Long Drag & Drop with trackpad

[Willie Heckaslyke]

Hi all...

I got my (first) Mac last year - a 2020 MBA - and am working on a long list of files that I'm re-organising using drag & drop.

I hope you can understand what I'm trying to explain here, but how do you keep the file selected (when you've come to the top of the trackpad and need to take your finger off) without it 'dropping', so you can move it further up? 🥴🙃

Thanks if you can help me out here a bit.....

 

[philosopherdog]

Best way is to set up 3 finger drag in accessibility settings. https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204609 . This is one of the most useful trackpad settings. You shouldn't need to drag that far. Arrange multiple finder windows beside each other.

 

[mj_]

Use two fingers, one to click and one to drag? 🤷‍♂️

 

[JPack]

Buy a mouse. It’s the easiest and most ergonomic way.

 

[Willie Heckaslyke]

Best way is to set up 3 finger drag in accessibility settings. https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204609 . This is one of the most useful trackpad settings. You shouldn't need to drag that far. Arrange multiple finder windows beside each other.

Thanks for this (& other suggestions) I hadn't dug in Accessibility before. Trying to see if 3-finger drag or drag lock works best for me for a while....cheers guys 👍👍

 

[xraydoc]

Thanks for this (& other suggestions) I hadn't dug in Accessibility before. Trying to see if 3-finger drag or drag lock works best for me for a while....cheers guys 👍👍

You can use two fingers... I use my thumb to click down and hold the file icon and my index finger to move the pointer, which I can lift up to reposition and continue moving. No need to activate three-finger drag or click-lock or anything else.

 

[960design]

As mentioned, typically use my pointer finger to drag and middle finger to 'hold' the pointer in place. So tap and start dragging with pointer, get to edge of pad, then place middle finger in center ( same hand ) and start 'flicking' or short drag and lifts with pointer.

With 5K 27" display, dragging something from the bottom right to the top left can occasionally catch me off guard if I originally placed pointer finger in center of pad and started dragging.