How to Right Click Using Keyboard on Mac

Macs come up with a ton of great keyboard shortcuts and bindings that make it actually easy to perform a lot of tasks in the arrangement. However, if at that place is one major keyboard shortcut that's missing from macOS all these years, information technology's that yous can't perform a right-click on a selected particular using the keyboard. This detail characteristic has been present on Windows keyboards since fourth dimension immemorial and it sucks that MacBooks don't have it. So, if you're looking for a way to perform a right-click from a Mac keyboard, we've got you covered.

Correct Click Using Keyboard on Mac

For the most function, in that location are ways that you tin can configure keyboard shortcuts to perform a correct click in macOS, all the same these ways simply perform a right click wherever the mouse cursor happens to be, instead of the file, folder, URL, or word that y'all happen to have selected. Then afterward quite some fourth dimension of scouring the internet, I was able to figure out three separate ways that you can right click on a highlighted element without having to motility your mouse cursor at that place first.

• Using Keyboard on Mac with Apple Script and Automator
• Using Keyboard on Mac with Ameliorate Touch Tool
• Using Keyboard on Mac with Alfred

Note: I tried these methods on my 2017 MacBook Pro running macOS Mojave Developer Beta and all of them worked perfectly fine.

Using Apple Script and Automator

The first (and the but gratis) method to right click on Mac using a keyboard requires some Apple Script work, and a little scrap of playtime with Automator — both incredibly useful tools that Apple bundles with every Mac. Here are the steps you'll need to follow:

• Open Automator, and create a new Service by selecting 'Contextual Workflow.'

• In the drop downwardly box side by side to "Workflow receives" select "no input" and ensure that the next drop downward box reads "any application."

• Use the search box in Automator to search for "run AppleScript." Elevate and driblet it into the Automator workflow.

• Paste the following AppleScript lawmaking into the workflow by replacing the comment that says "your script goes hither."

tell application "Organization Events" to set frontApp to name of get-go procedure whose frontmost is truthful
tell application "System Events"
tell application process frontApp
set _selection to value of attribute "AXFocusedUIElement"
tell _selection to perform action "AXShowMenu"
end tell
finish tell

• In one case you're washed, relieve the workflow with a suitable name, I'grand using "Right Clicker."
• Now, in System Preferences, go to Keyboard -> Shortcuts -> Services. Scroll down and find the service y'all merely created.

• Click on 'Add Shortcut' to set a keyboard shortcut to the service. I'thousand using command+shift+. for this. You can utilize any keyboard shortcut that'southward easiest for you to think. Just ensure that information technology's not a system keyboard shortcut like "command+infinite" or "command+command+Q."

• Once you've washed that, become to Organisation Preferences -> Security and Privacy -> Privacy -> Accessibility.

• Here, click on the Plus icon to add together a new app. Choose 'Automator' and add together information technology to the listing of apps that are immune to command your calculator.

• • You'll also have to add together each app where you want to utilise this keyboard shortcut to the list. I've added Finder to ensure that the shortcut works when I'm using the Finder app with my keyboard.

One time y'all've done all this, you'll be able to select whatever file or folder in Finder, and simply printing the keyboard shortcut to open the right-click bill of fare for that file or folder.

Using Improve Bear on Tool

If you're annoyed of having to add together every single app you want to use the right click shortcut on to the list of apps allowed to control your Mac, you can use Better Touch Tool (45 day gratuitous trial; license starts at $6.50) as well. The app is paid, simply information technology offers a free trial, and brings a lot of features. Hither'southward how you can use Better Touch Tool to right click on a selected chemical element on Mac.

• Launch Script Editor on your Mac, and paste the post-obit AppleScript into information technology. Save the file (I saved it as rightclickscript on my Desktop).

tell application "System Events" to set frontApp to proper noun of start procedure whose frontmost is true
tell application "System Events"
tell application process frontApp
set _selection to value of aspect "AXFocusedUIElement"
tell _selection to perform activity "AXShowMenu"
cease tell
end tell

• Side by side, in Better Bear upon Tool preferences, head over to the Keyboard tab.

• Click on "Add together New Shortcut or Key Sequence," select "Cardinal Sequence" and choose the key combination y'all want to use.

• Click on the box under "Trigger Predefined Action" and choose "Launch Awarding /Open File / Outset Apple Script."

• From the pop-up, select the Apple Script file y'all merely saved.

That's information technology, you tin now use your called keyboard combination to perform a right-click on your Mac.

Using Alfred

If y'all don't want to handle writing and saving an Apple Script, you can use a pre-built Alfred workflow. Alfred (free trial; license starts at £xix) is a productivity app for Mac, and the only paid Mac app other than BTT that I recommend people to check out. There'southward a free version bachelor, simply you'll take to buy the Alfred Powerpack to use Workflows.

• Download the Right Click workflow.
• Open the downloaded file and it'll automatically exist added to Alfred.
• You'll probably have to install an update to the workflow. To do this, simply open Alfred and blazon "update."
• In one case the update has been installed, head over to Alfred Preferences and go to "Workflows."

• Select the Right Click workflow, and set your preferred hotkey to employ for right clicking.

That'due south information technology, you'll now exist able to use the hotkey to right click on any selected element on your Mac.

SEE ALSO: x Best New macOS Mojave Features You Should Know

Use Your Mac Like a Pro With Keyboard Control

Using a Mac with merely the keyboard is very much possible, and in many cases it's easier to not use the trackpad (no matter how good) or a mouse to navigate your Mac. Personally, I'm more of a keyboard-leaning person myself and this shortcut is really helpful for me. So, at present that you know how to right click on Mac with keyboard, go alee and first using your Mac like a keyboard pro. If you lot face any bug, or if you know of another method to exercise this, let me know in the comments section below.

Source: https://beebom.com/how-right-click-using-keyboard-mac/

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