Drag & drop

External drag-and-drop rules, modifier keys (copy/move), and safety guards.

Drag & drop (from Finder and other apps)

Explorer supports external drag-and-drop so you can move files into the right place without extra steps.

Default action: copy or move

You can choose a default:

  • Copy (safe default)
  • Move (fast when you’re organizing)

Override with modifier keys

If modifier overrides are enabled:

  • hold Option to force Copy
  • hold Command to force Move

Drop targets

  • Drop onto a folder to put items into that folder.
  • Drop onto empty space to drop into the current folder.
  • Drop onto Favorites to pin a folder quickly (when supported).

Conflicts and progress

If you drop files into a folder that already contains the same names, Explorer uses your conflict strategy (Ask / Keep both / Replace / Skip).

Large transfers show progress so you can pause or cancel:

Safety: prevent self-drop

Explorer can block mistakes like:

  • moving a folder into itself
  • dropping an item into the folder it’s already in

Next steps