diff --git a/backend/app/routers/photos.py b/backend/app/routers/photos.py
index 9edcfb9..91f51e5 100644
--- a/backend/app/routers/photos.py
+++ b/backend/app/routers/photos.py
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ from datetime import datetime
 from pathlib import Path
 from fastapi import APIRouter, Depends, HTTPException, Query, Response
 from fastapi.responses import FileResponse
+from pydantic import BaseModel
 from sqlalchemy import select, and_, or_, func
 from sqlalchemy.ext.asyncio import AsyncSession
 import json
@@ -485,6 +486,100 @@ async def discard_photo(
 
     return {"status": "success", "message": "Photo discarded"}
 
+class MoveRequest(BaseModel):
+    photo_ids: list[str]
+    target_id: str  # folder id OR source root id
+
+
+@router.post("/move")
+async def move_photos(
+    body: MoveRequest,
+    db: AsyncSession = Depends(get_db),
+):
+    """Move photos into a target folder. The target can be either a Folder
+    id or a SourceRoot id (since the LeftSidebar only exposes source roots
+    today). The handler resolves the target to an on-disk directory, calls
+    shutil.move for each photo, and updates photo.filepath + folder_id.
+
+    Per-file failures (target name collision, missing source) are collected
+    and returned in the response so a single bad photo doesn't abort the
+    batch.
+    """
+    import shutil
+
+    # Resolve target_id → (target_dir, target_folder)
+    sr_check = await db.execute(
+        select(SourceRoot).where(SourceRoot.id == body.target_id)
+    )
+    source_root = sr_check.scalar_one_or_none()
+
+    if source_root is not None:
+        target_dir = source_root.path
+        # We need a Folder row to point photo.folder_id at. Reuse the
+        # scanner's get_or_create helper so we don't duplicate the dedupe
+        # / normalization logic.
+        from app.tasks.scan import get_or_create_folder
+        target_folder = await get_or_create_folder(db, target_dir, source_root.id)
+    else:
+        folder_check = await db.execute(
+            select(Folder).where(Folder.id == body.target_id)
+        )
+        target_folder = folder_check.scalar_one_or_none()
+        if target_folder is None:
+            raise HTTPException(status_code=404, detail="Target folder not found")
+        target_dir = target_folder.path
+
+    if not os.path.isdir(target_dir):
+        raise HTTPException(
+            status_code=400,
+            detail=f"Target directory does not exist: {target_dir}",
+        )
+
+    if not body.photo_ids:
+        return {"status": "success", "moved": 0, "errors": []}
+
+    # Fetch the photo rows
+    photos_result = await db.execute(
+        select(Photo).where(Photo.id.in_(body.photo_ids))
+    )
+    photos_to_move = photos_result.scalars().all()
+
+    moved = 0
+    errors: list[dict] = []
+
+    for photo in photos_to_move:
+        # Skip if already in the target folder.
+        if photo.folder_id == target_folder.id:
+            continue
+
+        new_path = os.path.join(target_dir, photo.filename)
+
+        if not os.path.exists(photo.filepath):
+            errors.append({"id": photo.id, "error": "source file missing"})
+            continue
+        if os.path.exists(new_path):
+            errors.append({"id": photo.id, "error": f"name already exists in target: {photo.filename}"})
+            continue
+
+        try:
+            shutil.move(photo.filepath, new_path)
+        except OSError as e:
+            errors.append({"id": photo.id, "error": str(e)})
+            continue
+
+        photo.filepath = new_path
+        photo.folder_id = target_folder.id
+        moved += 1
+
+    await db.commit()
+
+    return {
+        "status": "success",
+        "moved": moved,
+        "errors": errors,
+    }
+
+
 @router.post("/bulk")
 async def bulk_action(
     action: BulkAction,
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/layout/LeftSidebar.tsx b/frontend/src/components/layout/LeftSidebar.tsx
index 5fbc79f..ba3363c 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/layout/LeftSidebar.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/layout/LeftSidebar.tsx
@@ -58,6 +58,28 @@ export function LeftSidebar() {
       toast.error('Discard failed', e?.message || 'Unknown error'),
   })
 
+  // Bulk move mutation for the drag-onto-folder interaction.
+  const moveDropMutation = useMutation({
+    mutationFn: ({ targetId, photoIds }: { targetId: string; photoIds: string[] }) =>
+      photosApi.move(photoIds, targetId),
+    onSuccess: (data) => {
+      const moved = data?.moved ?? 0
+      const errCount = (data?.errors?.length ?? 0)
+      if (moved > 0) {
+        toast.success(
+          'Moved',
+          `${moved} photo${moved > 1 ? 's' : ''}${errCount ? ` (${errCount} skipped)` : ''}`
+        )
+      } else if (errCount > 0) {
+        toast.error('Move failed', `${errCount} file${errCount > 1 ? 's' : ''} could not be moved`)
+      }
+      queryClient.invalidateQueries({ queryKey: ['photos'] })
+      queryClient.invalidateQueries({ queryKey: ['folders'] })
+    },
+    onError: (e: any) =>
+      toast.error('Move failed', e?.response?.data?.detail || e.message || 'Unknown error'),
+  })
+
   // Reads the dragged ids out of a drop event payload.
   const readDragIds = (e: React.DragEvent): string[] | null => {
     const raw = e.dataTransfer.getData(PHOTO_DRAG_MIME)
@@ -204,12 +226,17 @@ export function LeftSidebar() {
 
   // Which tree items accept photo drops, and what each does on drop.
   const isDropTarget = (id: string): boolean => {
-    return id === 'discarded'
+    return id === 'discarded' || id.startsWith('folder-')
   }
 
   const handleDrop = (id: string, ids: string[]) => {
     if (id === 'discarded') {
       discardDropMutation.mutate(ids)
+      return
+    }
+    if (id.startsWith('folder-')) {
+      const targetId = id.slice('folder-'.length)
+      moveDropMutation.mutate({ targetId, photoIds: ids })
     }
   }
 
@@ -226,7 +253,9 @@ export function LeftSidebar() {
           className={clsx(
             'group flex cursor-pointer items-center gap-1 rounded px-2 py-1 text-sm',
             isSelected ? 'bg-primary/20 text-primary' : 'text-text hover:bg-surface-2',
-            isDropHover && 'ring-2 ring-reject bg-reject/10',
+            isDropHover && (item.id === 'discarded'
+              ? 'ring-2 ring-reject bg-reject/10'
+              : 'ring-2 ring-primary bg-primary/10'),
             depth > 0 && 'text-[13px]'
           )}
           style={{ paddingLeft: `${8 + depth * 16}px` }}
@@ -241,7 +270,7 @@ export function LeftSidebar() {
           onDragOver={acceptsDrop ? (e) => {
             if (e.dataTransfer.types.includes(PHOTO_DRAG_MIME)) {
               e.preventDefault()
-              e.dataTransfer.dropEffect = 'move'
+              e.dataTransfer.dropEffect = item.id === 'discarded' ? 'move' : 'move'
               if (dropTargetId !== item.id) setDropTargetId(item.id)
             }
           } : undefined}
diff --git a/frontend/src/services/api.ts b/frontend/src/services/api.ts
index 3c1fbe0..b534b58 100644
--- a/frontend/src/services/api.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/services/api.ts
@@ -87,6 +87,16 @@ export const photos = {
     return response.data
   },
 
+  /** Move photos into a target folder (or source root). Returns
+   *  { moved, errors[] }. */
+  move: async (photoIds: string[], targetId: string) => {
+    const response = await api.post('/photos/move', {
+      photo_ids: photoIds,
+      target_id: targetId,
+    })
+    return response.data as { status: string; moved: number; errors: Array<{ id: string; error: string }> }
+  },
+
   getThumbnailUrl: (photoId: string, size: 'small' | 'medium' | 'large' = 'medium') => {
     return `${API_BASE_URL}/photos/${photoId}/thumb/${size}`
   },