You are likely already familiar with how to right-click on a Mac when using a Mouse or Trackpad, either by using the control+click, two-finger click, or a literal right-click, but what if you don’t have access to a mouse or trackpad, the batteries died on your mouse/trackpad, or you simply don’t use either? Thanks the Mouse Keys feature of MacOS, you can still move the mouse cursor around, click, and even right-click, using only the keyboard on a Mac.
This is useful for many scenarios, whether for accessibility purposes or when working on a Mac without a mouse or trackpad, or if the mouse or trackpad are not working for whatever reason. Let’s dive into how to right-click using just the keyboard on a Mac.
How to Right-Click with Keyboard on a Mac Without Using Mouse / Trackpad via Mouse Keys
If the Mac does not have a mouse or trackpad attached, or if you don’t use a mouse/trackpad to move the cursor in general, you can still perform a right-click by using Mouse Keys, here’s how to enable the feature and how to right-click with just a keyboard:
- Go to the Apple menu and choose “System Settings” or “System Preferences”
- Go to “Accessibility”
- Choose “Pointer Control”
- Click on “Alternative Control Methods”
- Check the box to activate “Mouse Keys”
- With Mouse Keys enabled, hold down the Control key and then press “i” to right click using only the keyboard on MacOS
Again, use Control+i to right-click using the keyboard with Mouse Keys on MacOS.
Control is the modifier key that enables the right-click behavior, while “i” is the key to click the mouse with Mouse Keys, thus control+i will perform a right-click with Mouse Keys using only the keyboard.
Mouse Keys is an accessibility feature that allows you to control the mouse cursor using only the keyboard, and while it’s obviously useful for accessibility purposes, it’s also helpful for troubleshooting, or if you find yourself in a situation where a Mac does not have a trackpad or mouse, but it does have a keyboard attached. Using only the keyboard, you can still move the mouse around, click, and right-click, just as you would with a mouse or trackpad.
