MacOS – How to move a file from within the app to another folder

macospreviewterminal

When I download a PDF from Safari and it opens automatically (which I want), I then want to be able to drag the document title thumbnail to a folder and MOVE it to that folder. Instead, it creates an alias to that file. I know if I hit Option and move it it will COPY it to the folder I drag it to. I want the default behavior to be that when I drag the thumbnail without holding anything down, it will MOVE to where I'm dragging it. Can you direct me to some tweak or terminal command that can make this happen?? Thank you!

OSX: El Capitan

Best Answer

Drag protocol can be a bit confusing, however, it does follow a recognisable pattern…

To the same volume

  • Drag will move - unless the file is in a protected location [root level of the volume, or in a protected System folder], in which case it will copy
  • Opt ⌥ drag will copy
  • Cmd ⌘ drag will override the simple drag behaviour for protected files & move instead [but will need Admin authentication].

To a different volume

  • Drag will copy
  • Opt ⌥ drag will copy
  • Cmd ⌘ drag will move [ie, copy, then delete the original.]

So, Opt ⌥ always copies, but Cmd ⌘ reverses the default behaviour of just dragging.

Worst case scenario - you can change your modifier key & check the added icon on the file you're dragging to see your end result, right up until you let go of the mouse button.

Just to complete the set - Cmd ⌘ Opt ⌥ dragging will make an Alias at the destination.

edit …& after all that I realise that Preview will not adhere to that behaviour… Move appears to not be an option at all.
Best guess is that you cannot move an open document & even hope that an app could keep track of where it went.
The Finder can. You can move the file in the Finder whilst open in Preview, but then Preview will tell you you are working on a copy & you need to save a fresh version.
Pretty safe & sensible behaviour, really.

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