# Cut & paste for Mac: Cut and paste in Finder. Finally, it can.

> Cut and paste files and folders in Finder with ⌘X and ⌘V. ctrlhq adds the cut Finder never had, and the notch confirms what you cut. Undo still works.

Coming from Windows, the first thing you try in Finder is ⌘X on a file. Nothing happens. macOS can move files, but only with ⌘C and then ⌘⌥V, a shortcut almost nobody finds on their own.

Turn on Cut & paste in ctrlhq and ⌘X works the way your hands expect. Cut a file or folder, open another folder, press ⌘V, and it moves there. The notch tells you what you cut, so you never wonder if it took.

## What you get

- **⌘X really cuts.** Select files or folders in Finder and press ⌘X. The notch shows what you cut, like “Cut 3 items · ⌘V to move it here”.
- **⌘V moves them.** Open the folder you want and press ⌘V. The files move. They aren't copied, so there's no copy left behind to delete.
- **Finder's own move.** ctrlhq hands the move to Finder, so ⌘Z undoes it, name clashes ask what to do, and moving to another drive works as usual.
- **Text still works.** Renaming a file, the search box or Go to Folder? ⌘X and ⌘V cut and paste text there, exactly as before.
- **Changed your mind?.** Press Escape to cancel the cut, or copy something else. Your files stay where they are until you paste.
- **Nothing to learn.** No new window and no new shortcut. One switch in Settings, and the keys you already know work in Finder.

## How it works

1. Open ctrlhq Settings › General and switch on Finder › “⌘X cuts files, ⌘V moves them”.
2. Allow Accessibility access when asked.
3. In Finder, select files and press ⌘X, then open another folder and press ⌘V.

Shortcut: ⌘X

## FAQ

### Can you cut and paste files on a Mac?

Finally, it can. With ctrlhq, select files or folders in Finder and press ⌘X, then go to another folder and press ⌘V. They move there, the same way cut and paste works on Windows.

### Why doesn't ⌘X work in Finder?

Finder has never had a cut command for files. It only moves files with ⌘C, then ⌘⌥V (Option-Command-V) in the new folder. ctrlhq turns ⌘X and ⌘V into that move for you.

### Is it a real move or a copy?

A real move. ctrlhq uses Finder's own Move Item Here, so nothing is duplicated and nothing is left behind.

### Can I undo a move?

Yes. Press ⌘Z in Finder straight after, just like any other move.

### What if a file with the same name is already there?

Finder asks whether to keep both, stop or replace, the same as it always does.

### Does it change ⌘X and ⌘V anywhere else?

No. It only works in Finder windows with files selected. In text fields, in Finder and in every other app, cut and paste work as they always have.

### Why does it need Accessibility access?

To see the ⌘X and ⌘V you press in Finder and to tell a file selection from a text field. Nothing you type is stored or sent anywhere.

### How do I cancel a cut?

Press Escape in Finder, or copy something else. The files stay where they were.

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Part of ctrlhq, the productivity app in your Mac's notch: $24.99 once (launch price, regular $29), no subscription. Native, about 17 MB. Download: https://ctrlhq.app/download · All features: https://ctrlhq.app/features