Ledge

Move a file between apps without losing it.

Guides for handing files off on the Mac. Each one solves the problem first; Ledge is mentioned where it helps.

The notch gesture

What the notch on a MacBook is actually for6 minHow to use the MacBook notch instead of ignoring it6 minDrag and drop on a Mac without holding the file the whole way6 minWhy dragging a file across Mac windows keeps failing6 minA place to park a file for a second on the Mac6 minHow to move a file between two apps that never overlap6 minThe spring-loaded folders trick, and a simpler way6 minHow to drop a file when the target window is buried6 minA shelf for files at the top of your Mac screen6 minHow to collect several files before you send them6 minDragging a file to an app that is not open yet6 minWhy drag and drop loses the file at the last second6 minHow to hand a screenshot straight to another app6 minPicking up a file now and deciding where it goes later6 minHow to gather files from different folders in one spot6 minThe fastest way to move one file between two apps6 minWhat to do when a drag has nowhere to land6 minHow to drag a file to the top of the screen on a Mac6 min

Routing files to apps

How to send a file to the right app every time6 minTurn a file into a link, a path, or an upload on demand6 minHow to drop a screenshot into a terminal as a path6 minUploading a file to Slack without opening Finder6 minHow to attach a file to an email in one drag6 minDropping a file into a chat app the right way6 minHow to give a terminal a file path instead of the file6 minSending an image to a design app quickly on a Mac7 minHow to open a file in a specific app by dragging6 minRouting the same file to different apps differently6 minHow to move a file into a folder without a Finder window6 minDropping a file onto a Dock icon, and a better way6 minHow to hand a PDF to the app that should get it6 minGetting a file into a web upload field fast6 minHow to send a file to VS Code from anywhere6 minMoving a photo out of Photos into another app on a Mac6 minHow to drop a file into a note without losing it6 minSending a file to two apps at once on a Mac6 minHow to route a download to the right app immediately6 minHanding a file to an app by name on the Mac6 min

The menu bar and shortcuts

How to open a menu bar app with a keyboard shortcut6 minUsing an Option-Space shortcut on a Mac6 minHow to add a global shortcut without extra permissions7 minWhat macOS Input Monitoring permission is for6 minHow to reach a file shelf from the keyboard6 minMenu bar apps that do not need a Dock icon6 minHow to click the notch to open something on a Mac6 minA keyboard shortcut to show and hide a Mac panel6 minHow to make a menu bar tool appear instantly6 minWhy some Mac apps live in the menu bar, not the Dock6 minHow to toggle a Mac window with one shortcut6 minSetting up a hotkey that opens a shelf on the Mac6 minHow to keep an app one keystroke away on a Mac6 minMenu bar clutter, and how to keep it in check6 minHow to open a panel at the top center of the screen6 minReaching your most-used apps from the menu bar6 min

Formats, paths and paste

How to copy a file's path on a Mac6 minPaste a file path into a terminal the easy way6 minHow to turn a file into a link you can paste6 minCopying a file as a path versus as the file itself6 minHow to paste an image instead of a file on a Mac6 minWhat the pasteboard holds when you copy a file6 minHow to give each app the format it expects6 minPaths with spaces in the terminal, and how to avoid trouble6 minHow to paste a file into a text field on a Mac6 minCopying a file reference versus copying its contents6 minHow to convert a dropped file into plain text6 minWhen an app wants a URL, not a file6 minHow to keep a screenshot as an image through a paste6 minFile paths on a Mac, explained simply7 minHow to paste the same file three different ways7 minGetting a webloc link out of a dragged file6 min

Everyday workflows

A faster way to send the same file to a few people6 minHow to move files between two Macs' apps in a flow7 minCollecting research files before you write6 minA workflow for handing off design assets on a Mac6 minHow to stage screenshots before posting them6 minMoving invoices from Downloads to the right place6 minA tidy way to process a batch of downloads6 minHow to keep a working set of files in reach6 minHanding files between a browser and a chat app6 minA workflow for uploading files without the Finder dance6 minHow to move a file from email to a project folder6 minStaging a file while you decide what to do with it6 minA quicker handoff from screenshot to Slack6 minHow to move a file into a git repo folder fast6 minBatching files for a single upload on a Mac6 minA calmer way to move files during a busy day6 min

Privacy and the Mac

Do file utilities on a Mac see your files?6 minHow to move files without any app touching the cloud6 minMac apps that work entirely offline, and why it matters6 minWhat no account, no cloud really means for an app6 minHow to check whether a Mac app phones home7 minKeeping file handling on your Mac and off the network6 minWhy a menu bar app should not need the internet6 minHow macOS sandboxing protects your files6 minWhat permissions a file shelf app should never ask for6 minHow to tell if a Mac app is notarized by Apple6 minLocal-only file tools for privacy on the Mac6 minWhy files should never leave your Mac just to move them6 minHow to vet a Mac utility before installing it6 minKeeping sensitive files off third-party servers6 min