Selecting one picture at once on a MacBook to copy or move to another folder can be inconvenient and time-consuming. Hence, you must know how to select all in MacBooks quickly in different ways.
Users can access the Finder Edit menu to choose every file stored on the Mac laptop. You can select multiple Mac files with a simple click and drag of your MacBook’s trackpad. Apple also lets you use a keyboard shortcut to perform this action.
However, the steps to select all items might vary from one app to another. For instance, users must tap on a conversation to get the “Select all” option on WhatsApp. But, you can’t do the same on your Mac’s iMessage app. You must simultaneously press the Command and A keys to select multiple conversations on iMessage.
Let’s learn the easiest ways to select all files, pictures and emails on your MacBook:
How to Select all files on your MacBook?
There are multiple ways to select all files on a Mac laptop. Some of these methods are pretty similar to Windows devices. However, they can still confuse users who are unfamiliar with the Mac user interface (UI).
Restart your MacBook,, and you will see the Finder tool: the file manager and Mac UI. Users can choose all files and delete, copy or even move them in Finder by using the following methods:
How to Select All in MacBooks with Command and A key combo?
This is the quickest way to choose and delete all the temporary or unwanted files from your MacBook. Command and A keyboard shortcut select every stored file in “Applications” or “Downloads”, “Library”, or other folders. It reduces the chance of omitting any important file from being selected.
Here is how you can select all using the Command and A key combination:
- Go to “Favorites” when the Finder window opens and click “All My Files”.
- Press the Command and A keys simultaneously to select all the files.
- Right-click on it when your Mac device highlights all the files in the folder and select “Copy”, “Move”, or “Delete”.
How to Select all non-adjacent files on your MacBook?
You may only want to select all the files related to a specific application on your MacBook. The Command and A key combo won’t work in such instances.
Go to “Applications” and press and hold the Command key to select all the files you need, one after another.
Release the Command key once you have selected the required app-related files. Right-click on them to copy or remove them from the device to clear up the storage space.
Remember that selecting the same Mac file twice will deselect it automatically. You can scroll through the Finder window or use the search panel to find the files you’re looking for.
How to Select all files on MacBook with Click and Drag method?
Using the click-and-drag method, you can select multiple files in a row or column. All your Mac files will be selected with a tap and drag of your trackpad.
Additionally, you can connect an external mouse to your Mac laptop and use it to try this process for selecting all the files in Finder.
Open the folder where the files you want to select are saved. Access the Finder toolbar, and tap “View” to see them in a row or column. Click the first file and place the cursor in a blank space.
Drag the cursor to the bottom-right corner to select the remaining files. Release the mouse button or trackpad and press the “Delete” key to remove them. Otherwise, you can simultaneously press the Command and C keys to copy them into another folder.
How to Select all files using your MacBook’s Finder Edit menu?
You might be unaware of the “Select All” option of the Finder menu if you are a new MacBook user. Apple laptop owners can use it to select all the files easily. Locate the Edit tab on the Finder menu and tap on it. Click “Select all” when the drop-down menu appears; that’s it.
Can you select only the grouped files on the MacBook?
MacBook users can’t select the files grouped in a folder using keyboard shortcuts or the Edit menu. Press the Shift key instead to select the group you’re interested in and deselect the remaining ones.
Here is how you can select the grouped files on your MacBook Pro or MacBook Air:
- Open the Finder toolbar, tap on “View”, and select “Sort By” when the drop-down menu appears.
- Select “Type” to arrange the grouped files by their type one after another.
- Tap on the first file from the group, locate the Shift key and press it.
- Choose the last file in the group set in the same way.
- All the files in-between will be selected and highlighted automatically on your MacBook.
How to Select all photos on your MacBook?
Selecting all photos is similar to selecting all files on a Mac laptop. You can choose every photo from your album and move or copy them to another app. Additionally, users can attach the selected images with their email attachments.
Select all the images with Command and A key combination
This is the easiest way to select photos on your new MacBook Pro or Air. Open the app or folder where you have stored all the photos. Ensure only the images you want to select are present in the Finder window.
Press the Command and A keys simultaneously when you see the photos list. Release these two keys when your MacBook highlights the selected images. Right-click on them and select “Copy” or “Share” to relocate them to another folder.
Select all images using the Finder menu
Restart your Mac laptop and tap on the Finder icon from the Dock. Go to “Favorites”, select “Applications”, and tap on the app where the photos are saved. Navigate to “Edit” and choose “Select all” when the drop-down menu opens. All your photos will be selected in the Finder window.
Select all images with the Shift key
Your MacBook’s Shift key lets you select and deselect images. If you have accidentally moved images in an incorrect folder, use this method to select and delete them. Open the folder that contains the photos from the Finder window.
Open the View tab and choose “As list” when the pop-up menu appears. Return to the View tab and choose “Sort by”. Click “Type” from the new menu to group all the different types of files in the window, making it easier to select all images simultaneously.
Click on the first photo in the Mac folder, and press and release the Shift key. Tap on the folder’s last photo, and all the photos in-between will be selected.
However, remember that if the photos are mixed with other file types, your MacBook will restrict you from using the Shift key. So, check the file list in the Finder window before using this image-selecting method.
Select all images using the Click & Drag method
Open the location containing the photos that you wish to move. Click the first photo and drag the mouse over the remaining ones. You will see all the photos are highlighted if done correctly. You can also use your MacBook’s trackpad to do the same.
How to select all Emails on a MacBook?
Your Apple Mail account can get out of hand if you don’t arrange them correctly. What if you need an important client mail but can’t find it in the list? Hence, you must know how to select all in MacBooks to improve your productivity.
Open the Mail app in the Dock and choose the first email from the list. Press and hold the Shift key when your Macbook highlights the email. Click the last message in the range using the trackpad or external mouse while holding the Shift button.
Release the Shift key, and all your emails will be highlighted between the first and last. You can now move them to another folder. Additionally, users can send the selected emails to “Trash” or filter them to easily find the recent ones.
Can you add or remove any email from the selected range?
Press the Command key after selecting the emails in Apple’s Mail application. Tap on the unselected email while holding this Mac key to add it to the list. Do you want to remove an email from the selected range? Press the Command key and click the accidentally selected mail to remove it from the list.
How to select all emails from the Mail app using keyboard combinations?
Open the Mail app and search for the required mail by sender name or text entry. Press the Command and A keys simultaneously to select all emails in the searched results. You can use Command-click to add or remove emails from the selection.
Can’t select all items on your MacBook? Here’s how to fix
Selecting all files, emails, or photos is pretty straightforward. However, if you need help choosing these items, ensure you use an incorrect keyboard shortcut.
Your MacBook will fail to select all the files if you press your mouse’s left button instead of the right button. Besides, a minor glitch in the software can generate this problem in the device. Install the latest macOS on the laptop to fix this issue. Contact the MacBook Repair India experts if the error persists.
