Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

How do you middle-click on a trackpad?

Im loving my new MacBook Air. First Mac I've ever owned and I love it.


One thing I'm not liking right now is the lack of a middle-click for opening links in a new tab. Please tell me there's a way to do it?


Thanks for any help you can provide!

Posted on Jun 13, 2012 6:36 PM

Reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Jun 14, 2012 4:50 AM

Umm, no. A two-finger tap is a right click. "As documented."


I'm asking about the middle-click that automatically creates a new tab from a clicked URL in on Windows machines. If you're going to be sarcastic, you should at least know what you're talking about.


Anyone else found a solution? It appears, from reading a few other things in a google search, that there are third-party apps that can add this functionality but then screw up other swipes and shortcuts.


Anyone have any experience with these?

25 replies
Sort By: 
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Jun 14, 2012 4:50 AM in response to Marc Wilson

Umm, no. A two-finger tap is a right click. "As documented."


I'm asking about the middle-click that automatically creates a new tab from a clicked URL in on Windows machines. If you're going to be sarcastic, you should at least know what you're talking about.


Anyone else found a solution? It appears, from reading a few other things in a google search, that there are third-party apps that can add this functionality but then screw up other swipes and shortcuts.


Anyone have any experience with these?

Reply

Jun 28, 2012 3:30 PM in response to mpoyner

According to Safari 5.1 (Lion)'s Keyboard Shortcut knowledge-base article, Command-Click will do the trick. Meanwhile, Command-Shift-Click opens and focuses on a new tab.


I would verify this for you, but I don't have a Mac handy.


It's not as simple as middle-clicking, but it looks like it can be done with one hand on a typical MacBook Touchpad.

Reply

Mar 10, 2013 12:55 PM in response to mpoyner

MagicPrefs ( http://magicprefs.com ) solved my problem: I've configured the three-fingers-click to be a middle-mouse-click, and it works! :-) Finally, I can connect my VNC client to my Linux-box VNC server and copy-paste stuff within the client. Three-fingers-click now also does the other regular stuff like opening a browser link in a new tab, etc.

Reply

Jun 14, 2012 4:57 AM in response to mpoyner

The trackpad doesn't have a middle click gesture supplied by apple. You right that some third party tools like MagicPrefs and Better Touch Tool expand these gestures. I've seen people have good success with both and I've seen some issues where removing them fixed the issues.

Reply

Jun 14, 2012 6:02 AM in response to captfred

Thanks captfred. I'll take a look at those. I think they're the two that I had seen elsewhere, but was a bit afraid to try them, especially since I'm new to Macs and don't know if I could fix something if I screw it up. But sounds like removing them would probably solve any issues that might creep up, so I'm going to try.


- Matt

Reply

Jun 14, 2012 6:14 AM in response to mpoyner

I've installed and played with MagicPrefs some time ago. It didn't cause any problems but I decided to remove it. The uninstaller was straight forward and well behaved as I remember it.


Enjoy your new Mac, if you have issues just come back and someone will be glad to help. 🙂

Reply

Oct 23, 2012 12:50 AM in response to glusk

Definitely not working in Mountain Lion, at least on a MacBook Air.


I just tried at the shop, because this is so important to me, I wanted to make sure before buying.


I made sure that the middle-click with three fingers option was activated in MagicPrefs, but to no avail.


Hopefully, an update will come soon.

Reply

Oct 9, 2013 5:10 AM in response to glusk

I've just installed on a Mac OS X 10.8.5 and it worked for my "middle-click" requirement. I needed "middle-click" to do a copy and paste on a X11 xterm on a Linux system acessed via Microsoft RDP protocol (using Royal TSX as RDP client).


Thanks.

Reply

Nov 2, 2013 10:13 AM in response to mpoyner

1. Download and Install XQuartz.

2. Open XQuartz. (It is in the Utilities folder in Applications.)

3. An "X11 Preferences" window will open. Under the Input tab, check "Emulate three button mouse".


I use OS 10.9 Mavericks and I have Secondary click (right click) on the Trackpad enabled in System settings.

I find pressing the Command and Alt keyboard buttons with the Secondary click emulates the middle mouse button.

Reply

Jan 20, 2014 12:38 PM in response to mpoyner

I'm using a right cmd + single finger trackpad drag to zoom in some new software that's in beta. All I know is it tells you to use the middle mouse and I guessed it's a drag. I'm using KeyRemap to do it. It's very easy. KeyRemap is one of the most useful free apps for Mac, there's some info here


http://www.macableton.com/features/easy-ways-to-control-Live-2.html

Reply

Sep 20, 2015 4:38 PM in response to Sada Suvarna

Control-single-click simulates a right click on my Yosemite 10.10.5 late 2008 mbp, not a middle click.


An Apple program that uses middle click is Utilities:Terminal. Highlight some text in Terminal and then middle-click. The highlighted text should get pasted to the prompt . Note that middle-click's copy-paste bypasses the clipboard.

Reply

How do you middle-click on a trackpad?

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple Account.