Drag and Drop Items on Mac Sequoia Not Working, How to Fix

Dragging and dropping is one of the simplest and most intuitive features of a Mac, allowing you to effortlessly move or copy files, organize folders, add images to an email, or rearrange text in a document. However, some users have reported that this functionality has stopped working, especially after upgrading to Sequoia.

For instance, you might click on an item in Finder, and it only selects the item. If you select multiple items with Shift-click and try to drag them elsewhere, it behaves as though the Shift key is still pressed. Others have noted that when attempting to drag and drop, a window with a progress bar that says “Preparing to move to” appears but nothing actually happens.

These issues occur in both List and Columns views, while dragging is still not possible in Icon view, and such inconsistencies make the feature unreliable. When drag-and-drop stops working properly, it can significantly disrupt your workflow.

But don’t worry—this guide will walk you through the steps to resolve the issue. Try the following solutions in order until the problem is fixed, so you can get back to working smoothly again.

Before we get into troubleshooting, let me first explain how drag and drop works on a Mac. If you’re new to using a Mac or want a refresher, here’s how you can drag and drop items:

1. Select an Item: Click on the item you want to drag—such as an image, file, or block of text.
2. Drag: Press and hold the trackpad or mouse button while moving the item to its new location.
3. Copy Instead of Move: To copy the item, press and hold the Option key while you drag.
4. Drop: Release the trackpad or mouse button to place the item in the new location.

Fix 1: Check Your Trackpad or Mouse Settings

If drag-and-drop isn’t working, the issue might be related to your trackpad or mouse settings. Sometimes, a defective trackpad or accidentally triggering a “force click” by pressing too hard can interfere with drag-and-drop functionality. To address this, follow these steps:

1. Open System Settings: Click the Apple menu  and select System Settings.
2. Go to Trackpad Settings: Select Trackpad from the sidebar.
3. Disable Force Click: Locate the option for Force Click and Haptic Feedback and turn it off. This prevents accidental force clicks and may resolve the issue.
4. Test Drag and Drop: Try using drag-and-drop again to see if it works.

If you’re using an external mouse, check its settings as well and ensure the device is functioning properly.

Fix 2: Restart Finder

If the issue persists, it could be a glitch in Finder that’s causing drag-and-drop to malfunction. Restarting Finder often resolves such temporary glitches. Here’s how you can restart Finder:

1. Open the Apple Menu: Click the Apple menu  in the top-left corner of your screen.
2. Select Force Quit: Choose Force Quit from the menu.
3. Choose Finder: In the Force Quit Applications window, locate Finder in the list.
4. Restart Finder: Select Finder and click the Relaunch button.

After Finder restarts, test the drag-and-drop functionality to see if the problem is resolved.

There are other ways to restart Finder as well. If you’d like to learn more, we’ve written a detailed article on this topic—be sure to check it out!

Fix 3: Restart Your Mac in Safe Mode

If neither of the previous fixes worked, restarting your Mac in Safe Mode can help. Safe Mode disables unnecessary startup items and performs a basic system check, which might resolve the drag-and-drop issue. You can check out this article to learn more about what Safe Mode does. Here’s how to do it:

1. Shut Down Your Mac: Click the Apple menu  and select Shut Down. Wait for your Mac to turn off completely.
2. Start in Safe Mode:
   • On Macs with Intel processors: Press and hold the Shift key while turning your Mac back on. Release the key when you see the login screen.
   • On Macs with Apple Silicon: Press and hold the power button until the startup options appear, then select your startup disk, hold Shift, and click Continue in Safe Mode.
3. Log In: Log in to your Mac as usual. You’ll see “Safe Mode” in the menu bar on the login screen or desktop.
4. Test Drag and Drop: Check if drag-and-drop works while in Safe Mode.

If the issue is resolved in Safe Mode, restart your Mac normally to see if the fix persists.