In previous versions of macOS, the Quick Look feature lets you view photos and files without having to open them in an app. In macOS Mojave, Apple has also introduced some convenient new editing tools to Quick Look, allowing you to perform actions specific to the kind of file you're viewing. Let's take a look at how it all fits together.

mojave quick look file edits

How Quick Look Works

For those unfamiliar with Quick Look, the feature can be used for items on the Desktop, in Finder windows, in emails, in messages, and other places. It supports numerous file types, including HTML, PDF, Plain text, RTF, iWork, MS Office, RAW, JPEGs, and QuickTime formats. To activate it, simply select one or more items, then press the Spacebar or force-click using your Mac's trackpad.

In the top left of the Quick Look window you'll find the Maximize button next to the Close button. (You can also manually enlarge the window by dragging the corners.) Open with [App] and Share buttons are located in the top-right corner of the Quick Look window, along with a Rotate Left button if you're working with images or video.

mojave quick look 1
As before, if you select multiple items, you'll see arrow buttons to navigate through them, as well as a Sheet View button to see the items in an index sheet view. If you opened a document such as a PDF, you'll see a column of thumbnails along the side of the window for quickly navigating through the pages.

What's New in Quick Look

New to Quick Look in Mojave is the ability to access Markup tools. Simply click the Markup button to reveal the toolset.

mojave quick look markup button e1531128163973
Quick Look lets you draw on and annotate images or PDF documents using arrows, shapes, and text. You can also use Markup to quickly sign a document with your digital signature. Click Done, and your changes are automatically saved.

mojave quick look file edits1
If you're viewing a video file in Quick Look, you'll see a new Trim button that allows you to trim the clip without having to open QuickTime.

mojave quick look trim clip button e1531128093109
Clicking the Trim button reveals the scrubbing and edit ribbon along the bottom of the clip. You can click anywhere in the ribbon to jump to another point in the video, and drag the edges of the yellow frame to trim the clip to the desired length.

mojave quick look file edits6
Again, simply click Done when you're finished and your changes are automatically saved.

Related Forum: macOS Mojave

Top Rated Comments

Detektiv-Pinky Avatar
99 months ago
What about directly copying text from a document via Quicklook?
This was one of my favourite hidden feature in previous versions, until Apple took it away.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ppdix Avatar
99 months ago
I use quicklook all the time. It's great but still can't look at contents of a folder. Back in 2009 there was quick look x-ray that showed some of the documents in a folder. U had to manually enable it in terminal but it was useful.
The new stacks are cool and u can scrub thru documents but not folders. I wish the scrubbing function would work for folders or at least show you an icon view of the folder's contents.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jonnysods Avatar
99 months ago
Mojave is looking tight!
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JosephAW Avatar
99 months ago
Does quick look in Mojave now clear it's thumbnail cache on a schedule? Especially from an encrypted volume?

https://www.macrumors.com/2018/06/18/macos-quick-look-encrypted-data-bug/
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jimthing Avatar
96 months ago
Quicklook does works seamlessly for most filetypes as Apple delivers QL plugins for the most common filetypes. However, that doesn't mean that if Apple didn't deliver a QL plugin for a filetype that you're stuck -- because Apple also made it easy to add your own QL plugins.

The following web site gives pointers to QL plugins for a number of filetypes that Apple doesn't deliver -- In particular Quicklook Video which adds support for .asf, .avi, .flv, .mkv, .rm, .webm & .wmf
http://www.quicklookplugins.com/
[doublepost=1537910576][/doublepost]
What gives? Instead of complaining that Apple hasn't covered your corner case, why not spend a few seconds looking for "quick look plugins"? Naaaah, too much effort...
Looks like a complete fail. Hence why I originally moaned about the lack of format support, as I likely checked it out previously, and gave up.

The video one, titled "Quicklook Video", is actually useless, and is from ages ago, "Oct 2014":
https://www.quicklookplugins.com/2014/10/27/quicklook-video / https://github.com/Marginal/QLVideo

Says "allows macOS Finder to display thumbnails, static QuickLook previews, cover art and metadata for most types of video files."
So basically it doesn't PLAY any video, but instead shows still image shot(s) of a video. Thus making it pretty useless as a so-called video playback QT plugin! Read the comments underneath, with people thinking it would, only to find out it doesn't.

My limited understanding here, is that in the latest few versions of macOS, make it not possible to get most things to function in QT, as there are not the API hooks available anymore in order to do so, &/or things like Perian are not able to work either. Making the idea of most of these apparent QT plugins largely legacy only.

Please correct me if I'm wrong.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
OlliFlamme Avatar
99 months ago
Quicklook is the future: seamless experience without calling in separate apps - one pudding of an OS that is no app and all apps at the same time :D
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

imac video apple feature

Apple Unveils First New Products of 2026

Monday January 26, 2026 1:55 pm PST by
Apple today introduced its first two physical products of 2026: a second-generation AirTag and the Black Unity Connection Braided Solo Loop for the Apple Watch. Read our coverage of each announcement to learn more:Apple Unveils New AirTag With Longer Range, Louder Speaker, and More Apple Introduces New Black Unity Apple Watch BandBoth the new AirTag and the Black Unity Connection Braided...
Second Generation AirTag Feature

Apple Unveils New AirTag With Longer Range, Louder Speaker, and More

Monday January 26, 2026 6:07 am PST by
Apple today introduced the second-generation AirTag, with key features including longer range for tracking items and a louder speaker. For those who are not familiar, the AirTag is a small accessory that you can attach to your backpack, keys, or other items. Then, you can track the location of those items in the Find My app on the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and iCloud.com. The new...
iPhone 5s

iPhone 5s Gets New Software Update 13 Years After Launch

Monday January 26, 2026 3:56 pm PST by
Alongside iOS 26.2.1, Apple today released an updated version of iOS 12 for devices that are still running that operating system update, eight years after the software was first released. iOS 12.5.8 is available for the iPhone 5s and the iPhone 6, meaning Apple is continuing to support these devices for 13 and 12 years after launch, respectively. The iPhone 5s came out in September 2013,...
M5 MacBook Pro

Apple Reportedly Aiming to Upgrade the MacBook Pro Twice This Year

Sunday January 25, 2026 11:46 am PST by
Apple plans to release new MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, Mac Studio, and Studio Display models in the first half of this year, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In his Power On newsletter today, Gurman added that redesigned MacBook Pro models with an OLED touch screen "should be hitting toward the end of 2026," meaning that the MacBook Pro line would be upgraded twice this year. First up...
Apple Logo Spotlight

Apple to Launch These 20+ Products This Year

Sunday January 25, 2026 6:02 pm PST by
2026 promises to be yet another busy year for Apple, with the company rumored to be planning more than 20 product announcements over the coming months. Beyond the usual updates to iPhones, iPads, Macs, and Apple Watches, Apple is expected to release its all-new smart home hub, which was reportedly delayed until the more personalized version of Siri is ready. Other unique products rumored for ...