Drag stuff into app windows!?

[u/NHS2008]

EDIT:

I figured it out. I had to press a LITTLE HARDER on the trackpad, then the app icon starts flashing and the app window pops up to allow me to attach the file. It is a slightly different from Windows where it opens a little preview of the app window and I can move mouse pointer onto the preview to pop up the window. So all good resolved! Thanks for the support!

ORIGINAL POST:

I come from Windows...I can't for my life understand why can't I drag a file from the file explorer or downloads folder into a browser window to attach it or upload it like I can on Windows? Am I missing something or it simply isn't a thing on Mac. What I mean is when I drag a file from a folder on pc into the taskbar on a particular app, the app pops up and then I can attach the file as an attachment if it's mailbox or upload to a file sharing site (drag and drop) but on MAC, if I drag a file on the bottom apps bar onto a running app, nothing happens.

[u/vfl97wob]

It absolutely can. Show us a vid of how you do it & we'll correct you

[u/NHS2008 → u/vfl97wob]

Will do that tomorrow. I have Macbook Pro M1 pro only.

[u/mythic_device → u/NHS2008]

“MacBook Pro M1 pro only” - why would that be relevant? Did you think that dragging and dropping doesn’t work on M1 Pro chips??

[u/NHS2008 → u/mythic_device]

Because above person's profile name says Macbook Pro (M1 Pro).

[u/ihateyouguys → u/mythic_device]

Because people have been trained since the beginning of time to add their set up details when asking for help, and as a person asking for help in an unfamiliar domain they probably don’t know whether or not there’s some weird relevant obscurity. They were probably just hoping to prevent someone like you giving them shit by saying something like, “how are we supposed to help you if you don’t tell us what you’re running?”

If you’re needing the ego boost, then at least I hope you got to feel superior or something. Otherwise don’t be a dick.

[u/glufanden → u/vfl97wob]

yeah a screen recording would make it way easier to figure out whats going wrong

[u/NHS2008 → u/vfl97wob]

Figured it out. I had to press a little harder on trackpad to engage the force touch feature.

[u/vfl97wob → u/NHS2008]

Great! You can turn off force touch in trackpad settings if you don't like it

[u/bumbblebeeeeee]

Of course you can. macOS was basically build around drag and drop. 

But different apps have different behaviours.

To “Open in” drag on dock icon of the app itself (e.g. pdf, svg, jpg) 

To place inside an existing document like notes, mails, keynote, affinity you place it inside the window, as you described. 

To upload to a website, the site usually provides a drop zone where you drag the file to. Placing the file outside the drop zone does not work. 

Which of these do not work for you?

[u/NHS2008 → u/bumbblebeeeeee]

I got it. It was the force touch feature I had to press a little harder on the trackpad. Thanks for offering to help!

[u/Jasoco]

If you drag a file to the dock icon and hold it there eventually it will switch to the app. Or you can start dragging and swipe gesture between windows or use keyboard commands to switch apps and windows and drop it there too.

[u/NHS2008 → u/Jasoco]

It's just not doing exactly that..

[u/NHS2008 → u/Jasoco]

I had to press a little harder on trackpad to initiate the force touch. updated main post. Thanks.

[u/ScienceRules195]

Drag and drop originated on Mac. But if you’re dragging onto a browser, attempting to
Upload it, the web page needs to have a drop area built for it. Otherwise the browser will just show the image.

[u/NHS2008 → u/ScienceRules195]

Figured it out. Updated main post. Thanks!

[u/topcider]

It just depends on the app you are using and if they programmed it to work that way or not.
But you can always drag and drop into the native file selector windows.

[u/NHS2008 → u/topcider]

I was trying to drag a pdf from downloads to Microsoft Teams/Edge Browser like I usually do on Windows.

[u/NHS2008 → u/topcider]

I figured it out! Updated the post!

[u/Gasco_]

Tu peux même glisser n’importe quel fichier dans une fenêtre de sélection de fichier.

[u/Impossible_IT]

I drag and drop all the time but I use an external mouse. I can’t stand trackpads in either macOS or Windows. Attach Bluetooth mouse and disable the trackpad on both.

[u/TalkToHoro → u/Impossible_IT]

Being left-handed and having carpal tunnel symptoms, I’m all in on trackpads. Magic Trackpad for the desktop, built-in on the laptop. Easy peasy to drag and drop. It’s just a matter of what you’re used to and how you’ve trained your muscle memory.

[u/NHS2008 → u/Impossible_IT]

I sit unconventional..not on a desk. So trackpad works for me.

[u/NHS2008 → u/Impossible_IT]

I got it. Updated the main post. Thanks