Quick answer
Files next to each other: Click the first file, then hold Shift and click the last file.
Separate files: Hold Command (⌘) and click each file.
Every file: Press Command-A.
Files grouped together on screen: Start in an empty area and drag a box around them.
You can also Command-click an already-selected file to deselect only that one. These methods work in Finder windows, on the Desktop, and in many Open and Save dialogs.
If you’ve ever struggled with selecting multiple files, folders, or items on your Mac, you’re not alone. Whether you're organizing your photos, tidying up your desktop, or trying to send several email attachments at once, learning this skill will save you time and frustration. In most apps on Mac (Finder, Photos, Mail, to name a few) you can select multiple items at once and act on them all at the same time rather than dealing with one item at a time. This allows you to do things like delete a whole group at once or move everything into the same folder. When you are selecting files to upload to a website, some websites will allow you to select multiple documents in the same way.
How to select multiple files on a Mac with Command or Shift
On your Mac keyboard, Command ⌘ and Shift are your go-to keys for selecting multiple items. Each works slightly differently depending on what you’re trying to do. Here’s how they work:
1. Using the Command key for specific selections
Think of the Command key as your "cherry-pick" option. It lets you select individual items, even if they’re not next to each other.
How to use it:
Hold down the Command ⌘ key.
Click each file, folder, or item you want to select. You can release the Command key between clicks, but hold it again before clicking another item. Otherwise, your Mac will reset the selection to that one item.
If you Command-click an item again that was already selected, it will deselect.
Release the Command key when you’re done.
Example: If you’re looking through your vacation photos and want to select a few favorites that are scattered across a folder, hold Command and click each one.
2. Using the Shift key for a range of items
The Shift key is for selecting a group of items that are next to each other. It’s perfect when you want to grab a contiguous chunk all at once.
How to use it:
Click the first item in the group.
Hold down the Shift key.
Click the last item in the group. Everything in between will be selected automatically.
Release the Shift key.
Example: Need to select all the files from January in a folder sorted by date? Click the first file, hold Shift, then click the last one in January’s section.
Pro tip: Combine Command and Shift for advanced selections
Command and Shift can work together for more control:
Use Shift to grab a large group as in my instructions above.
Hold down Command ⌘ to add or remove individual files from your selection, allowing you to also choose items that are outside of the contiguous group, or deselecting exceptions that are inside of the group.
This is especially helpful if you accidentally include a file you don’t want, if you need to add a couple of extra files to your selection, or if you want to select all files except one or two.
How do you select all files on a Mac?
Click the Finder window or Desktop where you want to make the selection, then press Command-A. Your Mac selects every item in that location. If you want almost everything, press Command-A first, then Command-click the few items you want to leave out.
You can also select a visible group by starting in an empty area and dragging a box around the files. Apple notes that this is especially useful in Finder’s Icon view.
What can you do after selecting multiple files?
Once you’ve made your selection, you can:
Move them: Drag them to a new folder or external drive.
Delete them: Drag them to the Trash or use Command + Delete.
Open them: Double-click to open all selected files at once.
Compress them: Right-click (or Control-click) and select "Compress" to create a single ZIP file.
Perform just about any available action from the menu.
Troubleshooting common selection problems
Accidentally lost your selection? If you click outside your selected items, you’ll deselect everything. Take a deep breath and try again. If you don't trust your mouse skills you may want to do this in smaller batches. I myself usually only do this with 20 to 40 items at a time.
Using a trackpad? The process is the same. Click while holding Command or Shift.
Sorting files before selecting: To make your selection easier, click the column headers in Finder (like Name, Date Modified, or Size) to sort items.
Does this work in Windows?
This is not a Mac-exclusive feature. If you are also a PC user, the same trick works in Windows, though instead of the Command key you use the Control key.