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In Finder , why i can't go back and forward using the trackpad in Mountain Lion?

In Finder , why i can't go back and forward using the trackpad in Mountain Lion?

MacBook Pro, OS X Mountain Lion

Posted on Jul 25, 2012 8:53 PM

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Posted on Jul 25, 2012 9:07 PM

You have to enable swipe between pages with two or three fingers.

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16 replies

Sep 19, 2012 7:18 PM in response to Barney-15E

That worked, thanks! 🙂

But I didn't like this change, they shouldn't disable that... 😮 I use that "back" & "forward" gesture A LOT in Finder, so it should be a "must have", not a mysterious tweak. It is not clear that you have to set it to "enable swipe between pages with two or three fingers" to get the "back" & "forward" gesture to work again in Finder: if you haven't told us, I would never figure it out and I couldn't find this information anywhere else.

Nov 30, 2012 5:14 PM in response to RandomAppleID

Hi. I also got the same problem but just learnt a way to resolve it. No need for 3rd party software.


If you don't care much about the Three finger drag gesture, and just want to swipe between pages in Finder and web browsers, please follow these:


  1. System Preferences/Trackpad/More gestures/Swipe between pages/Scroll left or right with 2 fingers. This option works solely for web browsers.
  2. In order to swipe between pages in Finder, web browsers and other apps as well,change the option to Swipe with two or three fingers. (3 for Finder and apps, 2 for web pages)

If you also want to use Three-finger drag to move windows and drag-select:


The problem occurs once you change to "Swipe with 2 or three fingers", Lion will automatically disable/uncheck the Three finger drag function in Trackpad/Point&Click. Or the other way around, you tick Three Finger drag, Swipe between pages automatically switches to Scroll with two fingers because these 2 functions are overlapped.


My solution is:

  1. stick with initial option Scroll with two fingers for navigating between web pages.
  2. Re-tick Three finger drag in Point&Click.
  3. Use combination: Option+Swipe 4 fingers for Finder and other apps (although it functions reversely, Swiping left to go backward, swipe right to go forward)


My current gesture routine:

- Swipe between web pages: Scroll with two fingers.

- Swipe between pages in Finder and other apps: Combination Option+swipe 4 fingers

- Swipe between full-screen apps (desktops): Swipe left or right with 4 fingers

- Drag select and navigate windows: Three finger drag

- Mission Control - Swipe up with 4 fingers. (avoid conflict with three finger drag)


* You can actually use combination Option+Swipe 4 fingers for everything (apps, finder, web pages) but I personally prefer swipe 2 fingers for web browsing. It's just easier and quicker and avoid conflicts with other gestures.


Hope this help. 😀

Jan 17, 2013 4:28 PM in response to npanh610

npanh610's tutorial did fix it for me, partially.


The only issue is that Three-Finger Swipe doesn't work in every Finder window. It only works in the original window that opens.


Very frustrating... I thought it was supposed to be magic? Turns out it's just buggy software.


I'm glad it kind of works now though. Thanks for your help and having this up there.

In Finder , why i can't go back and forward using the trackpad in Mountain Lion?

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