Getting Started with Space Drop

Space Drop is a macOS utility that simplifies drag-and-drop file management. It creates a floating shelf that appears when you begin dragging a file. You can drop files onto the shelf to hold them temporarily, then drag them out to their final destination whenever you are ready. This is especially useful when you need to move files between apps or folders that are not visible at the same time.

Launching the App

Space Drop runs as a menu bar app. When you first launch it, a small icon appears in your Mac's menu bar, and a welcome dialog provides a brief overview of the app.

To get started, right-click the menu bar icon and select a window position for the Space Drop shelf. This determines where the floating shelf appears on your screen when you begin dragging a file. By default, the shelf appears at the left edge of your screen, centred vertically.

How to Use Space Drop

The basic workflow is straightforward:

1. Start dragging a file -- As soon as you begin dragging, the Space Drop shelf slides into view at your chosen screen position.
2. Drop the file onto the shelf -- Release the file over the shelf to park it there temporarily. You can add multiple files from different locations.
3. Drag files off the shelf -- When you are ready, drag one or more files from the shelf and drop them into any app, folder, or location on your Mac.

This two-step process makes it easy to collect files from multiple sources before placing them at a single destination, eliminating the need to arrange windows side by side.

Drag Mode

Space Drop offers two drag modes:

• Copy files -- When you drag a file out of the shelf to a new location, a copy of the file is created at the destination. The original file remains in its original location.
• Move files -- When you drag a file out of the shelf, it is moved to the new location. The original file is removed from its previous location.

Note: Files will always be copied (not moved) when transferring between different storage drives. This is a macOS system behaviour that Space Drop cannot override.

Tips for Getting Started

• Use Space Drop to collect files from multiple Finder windows or apps before dragging them all to a single destination at once.
• Assign a keyboard shortcut to the shelf so you can summon it on demand without needing to start a drag first.
• Use the Copy drag mode if you want to keep original files in place, or switch to Move mode for a true file relocation workflow.