Monday, November 12, 2007

How to "Right Click" on a Mac

For new Mac users, not being able to right click can be one of the most difficult changes to adjust to. Of course you can "right click" on a Mac, there are just more ways to do it than on a PC.

Method 1: Use the Mouse
The Apple Mighty Mouse allows you to right click. If you don't like the Mighty Mouse (or want something less expensive), here are a couple options that are highly recommended: Mouse 1 Mouse 2

Method 2: CTRL-Click
To get the same effect as right clicking, you can hold own the CTRL key while clicking with the mouse.

Method 3: Two Finger Click on the Trackpad
If you go to the Mouse/Trackpad page in System Preferences, you can turn on "Tap trackpad using two fingers for secondary click". This allows you to tap the trackpad with two fingers side by side (but with a space in between) to get the "right click" effect.

Mouse options

While you're in the Mouse system preferences, you might want to turn on two-finger scrolling as well. I couldn't live without it.



Kevin Dern - OSX - Apple - Leopard Tips - right click - Mac

12 comments:

Nrupesh said...

hey... is it possible for right click only from the key board.... i am new mac user....its frustrating not able to use only the keyboard for right click

Anonymous said...

What about right clicking on the Windows partition without a mouse?

Anonymous said...

right clicking in windows without a mouse:
- hold 2 fingers on the touchpad
- push the big button beneath the touchpad

Anonymous said...

thanks for the information :)

Anonymous said...

I'm a new mac user too, I trained myself to use the mouse with my left hand due to muscle probs in my right shoulder. Mighty mouse isn't much fun to right click left handed due to its proximity sensor. I thought it was broken until I reallised that my biggest use of right click was on RSS feeds in FireFox - this seems to be broken as it doesn't work with ctrl click either. Links in FF will open right click/ctrl click.

Anonymous said...

I was so unbelievably frustrated with not being able to right click on windows! Thank you so much you saved me a LOT of grief!

Anonymous said...

Thank you - the CTRL + click didn't work in the windows partition, but changing the settings for the two finger tap for the trackpad did! Many thanks - I have been using my Mac for a year or so and this was frustrating me too.

Loxy said...

My system preferences don't give that option anymore (lost everything and had to start again).

Now it says: For secondary clicks, place two fingers on trackpad then click the button.

But for the past two years I got used to just tapping with two fingers! I want to go back!!!

Anonymous said...

Not only does Mac not offer "more" ways to right-click (Windows can do all of the things you mentioned equally as well), it does not offer one single easy way. Like right-clicking.

Anonymous said...

If you have to write an article on how to right click, your OS fails. Hard.

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