Right clicking is an essential feature on any laptop, no matter the brand or which operating system it uses. However, sometimes your trusty mouse can fail, leaving you feeling helpless. So, how else can you right click on a laptop?
To right click on a laptop, try clicking the bottom right portion of the trackpad. Alternatively, Windows users can hit Shift + F10 or turn on the Mouse Keys setting to control the mouse via the keyboard. Mac users can hit Control + Space or tap the trackpad with two fingers to right click.
Now that you’ve got the basic idea of how to right click on your laptop without a mouse, let’s take a closer look at the right click options for both Windows and Mac. Before you know it, you’ll be back to right clicking as usual.
How Do You Right Click on a Windows Laptop Without a Mouse?
There are three different ways to right click using just your laptop’s keyboard on Windows. You can use the menu key, the shortcut Shift + F10, or you can turn on the Mouse Keys setting. Let’s quickly go through how to properly use each of these options.
Menu Key
Almost every standard QWERTY keyboard comes with a specific key known as either the menu key or the context key. This key doesn’t have a word or letters on it, but rather a box with three lines inside it. Usually, this key is located on the bottom row of the keyboard, on either the left or right side of the spacebar.
Clicking the menu key will automatically right click on whatever window you currently have open. If right clicking opens a menu, you can then use the arrow keys on your keyboard to scroll through the different options and hit the Enter key to make your selection.
Shift + F10
If your keyboard doesn’t have a menu key, then hitting the Shift and F10 keys on your keyboard will also get the job done. Note: depending on your keyboard, you may need to hit the FN key in order to actually hit F10. In this case, this would make the actual command Shift + FN + F10.
Using this command will automatically right click on whichever window you have open. Just like before, if doing this opens a menu, then all you have to do is use the arrow keys to scroll through the options and then hit Enter to make your selection.
Mouse Keys Setting
Let’s say that you’ve lost the ability to use your laptop’s mouse entirely. Is it possible to use the mouse and right click using just the keyboard?
Thankfully, the answer to this question is a resounding yes. However, to do this, you’re going to need to turn on a setting called Mouse Keys. For the purposes of this guide, we’re going to explain how to turn on this setting without using the mouse at all, but it’s also possible to have Mouse Keys on and work with the mouse at the same time.
Start by hitting the Windows key on your keyboard. This should open up a search bar where you need to type “Mouse Keys” and hit Enter. This will open up the Mouse settings.
In this menu, you should see an option that says “Control your mouse with a keypad,” and it should have a slider under it set to Off. Using the Tab key on your keyboard, you can scroll through the different clickable options on this page. Hit the Tab key until the Off slider is highlighted and then hit Enter.
From here, you should be able to control your mouse using the number pad on the right side of your keyboard. 8 will make the mouse go up, 4 will make the mouse go left, 2 will make the mouse go down, and 6 will make the mouse go right. (Note: you may need to hit the Num Lk key in order for this to work).
With Mouse Keys on, you can use the forward slash key (/) to left click and you use the minus sign (–) to right click. While in the mouse settings, you can now use Mouse Keys to change the speed of the pointer and change some other settings. After this, you should be able to completely control your mouse just by using the keyboard.
How Do You Right Click on a MacBook Laptop Without a Mouse?
Right-clicking on a MacBook can be a bit tricky, especially if you don’t have a mouse. However, there are several methods you can use to perform this action without the need for a mouse.
Using the Trackpad
The easiest and most convenient way to right click on a MacBook is by using the trackpad. To do this, simply press the Control key on your keyboard while clicking the trackpad with one finger. This will perform the same action as a right-click on a Windows computer.
Using the Keyboard
Another way to right-click on a MacBook is by using keyboard shortcuts. To do this, press the Control key and the spacebar at the same time. This will bring up a context menu, just like a right-click.
Two-Finger Click
Another option on MacBook is to simply tap the trackpad with two fingers at the same time. This will also bring up a context menu, similar to a right click. However, this setting must be activated in the computer’s System Preferences.
If you’re using Mac OS X Mountain Lion or later, you can enable the Click with two fingers option under the Trackpad section in the Accessibility settings. Once this option is enabled, you can simply tap the trackpad with two fingers to right-click.