How to Use FileCutPaste app to Cut and Paste Files, Folders and Images on Mac

Quick answer: Install FileCutPaste, select any file, folder, image or PDF in Finder, press Cmd-X, open the destination folder and press Cmd-V. Finder performs the actual move, on your Mac. Nothing is duplicated, and it is free for 5 cuts a day.

Stock Finder has no real cut for files, so Cmd-X on a selected file does nothing. FileCutPaste adds it: the same cut and paste you know from Windows, working on files, folders, images and everything else Finder can move. Here is exactly how to use it, one item type at a time.

Before you start

1. Install FileCutPaste from the Mac App Store and open it once.

2. Grant the permissions it asks for: Accessibility (so it can detect Cmd-X while Finder is active) and Home Folder access (so Finder can move the files you cut). You can review both in System Settings, Privacy & Security.

3. That is it. There is nothing to configure and no new shortcut to learn: it uses Cmd-X and Cmd-V.

How to cut and paste a file on Mac

1. Open a Finder window and click the file once to select it.

2. Press Cmd-X. Nothing dramatic happens on screen, but the file is now queued to move.

3. Navigate to the folder where the file should end up. Use another window, a Finder tab, the sidebar, or another drive.

4. Press Cmd-V. Finder moves the file into the current folder. The original is gone from its old location, and no duplicate is left behind.

If you never press Cmd-V, the file stays exactly where it was. A cut is only a pending move, so you cannot lose a file by cutting it and changing your mind.

How to cut and paste a folder on Mac

Folders work exactly like files. Select the folder, press Cmd-X, open the destination and press Cmd-V. The folder moves with everything inside it, and the contents are never opened or read by FileCutPaste.

How to cut and paste multiple files at once

Select several items first, then cut once:

• Cmd-click to pick individual files that are not next to each other.

• Shift-click to select a continuous range.

• Cmd-A to select everything in the current folder.

Press Cmd-X, go to the destination and press Cmd-V. All the selected items move together.

How to cut and paste images and photos on Mac

Image files such as PNG, JPG, HEIC and screenshots are ordinary files in Finder, so the steps are the same: select the images, Cmd-X, open the destination folder, Cmd-V. This is the quickest way to sort a folder of screenshots or clear photos off your Desktop into a project folder.

One distinction is worth knowing. If you are inside an app, such as an image editor, Pages or Notes, Cmd-X already cuts the image content itself. FileCutPaste is for image files you are moving around in Finder.

PDFs, documents, videos, zips and everything else

If Finder can move it, FileCutPaste can cut and paste it: PDFs, Word and Excel files, presentations, videos, audio, archives, disk images, aliases and more. The workflow never changes: select, Cmd-X, navigate, Cmd-V. Moving between your internal disk and an external drive works the same way.

Cut versus copy: which shortcut do I use?

• Move a file to a new place: Cmd-X, then Cmd-V.

• Duplicate a file: Cmd-C, then Cmd-V. Copy and paste is untouched, so it works exactly as it always did.

• Move without FileCutPaste: Cmd-C, then Cmd-Option-V. See How to Cut and Paste a File on a MacBook for the built-in method.

Tips for faster file moves

• Use Finder tabs. Press Cmd-T to open a second tab on your destination, cut in one tab and paste in the other.

• Go straight to a folder. Press Cmd-Shift-G and type a path to jump to the destination without clicking through folders.

• Keep browsing while a cut is pending. The cut stays queued while you navigate, so you can open as many folders as you need before you paste.

Cut and paste not working on Mac? Quick fixes

• Check the file is selected. Click it once so it highlights.

• Check permissions. Make sure FileCutPaste has Accessibility and Home Folder access in System Settings, Privacy & Security.

• Make sure Finder is the active app. Cmd-X cuts files only in Finder. In other apps it cuts text or content as usual.

Still stuck? Read Cmd+X Not Working in Finder? Here is Why (and the Fix) or email support@maccove.com.

What it costs

FileCutPaste is free forever for 5 cuts a day, which is plenty for most people. For unlimited cuts, it is $1.99 per month or $9.99 per year, managed through the App Store and cancellable at any time. There is no separate trial to manage: use the free tier for as long as you like.

Frequently asked

Does FileCutPaste move or copy my files? It moves them. Finder performs its own native move, so there is no duplicate to clean up.

Does it read or upload my files? No. FileCutPaste only tells Finder what to move. Nothing is collected or transmitted.

Will it replace Copy and Paste? No. Cmd-C and Cmd-V keep working exactly as before. FileCutPaste only adds the missing cut for files.

Ready to try it? Get FileCutPaste on the Mac App Store and move your first file with Cmd-X in seconds.