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Change Pointer Control settings for accessibility on Mac
On your Mac, use Pointer Control settings to make your mouse and trackpad easier to use, turn on Mouse Keys, perform certain mouse actions using keyboard shortcuts, assistive switches, or facial expressions, or to move the pointer using head pointer. The options available depend on the Mac you’re using.
To change these settings, choose Apple menu in the sidebar, then click Pointer Control on the right. (You may need to scroll down.)
Open Pointer Control settings for me
Mouse & Trackpad
Option | Description |
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Double-click speed | Adjust the mouse or trackpad’s reaction time when you double-click an item. |
Spring-loading | When dragging and dropping, drag an item to a folder and hold to open the folder. |
Spring-loading speed | With Spring-loading turned on, adjust how long after you drag an item to a folder and hold before the folder opens. |
Ignore built-in trackpad when mouse or wireless trackpad is present | Disable the built-in trackpad on your Mac when you use a mouse or wireless trackpad. If you use a non-Apple mouse, the driver software that came with your mouse may prevent this option from working as expected. For information, see the documentation for your mouse. |
Trackpad Options | Set options for your trackpad: Use trackpad for scrolling: Turn scrolling on or off. Use inertia when scrolling: Control what happens when you lift your finger from the trackpad. With this option turned on, scrolling comes to a gradual stop. Otherwise, scrolling stops immediately. Scroll speed: The speed at which you scroll through documents and windows using the trackpad. Use trackpad for dragging: Turn dragging on or off. Dragging style: Choose an option to control dragging.
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Mouse Options | Click to set options for your mouse: Use mouse for scrolling: Turn scrolling on or off (for a mouse such as a Magic Mouse). Use inertia when scrolling: Control what happens when you lift your finger from the mouse (a mouse such as a Magic Mouse). With this option turned on, scrolling comes to a gradual stop. Otherwise, scrolling stops immediately. Scroll speed: The speed at which you scroll through documents and windows using the mouse. |
Alternate Control Methods
Option | Description | ||||||||||
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Mouse Keys | Move the pointer and press the mouse button using the keyboard or a numeric keypad. See Control the pointer using Mouse Keys. Note: When Mouse Keys is on, you can’t use the keyboard or numeric keypad to enter text. To customize, click the Info button
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Alternate pointer actions | Perform a left-click, right-click, double-click, or drag-and-drop action using keyboard keys, assistive switches, or facial expressions (such as a smile or an open mouth). To specify keys, switches, and facial expressions, or to see the ones currently specified, click the Info button
Note: A left-click, right-click, or double-click action occurs as soon as you use the specified switch. For example, if you set the switch for Left Click to the facial expression Stick Out Tongue, a left click occurs as soon as you stick out your tongue. A drag-and-drop action requires you to use a switch twice: once to drag, then again to drop. For example, when you stick out your tongue, drag is activated; to drop, you must stick out your tongue again. | ||||||||||
Head pointer | Move the pointer using the movement of your face or head as detected by the camera that’s built into or connected to your Mac. See Move the pointer using head pointer. To customize, click the Info button
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Tip: You can use Accessibility Shortcuts to quickly turn Mouse Keys or head pointer on or off.