So... when the hits include six identically-named files, you can't eliminate ones that you know are wrong (on a backup volume or whatever). The level of stupidity here is just mind-boggling.
I also just tried it in Spotlight and Finder, and it did nothing. Which I consider a relief, because undiscoverable bullshit is worse than the feature not existing.
Special mention to all text input fields in macOS having Emacs-style shortcuts.
https://support.apple.com/en-gb/guide/mac-help/mchlp1008/mac
I agree that discoverability could be better, but macOS has pretty consistently had hidden power user shortcuts and modifiers, to keep the basic workflow streamlined/simple for those who don't need it.
And I don't buy the "keeping things simple" excuse for secret hotkeys in other areas. Falling back on gimmicks like undisplayed hotkeys and "long presses" and "gestures" is lazy abandonment of the design task.
I hate this "saving the user from complexity" lie. It's hypocritical: The "non-power" user isn't going to go looking for these options in the first place.
Finder search is a great example. A "non-power" user isn't going to right-click on the column headings in the results and try to add "path" as a column. So how does it help that user to deny everyone else the ability to add it?
Apple mocked IBM for needing a thick user manual back in the day. To suggest that anyone (especially anyone on this site) should have to read documentation to use perform a basic file search (in a GUI, no less) is apologism to the extreme.
I guess you do know the path is shown at the bottom of the window if you select the filename in the list of results?
It also doesn't allow you to sort results by location, as you could if it were a column.
Absurd.
To select, just press on the item.
To hover, press and hold for at least 2 seconds.
To get a list of options, press and hold for at least 2.5 seconds, but not more than 3.5 seconds.
To delete, press and hold for 3.6 seconds, but not longer than 3.9 seconds.
To save, press and hold for 4.1 seconds. Pressing and holding for exactly 4.0 seconds activates the archive action. Pressing and holding for 4.2 or more seconds sends the item to the blocked list.
To retrieve the list of items in the blocked list, press and hold and simultaneously press the volume up and volume down key.
To delete all items in the block list, press and hold and simultaneously press the volume up key only.
To completely reset your device, press and hold and simultaneously press the volume down key only, whilst holding the device in a completely vertical plane, and rotating clock-wise and counter-clockwise, smoothly, at precise 2.35619 radians every 30 seconds.
To trigger the emergency call feature, drop the device at an acceleration of no less than 9.6m/s and no more than 9.7m/s
/s (kind of)
The whole point is that secret hotkeys are design dereliction.
That’s a bit of a problem when discussing problems of normal users with power users, because they don’t even realise how what they’re doing is actually not what normies do.
I’m inclined to agree that hotkeys in MacOS are hard to discover, but cluttering the interface with stuff many users simply do not need cannot be the correct answer.