How to select files in Finder only using keyboard without using trackpad or mouse?

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Level 1

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How to select files in Finder only using keyboard without using trackpad or mouse?

I am a keyboard user. I hardly use the mouse or trackpad. It requires me to lift my hand up and move to the track or mouse and then click. The entire process is counter-productive (at least for me). I find keyboard usage much more convenient and fast.

Recently I have been trying to select files in my finder window and I found out that I can't do it using keyboard only on Mac. Selection can only be triggered through a click.

Still, I wanted to know if anyone out there has found a solution to this? Can I select multiple (non-adjacent) files using keyboard only?

MacBook Air 13″, macOS 26.0

Posted on Oct 18, 2025 10:57 PM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

dialabrain

Level 10

135,899 points

Oct 19, 2025 3:52 AM in response to meet_v

Your question was perfectly clear. You can select contiguous files in the Finder using only the keyboard by holding the shift key and the arrow keys. There is no way I'm aware of to select non-contiguous files using only the keyboard in macOS. Not sure if I can make it any clearer. If someone knows a way, I'm sure they'll reply.

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Answer 2

dialabrain

Level 10

135,899 points

Oct 19, 2025 1:25 AM in response to meet_v

See: Use your keyboard like a mouse with Mac - Apple Support

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Answer 3

Barney-15E

Level 10

122,138 points

Oct 19, 2025 3:54 AM in response to meet_v

I don’t use it because it’s frankly confusing and seems to just make everything more difficult, but Full Keyboard Access in Accessibility System Settings might allow you to avoid the most revolutionary advancement in computing.

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Answer 4

Oct 19, 2025 5:27 AM in response to meet_v

Not sure if this works. Haven't tried it but a search online revealed this as a possible solution:

To select non-contiguous files using only the keyboard in macOS, you can enable Full Keyboard Access in the Accessibility settings. Once enabled, use the arrow keys to navigate to the desired files and press the Space bar to select them.

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Answer 5

dialabrain

Level 10

135,899 points

Oct 19, 2025 1:31 AM in response to meet_v

FWIW, there's also an app called mouseless. I've never tried it.

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Answer 6

dialabrain

Level 10

135,899 points

Oct 19, 2025 4:22 AM in response to meet_v

A final thought, there are a number of third-party file managers available for macOS. You will have to research them to find which may do what you want and are compatible with Tahoe.

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Answer 7

meet_v Author

Level 1

48 points

Oct 19, 2025 2:08 AM in response to dialabrain

This doesn't help. I am looking for a solution which doesn't use mouse or trackpad. And that means in essence. Someone may say integrate a joystick that mimics using trackpad. But that's not a solution.

I want to work with my keyboard without getting distracted with mouse and other pointing devices.

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Answer 8

dialabrain

Level 10

135,899 points

Oct 19, 2025 2:13 AM in response to meet_v

meet_v wrote:

I want to work with my keyboard without getting distracted with mouse and other pointing devices.

Then you should use an OS that isn't GUI-based. Macs have used a GUI since 1984. Windows has been GUI-based since 1985.

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Answer 9

meet_v Author

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Oct 19, 2025 3:19 AM in response to dialabrain

True. In that case, your earlier response where you had guided me to use an OS which is not GUI-based was discouraging. I am here to ask for help from the community and therefore expect only those members to reply to the post who have a solution to the issue.

Both windows and linux, even though being GUI-based since more than a decade as rightly pointed by you, supports keyboard based file selection using spacebar. I thought there may be some hidden way to do a similar thing on Mac also.

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Answer 10

dialabrain

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135,899 points

Oct 19, 2025 3:23 AM in response to meet_v

meet_v wrote:

Both windows and linux, even though being GUI-based since more than a decade as rightly pointed by you, supports keyboard based file selection using spacebar. I thought there may be some hidden way to do a similar thing on Mac also.

That wasn't your original question. You asked how to select non-contiguous files using only the keyboard.

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Answer 11

dialabrain

Level 10

135,899 points

Oct 19, 2025 4:14 AM in response to meet_v

One last comment, it is in fact possible to select non-contiguous files using only the keyboard in Windows 11. I had to boot my Windows 11 machine to check. I know of no equivalent in macOS.

Good Luck.

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Answer 12

meet_v Author

Level 1

48 points

Oct 19, 2025 4:22 AM in response to dialabrain

Yes. It has been possible since very early versions of windows, at least since XP that I started my PC journey. Also, this is possible in many Linux distros I have tried. So, I just assumed that there would be something hidden somewhere.

Anyway, thanks for your attempt.

I hope someone somewhere finds a way to do this.

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