How to Cut and Paste Files on Mac

With Command X

Open Command X, and give it the access that it asks for in “Device Control and Data Access”. It needs this access to change what the keys do in Finder.
Select the files or folders in Finder, and press Command+X.
Open the folder to move them to, and press Command+V. The files move.

Command X makes Finder copy when you press Command+X and move when you press Command+V, so Finder itself moves the files. Nothing happens to the files until you paste.

Open the folder before you paste. Like with copy and paste, a selected folder does not get the files.
Only the keys work, not the “Paste” command in the menu.
Command X cannot cut text when you rename a file or type in the search field of Finder. Supercharge has the same feature without this limitation.

Files selected in Finder, with the steps to cut and paste them

Get Command X

Cut and paste files in Finder

$4, one-time purchase

Platform: macOS
Requires: macOS 26 or later
Category: Utilities
Released: April 2023
Privacy: No personal data collected
Developer: Sindre Sorhus

More about Command X →

Without an app

Finder can move files with a copy and a “Move Item Here”:

Select the files or folders in Finder, and press Command+C.
Open the folder to move them to.
Press Option+Command+V. Or open the Edit menu, hold Option, and choose “Move Item Here”, which replaces “Paste Item”.

You can also drag the files to the other folder. On the same disk, Finder moves them. To another disk, Finder copies them, so hold Command while you drag to move them.

The built-in way works well when you remember Option+Command+V. Command X is for when your fingers expect Command+X, like when you also use Windows or Linux.