how do I enable file dragging between Mac iOS Window on Big Sur

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how do I enable file dragging between Mac iOS Window on Big Sur

Hi. On early versions of Mac iOS I used to be able to selected hold a file in one Desktop window, say in Finder or on the Desktop, and then, while still holding down on this/these file(s), drag it to the extreme left/right edge of that current window, and the window would then transition to the adjacent Desktop window, where I can then drop the still-selected file(s) in to, say, another Finder window, or Browser File upload tool.

I now cannot do that, as I cannot drag file(s) beyond the edge of the current/initial Desktop window. No window transition occurs.

To get around this I now have to reduce the size of destination window and reposition it into the same Window as the source location of the file(s) and drag from one application to the other within the same Desktop window, which is less than ideal.

I am currently upgraded to Big Sur, but this has been a problem on the previous few iOS versions, possibly first raising its head on Catalina.

iMac 27″ 5K, macOS 11.6

Posted on Oct 5, 2021 12:42 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

D.I. Johnson

Level 7

24,071 points

Oct 5, 2021 7:05 AM in response to siegePerilous

FWIW, the feature is still available and active on my 2012 MBP running the most current version of Catalina.

I've never had to "enable" anything to use it. The only caveat is that the mouse cursor must contact the edge of the screen to trigger the transition into the adjacent desktop.

See if the problem still happens in Safe mode (hold the shift key down at startup). It can take much longer to safe boot (10 min) so be patient.

How to use safe mode on your Mac - Apple Support

Safe mode forces the OS to clear certain caches and logs and do other miscellaneous housekeeping. It's non-destructive to user data so is safe to do. Very often certain weird software behavior is corrected by simply logging in this way as a troubleshooting method. When you're in safe boot, the machine will not be at its best performance, especially with graphics, but that's expected.

Does the problem persist while in Safe mode?

Exit safe mode by restarting your Mac normally and re-evaluate the issue again.

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Answer 2

pokey b

Level 4

1,923 points

Oct 5, 2021 6:14 PM in response to siegePerilous

I have nearly the same set-up as you (my Mac is a 2017 5K 27" running macOS 11.6) and have no trouble dragging files from one screen to another. I'm assuming you are talking about Mission Control screens in this reference, correct me if I'm wrong. However, if that is the case 1st try D.I. Johnson's suggestion of trying safe mode. If that gets you nowhere I'd suggest then trying Etrecheck, but first things first.

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how do I enable file dragging between Mac iOS Window on Big Sur

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