macOS and Windows are different, yet important actions like right-clicking, which opens shortcuts or contextual menus, are necessary on both.
If you have just switched to a Mac from Windows PC, you may be wondering ‘how do you right-click on a mac‘ (also called Control-click and Secondary click) as there aren’t two keys on the trackpad or the Magic Mouse.
Well, it is pretty straightforward! Let me show you 5 ways to right-click on a Mac computer or notebook.
- How to right-click using the Mac trackpad
I. Use two fingers on a trackpad
II. Click in the bottom right corner
III. Click in the bottom left corner
IV. Use two fingers and a thumb - Press control key on keyboard to right-click
- Right-click using Apple’s Magic Mouse
- Right-click on Mac with any regular mouse
- How to enable right-click on Mac using Accessibility options
1. How to right-click using the Mac trackpad
The steps below apply to the built-in trackpad on MacBook and the external Apple trackpad used with any Mac desktop or notebook.
I. Use two fingers on a trackpad
This is the easiest and the quickest way to right-click on a Mac. All you have to do is tap once with two fingers on the trackpad. To enable this:
- Open System Preferences by clicking the Apple logo at the top left.
- Click Trackpad.
- Ensure you are in Point & Click tab.
- Check the box for Secondary click and select Click or tap with two fingers.
II. Click in the bottom right corner
If you prefer to use a single finger for right-click, macOS lets you do that as well. For this, follow the same steps mentioned above, and in step 4, choose ‘Click in bottom right corner.’
Now, you can click (not tap) the bottom right of the trackpad, and it will register as a right-click.
III. Click in the bottom left corner
The objective behind this is similar to what is mentioned above. But if you are left-handed, you can enable this option following the steps above. After that, a right-click can be registered by clicking with one finger in the Apple trackpad’s bottom left.
IV. Use two fingers and a thumb
This is just a slightly modified version of ‘single tap with two fingers.’ It lets you right-click with your thumb when two fingers are touching the trackpad.
For example, keep two fingers on the trackpad (like while you are scrolling). Now, use the thumb to click the trackpad.
2. Press control key on keyboard to right-click
If you rely more on the keyboard, this is a pretty neat and quick way to right-click on a Mac.
Press the control key and single click using the trackpad or mouse. This will register as a right-click.
3. Right-click using Apple’s Magic Mouse
Apple’s mouse (called Magic Mouse) has a sensitive touchpad. This can be used to right-click effortlessly by tapping on the top right of the mouse surface. You can further customize it following the steps below.
- Open Mac’s System Preferences.
- Click Mouse.
- Go to the Point & Click tab and ensure ‘Secondary click‘ is checked.
- Now, if you prefer, select ‘Click on left side.’
4. Right-click on Mac with any regular mouse
If you connect a third-party mouse with your Mac, it works the same way as on a Windows machine. macOS smartly recognizes that you are using a mouse with two (or more) buttons. And it automatically maps them accordingly.
In short, just click the right mouse button to register a right-click on Mac while using any compatible non-Apple mouse.
5. How to enable right-click on Mac using Accessibility options
You can enable Mac’s Accessibility option and use it for right-click. For average folks, this may not be very convenient. But it is good to know about this method as well.
- Open System Preferences and click Accessibility.
- Click Pointer Control → Alternative Control Methods and check the box for Enable Mouse Keys.
If you are on an older version of macOS, click Mouse & Trackpad and check the box for Enable Mouse Keys. - From now on, press control + I or fn + control + I to right-click.
Note:
- When the Mouse Keys feature is enabled, certain keys will not work as intended.
- If you like, you can also press option + command + F5 to bring the accessibility shortcut. From here, you can enable and disable Mouse Keys quickly.
Why right click is not working on Mac?
It is very rare, but if right-click does not work on your Mac, click the Apple logo from the top left and choose Restart. This should fix the issue. If it doesn’t, open System Preferences → Trackpad (or Mouse) → Point & Click → ensure ‘Secondary click‘ is enabled.
These are the various ways for right-clicking on a Mac. Do you have some other method in mind? Let us know in the comments section below.
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