Using Quick Actions in the Finder on macOS Tahoe
Quick Actions are a set of context-sensitive commands available directly from the Finder's right-click (or Control-click) menu. They allow you to perform common tasks on files without opening them in a separate application.
Accessing Quick Actions
- Select a file or folder in Finder.
- Right-click (or Control-click) on the selected item(s).
- Look for the Quick Actions section in the context menu.
Default Quick Actions
macOS provides several built-in Quick Actions:
- Compress: Creates a ZIP archive of the selected items.
- Convert Image: Changes the format, size, or quality of an image (JPEG, PNG, HEIF).
- Markup: Opens a lightweight editor for annotating images and PDFs (same as Quick Look's Markup feature).
- Rotate Left/Right: Rotates images.
- Create PDF: Creates a PDF from selected images or text files.
- Trim Video: Shortens a video clip.
The exact Quick Actions available depend on the type of file you select.
Customizing Quick Actions
You can add, remove, and customize Quick Actions using Automator or Shortcuts.
Automator
- Open Automator (in the Applications folder).
- Choose Quick Action as the document type.
- At the top, set "Workflow receives current" to "files or folders in Finder".
- Add actions from the library (e.g., "Copy Finder Items", "Rename Finder Items").
- Save the workflow. It will now appear in the Quick Actions menu.
Shortcuts
Shortcuts can also be used as Quick Actions:
- Open the Shortcuts app.
- Create or edit a shortcut.
- In the Shortcut Details (click the "i" icon), check the box for "Use as Quick Action".
- Select which file types the Quick Action should apply to (Images, PDFs, etc.).
Related Guides
- Workflow Automation with Shortcuts and Automator on macOS Tahoe
- Compressing and Extracting Files with Archive Utility on macOS Tahoe
- Quick Look: Previewing Files Instantly on macOS Tahoe