How to Add & Remove Quick Actions on Mac

Aug 17, 2021 - Leave a Comment

How to Add & Remove Quick Actions on Mac

Do you use Quick Actions to perform certain tasks on your Mac with just a simple click? If so, do you want to add more Quick Actions? Or, perhaps you want to delete a custom quick action that you created? Adding and removing Quick Actions is pretty easy to do on a Mac.

For people who aren’t aware, or are new to the macOS ecosystem, Quick Actions is a feature that helps users carry out various automated tasks like image rotation, markup, creating PDF, etc. In addition to the default set of Quick Actions that are already available on the Mac, users are free to create their own custom Quick Action workflows using the Automator app. That being said, not all Quick Actions are enabled by default. And sometimes, you may want to remove a Quick Action that you no longer use. Let’s take a look at how you can add and remove Quick Actions.

How to Add & Remove Quick Actions on Mac

Depending on whether you want to just enable/disable a Quick Action, or permanently remove it from your system, the steps you need to follow may slightly vary. So, without further ado, let’s get started.

  1. Head over to “System Preferences” on your Mac from the Dock.

    How to Add & Remove Quick Actions on Mac
  2. This will open a new window. Click on “Extensions” to proceed.

    How to Add & Remove Quick Actions on Mac
  3. Next, choose “Finder” from the left pane as shown in the screenshot below. You’ll now be able to add or disable Quick Actions on your Mac by checking or unchecking the boxes. Keep in mind that you’ll need to use the Automator app to add a new custom Quick Action.

    How to Add & Remove Quick Actions on Mac

This System Preference section allows you to easily toggle on and off Quick Actions, adding and removing them as needed.

How to Permanently Remove a Quick Action on Mac

Want to get rid of a Quick Action you no longer intend to use at all, and don’t want it showing up in System Preferences either? Here’s how:

  1. However, the steps differ if you want to permanently remove a custom Quick Action that you no longer use. Click on “Go” from the menu bar, and then keep holding the OPTION key to view the Library option in the dropdown menu. Choose “Library” to access the folder in Finder.

    How to Add & Remove Quick Actions on Mac
  2. Now, click on the “Services” folder as indicated here.

    How to Add & Remove Quick Actions on Mac
  3. In this folder, you’ll find the custom Quick Action that you created before. Right-click or Control-click on the file and choose “Move to Trash”. You can empty the trash after this if you want to permanently remove it from your system.

    How to Add & Remove Quick Actions on Mac

There you go. You’ve successfully learned how to add and remove Quick Actions on Mac.

You’ll notice that the Quick Actions that you just disabled or deleted are no longer visible when you right-click on a file. Once deleted, you’ll have to create the custom Quick Action from scratch using the Automator app. Therefore, it’s better if you just disable it in Extensions.

If you’re not sure how you can add your own workflows to the Mac, you may want to go through the step-by-step instructions on how you can create a custom Quick Action workflow in macOS. You can start with something simple like an image resizer Quick Action before moving on to complicated ones that require a lot of time and patience.

All in all, Quick Actions are super convenient to use, whether accessing from the Finder or from the Touch Bar on Macs equipped with those, since you can also add Quick Actions to the Touch Bar for easy workflow access.

What do you think of the Mac Quick Actions feature? Which Quick Action do you use the most? How many Quick Actions have you created so far? Let us know your tips, thoughts, experiences, and comments!

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Posted by: Hamlin Rozario in Mac OS, Tips & Tricks

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