How to Right-Click on a MacBook with or Without a Mouse

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Get a “secondary click” with your keyboard, trackpad, or mouse

Written by Megaera Lorenz, PhD

Last Updated: January 23, 2026 Fact Checked

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Control-Click

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Trackpad Gestures

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Secondary Click (Apple Mouse)

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Third-Party Mouse

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Video

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Q&A

If you’re new to using a MacBook, you might be puzzling over how to right-click on that featureless trackpad. Fortunately, there are several ways to right-click on a MacBook, including clicking with the Control key, using special trackpad gestures, and using an external mouse. Keep reading to learn all the ways to bring up the right-click menu on your Mac.

Easiest Ways to Right-Click on a MacBook

Press and hold the Ctrl (or Control) key as you click with your mouse or trackpad.
You can also right-click by clicking your trackpad with two fingers.
Click the right side or right button on an external mouse. If you have an Apple mouse, you might need to enable this option in System Settings.

Section 1 of 4:

Using Control-Click

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This option works no matter what kind of mouse you use with your Mac. Hover your mouse over the item you want to click. Press Ctrl and click your mouse or trackpad at the same time. The context menu will open. Select what you want on the menu with a regular click.^{[1]
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Section 2 of 4:

Using Trackpad Gestures

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By default, you can right-click on a MacBook by clicking with two fingers at once instead of just one. This will open the right-click context menu.
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Enable an alternative right-click option in System Settings. If you don’t like the two-finger click, you can enable an alternative gesture. Here’s how to do it:^{[2]
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- Click the
  Apple menu and select System Settings.
- Select Trackpad in the left-hand menu. You’ll need to scroll down to find it.
- Choose an option in the Secondary Click drop-down menu. You can choose from:
  - Click with Two Fingers
  - Click in the Bottom Right Corner
  - Click in the Bottom Left Corner
  - Off (turns off trackpad Secondary Click altogether)

Section 3 of 4:

Enabling Secondary Click on an Apple Mouse

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Set your preferred Secondary Click in System Settings. If you have an Apple mouse with no right-click button, you can usually set a secondary click gesture so you don’t have to Ctrl-click. Your mouse might already be set to right-click when you click on the right side. To enable right-click or change your settings:^{[3]
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- Go to
  Apple menu > System Settings.
- Select Mouse in the left-hand menu. You’ll need to scroll down to find it.
- Click the pop-up menu next to Secondary click. Choose from Click Right Side or Click Left Side.

Section 4 of 4:

Using a Third-Party Mouse

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Buy a mouse with a right button. There are many wired and wireless mice on the market that work with Mac computers. If you don’t want to deal with Ctrl-clicking or fiddling with secondary click settings, purchase a mouse that has right and left buttons. You can simply right-click the mouse as you would on a Windows computer.
- Check out our article to learn how to connect any mouse to your Mac.

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Why is my Macbook not responding to the right click?

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Check to make sure that your settings are allowing right clicks. It can also be a manufacturing fault. Take your computer to an Apple store and get it diagnosed.

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