For most users, the right mouse button provides access to standard functions for navigating the operating system. Most of the time, however, right-clicking is not integrated by default on Mac. You just need to change your system preferences a little to use right-click on Mac and open context menus.
Why is there no right-click on Mac by default?
Most laptops, mice, and operating systems feature a right-click or right-mouse button, which allows you toopen additional context menus. If you switch to a Mac and you work with the Trackpad, the Apple keyboard or even a mouse from the brand, you will quickly realize that there is no right button on the mouse, or that the right click does not work just not.
It’s unclear why Apple never integrated right-clicking into its products. According to several rumors circulating onlineit all started with a real Steve Jobs’ dislike of computer mice with multiple buttons. He apparently assumed that without multiple mouse buttons it was not possible to make false clicks. Today, however, it is impossible to determine how much truth is really behind this statement.
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How does right-click work on Mac?
Right-clicking on Mac remains essential; at Apple, you will therefore find several alternatives to right-clicking, or “secondary clicking”to open your context menus.
You can follow the steps below to use right-click on Mac.
Enable right click
Start by activating the “right click” function in your Trackpad settings (if you are using a MacBook). To open this screen, navigate to your “ System settings » from the Apple logo. Then select “Accessibility”, then “Trackpad” or “Mouse”. Depending on the device you’re using, there are different settings that allow you to point and click in a personalized way.
THE » secondary click » is essential when it comes to right-click activation. Select this option if you want to be able to right-click certain objects later. Depending on the model you are using, this option may also be called « right click », « bottom right click », etc. If they are available on your device, you can also activate them.
How does right-click work on Mac?
The right click thus activated works like a Mac shortcut, that is to say a combination created from a mouse click and keyboard. To open context menus, use the key [Ctrl] on your keyboard by clicking with the Mac mouse. The key [Ctrl]often represented by the symbol « ^ », is located at the bottom left of the key [Option] on Mac or the key [Alt] on Mac. Its exact use, however, depends on your computer mouse. If Apple’s « Magic Mouse » can actually function as a mouse with one or two buttons, the new version of the « Mighty Mouse » can even include up to four buttons.
![The key [Ctrl] on Mac keyboard](https://www.ionos.fr/digitalguide/fileadmin/DigitalGuide/Screenshots_2023/right-click-on-mac.png "The key [Ctrl] on Mac keyboard")
Additional options for using right-click on the Trackpad
The most recent MacBooks offer a right click with finger movement. Depending on the device you are using, you can therefore left-click by touching the Trackpad with one finger. To right-click, simply touch the Trackpad using two fingers.
Right mouse button on Mac with a universal mouse
Does your mouse come from another supplier? Depending on the model, you can find it under “Mouse” in the “System Settings” menu if you have it plugged in, or under “Bluetooth” if you have it connected. If macOS does not automatically recognize this right-click function on your universal mouse, you also have the option of enabling the “secondary click” option.
