Drag and Drop Not Working on macOS Sequoia? Try These Fixes!

Dragging and dropping is one of the simplest and most intuitive features of a Mac. You can drag and drop items to do things like move or copy files and folders, add an image to an email, or move text around in a document. However, some users have reported that drag and drop has stopped working on Mac 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.

If you are unable to drag and drop items on your Mac after macOS Sequoia update, 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.

How Drag and Drop Works on a Mac

Before we start to troubleshoot, 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:

Select an Item: On your Mac, select an item you want to draglike an image or block of text.
Drag: Press and hold the trackpad or mouse while you drag the item to a new location.
Copy Instead of Move: Press and hold the Option key while you drag.
Drop: Release the trackpad or mouse to place the item in the new location.

How to fix dragon drop not working on macOS sequoia

Fix 1: Check Your Trackpad or Mouse Settings

If drag-and-drop isn’t working after macOS Sequoia update, 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 fix this, follow these steps:

Launch System Settings: Click the Apple menu  and select System Settings.
Go to Trackpad Settings: Click Trackpad in the sidebar.
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.
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 you are still experiencing this problem, 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:

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

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

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 Sequoia drag-and-drop issue. Here’s how to do it:

Shut Down Your Mac: Click the Apple menu  and select Shut Down. Wait for your Mac to turn off completely.
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.
Log In: Log in to your Mac as usual. You’ll see “Safe Mode” in the menu bar on the login screen or desktop.
Test Drag and Drop: Check if drag-and-drop works while in Safe Mode.