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I often need to rename longer filenames in Finder. I used to do Shift + Command + ←/→ to select text from cursor to the start/end of the field.

But in macOS Mojave, suddenly this combination started to switch to previous/next Finder tab - so when I use the shortcut, file name editing is cancelled and I get switched to a new tab.

This doesn't happen in macOS High Sierra, and it's described in Apple's support document, Mac keyboard shortcuts as:

  • Shift–Command–Left Arrow: Select the text between the insertion point and the beginning of the current line.

  • Shift–Command–Right Arrow: Select the text between the insertion point and the end of the current line.

Is this a bug? Is there a known workaround?

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3 Answers 3

Reset to default
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If you set your own shortcut for moving between tabs of a window, the Shift-Command-Arrow combinations will work as before.

To set your own shortcut:

  • Open System Preferences -> Keyboard -> Shortcuts
  • Select App Shortcuts at the bottom.
  • Click the + button to add a shortcut.
  • Make sure that "All Applications" is selected
  • Type in the exact names of the commands, on an English system they would be 'Show Previous Tab' and 'Show Next Tab'. Check this in the Window Menu in Finder if you're not sure.
  • Add your preferred shortcut to switch between tabs in either direction

enter image description here

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    Thanks, this sounds great, but I can put there anything except for cmd+tab / cmd+shift+tab which I want :/
    – Tomáš Kafka
    Commented Nov 17, 2018 at 23:35
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The vast majority of textboxes on macOS (including those in third-party apps) support Emacs keybindings for moving around text. These use the Ctrl key instead of Command and are thus less likely to be remapped randomly by OS changes.

In your specific case, you can use Ctrl+Shift+A and Ctrl+Shift+E to select text from the cursor to the start or end of the line respectively. These shortcuts can be entered entirely with your left hand, which might even speed you up a little.

Other useful shortcuts: Ctrl+A and Ctrl+E move the cursor to the start or end of the line respectively, while Ctrl+K deletes the text from the cursor to the end of the line. Full lists of shortcuts are posted in various spots on the web; you can check this site for example.

Also, if you're finding yourself renaming files often in Finder, consider using the multi-file renaming tool built into the Finder. Simply select multiple files, right-click (or ctrl-click/two-finger click) on them and select "Rename N Items...". This pops up a dialog box that lets you do some simple rename transformations (adding text, replacing text, or formatting names sequentially).

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  • See /System/Library/Frameworks/AppKit.framework/Resources/StandardKeyBinding.dict for a complete listing of builtin emacs keybindings. Use DefaultKeyBinding.dict to bind keys to any method on your responder chain.
    – hym3242
    Commented Jul 4 at 16:38
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Changing the shortcut in system prefs did the trick for me.

Just changed the command to: command + shift + ↑ or ↓, which I never use in finder so I made the choice specific to finder.

Might need to open it up to all apps depending how in app save windows behave

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