How to right click on Mac
To right click on Mac you don’t need a mouse with two buttons: Apple calls it a secondary click, and it opens the shortcut menu of a file, a link or the desktop. This guide shows how to do it with the Control key, on a MacBook trackpad, with a Magic Mouse or any other mouse, and what you’ll find in that menu.
Right click with the Control key
This works everywhere, with any mouse or trackpad and with no setup. Press and hold the Control key, click the item, then let go of the key. The shortcut menu opens under the pointer.
The Magic Keyboard with Touch ID and Numeric Keypad (USB-C) also has a Contextual Menu key below F13. It opens the shortcut menu of the selected item without the mouse.
How to right click on a MacBook trackpad
A two-finger click is usually on already. If it does nothing, check the trackpad settings:
- Choose Apple menu › System Settings, then click Trackpad in the sidebar.
- Open the Point & Click tab and find Secondary click.
- Choose the two-finger option, or a click in the bottom right or bottom left corner if you prefer.
Now press the trackpad with two fingers at once. With Tap to click turned on in the same tab, a light two-finger tap is enough.
Right click with a Magic Mouse or another mouse
A Magic Mouse has no separate buttons, so its right side is set in the settings:
- Choose Apple menu › System Settings, then click Mouse in the sidebar. It appears when a mouse is connected.
- Find Secondary click and choose the right side. Left-handed users can pick the left side instead.
An ordinary two-button mouse from any maker works the usual way: its right button opens the shortcut menu.
What you will find in the right-click menu
- On a file in Finder: Open With, Get Info, Rename, Compress, Move to Trash.
- On the desktop: New Folder, Change Wallpaper, Use Stacks.
- On selected text: Copy, Paste and spelling suggestions.
- On an app’s icon in the Dock: its open windows and Options, such as Keep in Dock and Open at Login.
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Questions and answers
How do I right click on a Mac without a mouse?
Click the trackpad with two fingers, or hold Control and click with one finger. Both open the same shortcut menu.
Why doesn’t a two-finger click work on my MacBook?
Secondary click is probably off or set to a corner. Check System Settings › Trackpad › Point & Click › Secondary click. Control-click works whatever that setting says.
Is Control-click the same as a right click?
Yes. macOS treats Control-click, a two-finger click and a right-button click as the same secondary click.