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
74 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
74 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
74 months ago
Mojave is looking tight!
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JosephAW Avatar
74 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
71 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
74 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

iPhone 16 Camera Lozenge 2 Perspective Gray

Five Key Upgrades Coming to iPhone 16

Friday March 15, 2024 1:45 pm PDT by
The iPhone is Apple's top-selling product, and it gets an update every year. In 2024, we're expecting the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro lineup, with an arguably more interesting feature set than we got with the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Capture Button All four iPhone 16 models are set to get a whole new button, which will be...
iphone se 4 modified flag edges

iPhone SE 4 Expected to Depreciate Heavily

Tuesday March 12, 2024 9:04 am PDT by
Resale value trends suggest the iPhone SE 4 may not hold its value as well as Apple's flagship models, according to SellCell. According to the report, Apple's iPhone SE models have historically depreciated much more rapidly than the company's more premium offerings. The third-generation iPhone SE, which launched in March 2022, experienced a significant drop in resale value, losing 42.6%...
apple wallet drivers license feature

Apple Said iPhone Driver's Licenses Would Expand to These 8 U.S. States… Two Years Ago

Thursday March 14, 2024 7:33 am PDT by
In just four U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or ID to the Apple Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age at select airports, businesses, and venues. Adoption of the feature has been slow since Apple first announced it in September 2021, with IDs in the Wallet app only available in Arizona,...
airpods 3 orange

Two New AirPods 4 Models Expected to Launch in September or October

Sunday March 17, 2024 7:56 am PDT by
Apple suppliers will begin production of two new fourth-generation AirPods models in May, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Based on this production timeframe, he expects the headphones to be released in September or October. Gurman expects both fourth-generation AirPods models to feature a new design with better fit, improved sound quality, and an updated charging case with a USB-C...
When To Expect New iPads Feature 1

Apple to Announce New iPads on March 26, Rumors Claim

Monday March 18, 2024 4:02 am PDT by
Apple is widely expected to release new iPad Air and OLED iPad Pro models in the next few weeks. According to new rumors coming out of Asia, the company will announce its new iPads on Tuesday, March 26. Chinese leaker Instant Digital on Weibo this morning 日发布%23">claimed that the date will see some sort of announcement from Apple related to new iPads, but stopped short of calling it an...
OLED iPad Air

iPad Air Next on Apple's OLED Tablet Roadmap Following iPad Pro

Friday March 15, 2024 3:30 am PDT by
The iPad Air will be the next Apple tablet to adopt OLED display panel technology following its upcoming OLED iPad Pro models, according to an updated forecast from research firm Omdia (via The Elec). "In 2028, we expect the iPad Air to go OLED as well, with the iPad Air using single-stack and the iPad Pro using two-stack tandem OLEDs," said Omdia researcher Kang Min-soo, speaking on...
Walmart MacBook Air M1

Walmart Begins Selling MacBook Air With M1 Chip for $699 in U.S.

Friday March 15, 2024 6:57 am PDT by
Walmart today announced that it has started selling the MacBook Air with the M1 chip in the U.S., with pricing set at a very reasonable $699. The laptop can be ordered now on Walmart.com, and it will be available soon at select Walmart stores. This is the first time that customers can purchase a Mac that is sold directly by Walmart, the company said in a press release. Some other retailers...