How to drag a object long distance at Macbook, using (Magic) trackpad

[oldguru]

Hi, when drag a object, for example, a file, to another place, which is long distance at the screen, during moving at middle, the figer already reached the edge of trackpad. My current way is to have another figer to help: put another figer at middle of trackpad, then release first figer, continue movement.

However, it is not elegant, there should be some better way to drag object for long way on the screen, right?

 

[xShane]

Hi, when drag a object, for example, a file, to another place, which is long distance at the screen, during moving at middle, the figer already reached the edge of trackpad. My current way is to have another figer to help: put another figer at middle of trackpad, then release first figer, continue movement.

However, it is not elegant, there should be some better way to drag object for long way on the screen, right?

A USB mouse should do the trick.

You could also increase mouse speed in the System Settings.

 

[sahnert]

click and hold on the bottom edge of the trackpad with your thumb then use your finger to move the item. As long as your thumb stays down, the finger can lift as many times as needed to move across the screen.

In place of the thumb, you could also use a finger from the other hand.

 

[Ledgem]

However, it is not elegant, there should be some better way to drag object for long way on the screen, right?

There are a few possible solutions.

The first to turn on drag locking. You can access this from the System Preferences > Accessibility > Mouse & Trackpad > Trackpad Options > Enable dragging with drag lock. If you're using the three-finger drag "gesture" then this seemingly won't work; this is only for if you double-tap to drag.

If you use the three-finger drag gesture, note that there is a built-in delay between when you lift up your fingers and when the drag stops. The delay lasts for around a second, during which you can pick up your fingers and then place them back down to continue dragging. I find this delay somewhat frustrating, but I suppose it was made for situations like these. For those who dislike the delay, note that quickly tapping at the end of a drag will cause the drag to end immediately.

Another option is to use a program like Yoink, available in the app store at a low price. Yoink creates a small window that pops up from the edge of the screen (you specify which edge), and acts as a temporary "tray" to hold dragged items. The window is normally hidden, but stays up when it's holding items. You can then navigate normally and drag from the Yoink window when you're ready. This may not resolve your issue since it's fixed to one edge of the screen (instead of popping up closer to your cursor), but I find it to be a useful application all the same.

My final suggestion is to increase the speed of the mouse/trackpad. My tracking speed slider is at the halfway mark, and I can easily move the cursor from one side of the screen to the other by moving my finger around 60-70% of the distance across the trackpad's surface. Adjusting the tracking speed can be a bit jarring, so rather than making some big changes to the speed right away I'd suggest increasing the speed by one or two increments every few days to allow yourself to adjust.

 

[vatter69]

If you use the three-finger drag gesture, note that there is a built-in delay between when you lift up your fingers and when the drag stops. The delay lasts for around a second, during which you can pick up your fingers and then place them back down to continue dragging. I find this delay somewhat frustrating, but I suppose it was made for situations like these. For those who dislike the delay, note that quickly tapping at the end of a drag will cause the drag to end immediately.

that's what i have been using too - works perfect.

 

[rrm998]

+1 on the three finger drag delay.