A MacBook trackpad has no separate right mouse button. You can still right-click, in three ways: tap or click with two fingers, click while holding Control, or set a corner of the trackpad as the right button. This article explains how that works and what to do when right-clicking (or clicking at all) suddenly stops working.
Blue Apple repairs MacBooks in Amsterdam, trackpads included. A trackpad that no longer clicks is more common than you would think, and sometimes has a cause you need to act on quickly.
Method 1: with two fingers
Put two fingers on the trackpad and click, or tap lightly with two fingers. The menu appears where the pointer is. This is on by default. If it does not work, look in System Settings, Trackpad, Point & Click at Secondary click and choose "Click or tap with two fingers".
Method 2: Control + click
Hold the Control key and click. That always works, even if the trackpad settings are different, and also with a one-button mouse.
Method 3: a corner of the trackpad
In the same Secondary click setting you can choose "Click in bottom right corner" (or bottom left). That corner then works as the right button, like on a Windows laptop. Handy if you have just switched.
With a mouse
A mouse with two buttons works straight away: the right button does a right-click. For a Magic Mouse turn on secondary click in System Settings, Mouse; then you click on the right side of the mouse.
Pressing hard: the extra click
MacBook trackpads from about 2015 onwards have Force Touch: they sense how hard you press. Press firmly on a word and you get a definition or preview. That is not a right-click but a separate feature. If you find it awkward, turn off the Look up & data detectors option in System Settings, Trackpad. The trackpad does not physically click: a small vibration motor makes it feel as if it clicks. That is why clicking does not work when the MacBook is off.
What can you do with a right-click?
- Open a file with another program (Open With).
- Compress, duplicate or rename files.
- Look up a word or check spelling in a text.
- Force quit an app in the Dock (hold Option at the same time).
Right-clicking no longer works
- Check the Secondary click setting (see above).
- Try Control + click. If that works, it is a setting or the recognition of two fingers.
- Clean the trackpad with a slightly damp, lint-free cloth. Grease or moisture on the trackpad disturbs finger recognition.
- Restart the Mac and install the latest update.
The trackpad does not click at all any more
Does the trackpad feel hard, no longer click, or stick up a little above the case? That can be a sign of a swollen battery pressing against the trackpad from below. Then stop using the MacBook and do not charge it, because a swollen battery can be dangerous. Read when to replace a MacBook battery and MacBook trackpad not working or not clicking.
What we do at Blue Apple in Amsterdam
We test whether the trackpad itself, the cable to it or a swollen battery is the problem. A swollen battery we replace with priority. You hear beforehand what needs doing. More on our pages about MacBook trackpad repair and MacBook battery replacement.
Frequently asked questions
Does a MacBook have a right mouse button?
Not as a separate button. Clicking with two fingers or Control + click does the same.
How do I right-click on a Mac without a trackpad?
With a two-button mouse, or by holding Control and clicking normally.
My trackpad sometimes double-clicks. What is that?
Check in the trackpad settings whether Tap to click is on. If it also happens without tapping, have the trackpad checked.
