How to Right Click on a Mac or MacBook Air Without a Mouse

Why would you right-click on a Mac? Right-clicking on a Mac can do many things, such as saving an image, unpinning an app, copying and pasting, sorting, creating a new folder, opening DMG files on a Mac, getting info, and changing the desktop background.

This article will discuss various solutions for right-clicking on a Mac with or without a mouse.

How to Right-Click on a Mac Without a Mouse [Trackpad]

There are several ways to right-click on a Mac without a mouse. Here, we list the possible methods. Let's check them out.

Method 1: Tap the trackpad with Control held down

One of the easiest workarounds is to press the Control key and tap the trackpad: press and hold the Control key, then tap the trackpad once; on a Mac, this mimics a right-click.

To help you better, we have included a video.

• 00:13 - Open System Preferences.
• 00:20 - Click on Trackpad to see the options list.
• 00:51 - Try an option to see if it suits you, and if not, try another.

If your MacBook trackpad isn't working, don't worry! Read on to fix the issue.

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Method 2: Use Two Fingers on the Trackpad

The following method allows you to enable the option for using two fingers on the touchpad. To do this, follow these steps:

Step 1: Click the Apple menu.

Step 2. Click on System Preferences (System Settings).

Step 3: Choose Trackpad from the left-hand settings.

Step 4: Select the "Tap and Click" tab on the right.

Step 5: Check the "Right-Click" option.

From the drop-down menu, select “Check with two fingers or tap.”

Now, you can right-click on your Mac with two fingers on the trackpad.

Method 3: Assign Corners in System Preferences

If you don't like using two-finger taps, there's another way to right-click on a Mac without a mouse. You can assign an action to a corner of your trackpad. To do this:

Step 1: Click the Apple menu

Step 2: Choose System Preferences.

Step 3: Select “Trackpad.”

Step 4: Go to the Point and Click tab.

Step 5: Check the box next to “Double-click.”

6. In the dropdown next to “Secondary Click,” choose “Click bottom right” or “Click bottom left.”

Depending on your selection, you can click on the corners to perform a right-click action.

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Clicking the right mouse button on a Mac

And if you don't want to use the trackpad, you can use a mouse, although different mice have slightly different capabilities – for example, a Magic Mouse works a little bit differently than a regular USB or Bluetooth mouse.

How to Right-Click on a Magic Mouse on a Mac

Before learning how to right-click on the Magic Mouse, remember that it only has one button. The Magic Mouse is not like a Windows mouse with two separate buttons. The entire top of the mouse is clickable. You'll tap the left side for a left-click, and the right side for a right-click.

Here's how to enable right-click on a Magic Mouse on a Mac:

Step 1: Click the Apple menu.

Step 2: Choose “System Preferences.”

Step 3: Select “Mouse.”

Step 4: Click on the “Actions” tab.

Step 5: Check the box next to Right-click.

Step 6: From the drop-down menu, select Click on the right.

This is usually the default. This means that when you click the right end of your mouse, it will perform a right-click function. Some left-handed users, however, might prefer the "Click on Left" option, where you can click the left side of the mouse to get a right-click function.

Right-click to copy or cut files, then paste them to your Mac. Read on for more ways to cut and paste on a Mac.

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How to Right-Click on a Mac with a Third-Party Mouse

Using a third-party mouse on a Mac is relatively simple. If it's a two-button mouse, you're all set – just press the right button to right-click. If the mouse manufacturer provided software, you can customize what a right-click does from there.

Right-clicking will bring up a context menu with Move to Trash and Empty Trash options. If you accidentally right-click delete important files, don't worry; professional data recovery software like the Mac Data Recovery Wizard can help you recover permanently deleted files on Mac.

Additional tip: How to fix the issue with right-click not working

While right-clicking on a mouse connected to a Mac usually requires no special setup, the right-click function may not work as expected at times. Here are a few possible reasons we've observed that might cause right-click not to work on a Mac:

Possible reasons that right-clicking is not working:

• Mouse or Trackpad Issues: Hardware problems with your mouse or trackpad can cause right-click functionality to malfunction. These issues might include connectivity problems, worn-out buttons, or sensor issues.
• Warning: Software Glitch: Occasionally, an application can hijack the shortcut keys meant for standard operations. For instance, a screenshot tool might use the right click as part of its functionality.
• Configuration Error: Incorrect settings in System Preferences might affect how the right-click function behaves. These settings could relate to trackpad or mouse configurations, accessibility options, or gesture settings.
• External Devices: Connected external devices like printers, graphics tablets, or drawing pads can interfere with the proper functioning of the right-click due to driver conflicts or software issues.

Fix for right-click not working:

• Check Hardware Connections: Ensure that your mouse or trackpad is properly connected to your Mac. Check the battery levels if using a wireless device, and make sure Bluetooth or other wireless connections are stable.
• Restart Your Mac: A simple restart often resolves minor software glitches, refreshing system processes and potentially restoring right-click functionality. If your Mac is unresponsive, try Force Restarting your MacBook.
• Test in Safe Mode: Boot your Mac into Safe Mode to diagnose whether a third-party app is causing the issue. Safe Mode disables non-essential software, helping you identify if a specific application is causing a conflict.
• Update macOS: Staying up-to-date with Software Updates is crucial for system stability. An outdated operating system may contain bugs affecting various features, including right-click. Thus, update your Mac to ensure right-click works correctly.
• Reset PRAM/NVRAM and SMC: Resetting the Parameter RAM (PRAM) or Non-Volatile Random-Access Memory (NVRAM) and System Management Controller (SMC) can help reset hardware-related settings that might be affecting the right-click function.
• Disconnect External Devices: Temporarily unplug all external devices to see if they are causing the issue. Reconnect them one by one if necessary to identify the problematic device.

Conclusions

Right-clicking on a Mac is something every computer user should know how to do. On a Mac, however, there are a few different ways to go about it. For instance, you can choose to Control-click the trackpad.

You can also trigger a right-click by tapping in the corner of the trackpad, but not everybody likes using a trackpad, and it can get pretty crowded in there. So you might prefer a mouse.

Frequently Asked Questions About Right-Clicking on a Mac

Anything that doesn't work as expected on a PC or Mac can be frustrating, but there are often other ways to get the job done, especially in a pinch. Check out the questions and answers below for some solutions.

How do I right-click on a Mac without a mouse?

On a Mac, you can perform a right-click without a mouse by holding down the Control key and tapping the trackpad with one finger. This will give you the same options as a right-click.

**2. How to right-click on a Mac without using the Control key?** On a Mac, you can right-click using the following methods without pressing the Control key: 1. **Using the Trackpad:** - Place two fingers lightly on the trackpad and tap with one of them. - Alternatively, if your trackpad supports Force Touch, firmly press anywhere on the trackpad. 2. **Using a Mouse:** - If you have a mouse with a dedicated right-click button, simply click it. - If your mouse has only one button, press and hold the Control key while clicking the top button to simulate a right-click. 3. **Customizing Trackpad or Mouse Settings:** - Go to "System Preferences" > "Mouse" or "Trackpad," depending on your device. - In the "Mouse" settings, enable the "Secondary Click" option. - In the "Trackpad" settings, select the "More Gestures" option and choose "Tap to Click for Right-Handed" or "Tap to Click for Left-Handed," depending on your preference. These methods allow you to right-click without using the Control key.

To achieve a right-click on a Mac without using the Control key, go to "System Preferences" and then select "Trackpad." There, you'll find several options that allow you to assign a right-click action.

3. How do I right-click on a trackpad?

There are two primary ways to achieve this. First, you can assign a corner to act as a right-click. Second, you can assign a tap or click with two fingers on the trackpad.

How do I right-click on a laptop without a mouse?

Most keyboards have a right-click button that you can use for this. Hold down the Control key and select an item, and it will bring up a menu of options related to that file or folder.