to access and / or modify each others content. So when you did cmd+c on one tab, the other wouldn't be "aware" of the content that has been "copied". Google have probably added a feature to Chrome that will listen for this behaviour, then pass it between the sandboxed processes safely.

I suppose they could pass the information back to the server and then have it retrieved on a polling basis, but that would be extra load on infrastructure, and wouldn't work offline.

Just even more evidence that Google Chrome is the new IE 6.

Yeah, or, the copy keystroke is saved into your Google Drive from one tab, and then when you go to the other tab, the paste keystroke command is sent to Google Drive (where the actual file copying and pasting occurs, duh), and the resulting html/js view is sent back to your browser. This wouldn't need to break the sandboxing of tabs.

I have no idea why it is only (currently) Chrome specific, but I would like to hope that that isn't an IE6-esque behaviour, as you say.

 

[sideshowuniqueuser]

Which means iCloud will gain the functionality in 2035.

And it will display that the copy and paste was done, but it actually wasn't, and you just lost data. To be fixed in some update next decade.