Hyoi is a lightweight macOS utility that automatically shows a floating shelf when you drag files. Drop files, images, or text temporarily, then drag them anywhere. Perfect for multi-step file operations without cluttering your desktop.
Hey Product Hunt! 👋
I built Hyoi to solve a simple but annoying problem: moving files between apps on macOS.
I often found myself dragging a file, realizing I needed to open another app first, then having to start over. I wanted a "temporary pocket" that appears exactly when I need it.
The name "Hyoi" (ひょい) is a Japanese onomatopoeia for effortlessly picking something up - which is exactly what this app lets you do.
Technical notes:
- Built with Swift & SwiftUI
- Uses Input Monitoring to detect file drags (not text selection)
- No network access - everything stays local
This feels like one of those utilities you forget about until it’s gone. Small idea, but very practical if you move files between apps a lot during the day
How do you handle multiple file types or large batches on the shelf? Are there limits to what the shelf can hold and how do you make sure it doesn’t interfere with other drag-and-drop workflows?
Omg It's so great!
When i moved an file from finder to code editor, It was hard to drag and drop.
Now it's so easy! Thank you very much!!
The 'temporary' storage idea is perfect for those quick multi-step tasks. I’m mainly wondering if there's a preview feature so I can see which image is which on the shelf, and if it supports keyboard shortcuts to quickly bring the shelf back if I accidentally close it.
I love that it's a lightweight utility because I hate apps that hog my Mac's memory. I wonder if it’s easy to clear the shelf once I'm done, and if it supports dragging text snippets from a browser just as smoothly as it handles images and files.
Having a floating shelf that only appears when I'm dragging something sounds like such a clever way to keep the desktop clean! I’m really curious if it supports dropping multiple files at once, and if it can hold them even after I switch between different full-screen spaces.
I love this concept! One thing is if the list gets too long, will there be a bulk edit to remove/search the files?
The "appears when you need it, vanishes when you don't" pattern is such good UX — invisible until the moment it's useful. Love the name origin too. These small Mac utilities that just solve one thing beautifully are my favorite kind of software
Interesting direction. Tools tend to succeed or fail based on how clearly they fit into someone’s existing workflow.
does the shelf disappear automatically once the file is moved out, or do you have to manually clear it?
@yu_kikimura Hi, seems really useful, I saw similar ones built into phones. Is this utility collapsible? Can it hold pure text too?
