Apple’s Magic Mouse supports six standard gestures on Mac: secondary click, scrolling, Smart Zoom, Mission Control, switching between full-screen apps, and switching between pages. Use one finger for scrolling, Smart Zoom, and page navigation; use two fingers for Mission Control and full-screen app switching. Review, change, or disable these actions at Apple menu > System Settings > Mouse (called System Preferences on some older macOS releases).
Apple describes the Magic Mouse and Multi-Touch trackpad as letting you “tap, swipe, pinch, or spread one or more fingers to perform useful actions.” The Magic Mouse supports a smaller, distinct set of motions than a trackpad, so a gesture shown in trackpad documentation may not be available on the mouse.
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Magic Mouse gestures at a glance
| Gesture | Finger motion | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Secondary click | Click the configured side of the mouse | Opens a contextual menu or other secondary action |
| Scroll | Slide one finger up, down, or across the touch surface | Scrolls a document or pans content where supported |
| Smart Zoom | Double-tap with one finger | Zooms in or out of a webpage or PDF |
| Mission Control | Double-tap with two fingers | Shows open windows, desktops, and full-screen spaces |
| Swipe between full-screen apps | Swipe left or right with two fingers | Moves between desktops and full-screen applications |
| Swipe between pages | Swipe left or right with one finger | Shows the previous or next page in supported apps |
The Magic Mouse has a touch-sensitive surface rather than a separate trackpad. Keep your finger movements light and centered on the surface; pressing hard while swiping can turn a gesture into a click. The most important distinctions are the number of fingers and the type of motion: a tap or double-tap triggers a command, while a continuous swipe or slide navigates content or spaces.
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Connect the wireless Magic Mouse to your Mac before opening Mouse settings. Apple notes that the described controls appear when a wireless mouse is connected. If the mouse is not paired, switched on, or recognized, macOS may show only limited controls or none at all.
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- Magic Mouse is wireless and rechargeable, with an optimised foot design that lets it glide smoothly across your desk.
- The Multi-Touch surface allows you to perform simple gestures such as swiping between web pages and scrolling through documents.
- The rechargeable battery will power your Magic Mouse for about a month or more between charges.
- It’s ready to go straight out of the box and pairs automatically with your Mac, and it includes a woven USB-C Charge Cable that lets you pair and charge by connecting to a USB-C port on your Mac.
Magic Mouse models with a USB-C charging port require macOS Sequoia 15.1 or later for the listed Multi-Touch gestures, according to Apple. On an older system, update macOS where the Mac supports it, or check the model and operating-system requirements before assuming the hardware is defective.
The gesture list for a Magic Mouse is not the same as the longer list for a Multi-Touch trackpad. Pinch-to-zoom, rotation, Notification Center, App Exposé, and several other finger patterns are trackpad gestures and should not be expected to appear in Magic Mouse settings. If you are comparing instructions for a MacBook trackpad, confirm that the instructions specifically mention Magic Mouse.
Open Mouse settings and change a gesture
- Connect and turn on the Magic Mouse.
- Choose Apple menu > System Settings > Mouse. On older macOS versions, open Apple menu > System Preferences > Mouse.
- Review the controls for tracking speed, scrolling, secondary click, Smart Zoom, page swiping, full-screen application swiping, and Mission Control.
- Select a gesture’s control to see the available action choices. Depending on macOS and the connected device, macOS may display an animated demonstration.
- Choose a different action or select the option that turns the gesture off, then close Settings. Changes apply without a separate Save button.
Available choices can vary by Mac, macOS version, and connected mouse. If a control is absent, first verify that the connected device is a Magic Mouse rather than another pointing device and that macOS recognizes it. The settings pane is also the best place to check whether a gesture has been reassigned instead of broken.
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Use the animated demonstration, when shown, to compare your hand motion with the expected motion. A demonstration can clarify whether macOS expects a tap, a click, a one-finger slide, or a two-finger swipe. Check the control itself rather than relying on a gesture remembered from a different Mac or an older macOS release.
How to perform each Magic Mouse gesture
Secondary click (right-click)
Place a finger on the right side of the mouse and click. The default action is the contextual, or secondary, click used for commands such as opening a link in a new tab, revealing file actions, or displaying text-editing options.
To use the left side instead, open System Settings > Mouse and change Secondary click to the left side. This is useful if you normally operate the mouse with your left hand or prefer the opposite button position. The setting changes which physical side produces the secondary action; it does not create a separate two-finger gesture.
Control-click is an alternative that does not depend on the selected side: hold the Control key while clicking. If a side click is not being recognized, Control-click is a quick way to determine whether the problem is the setting or the physical click. Release Control after the click to return to ordinary primary clicking.
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- Magic Mouse is wireless and rechargeable, with an optimised foot design that lets it glide smoothly across your desk.
- The Multi-Touch surface allows you to perform simple gestures such as swiping between web pages and scrolling through documents.
- The rechargeable battery will power your Magic Mouse for about a month or more between charges.
- It’s ready to go straight out of the box and pairs automatically with your Mac, and it includes a woven USB-C Charge Cable that lets you pair and charge by connecting to a USB-C port on your Mac.
Scroll and pan
Rest one finger on the touch surface and slide it up or down. The page follows the direction configured under Natural scrolling. Slide left or right, or move diagonally, when an app or document supports horizontal or two-dimensional panning; Apple describes the surface as allowing 360-degree scrolling where supported.
Natural scrolling changes the relationship between your finger motion and the content. If the page moves opposite to what you expect, open System Settings > Mouse and change Natural scrolling. This setting changes scrolling behavior; it does not add another gesture. A horizontal slide may do nothing in an app that has no horizontal content or panning support, so test it in content that can actually move sideways.
Smart Zoom
Double-tap the surface with one finger without pressing down. In a supported webpage or PDF, macOS zooms in; repeat the same double-tap to zoom back out. The exact zoom level and the content that responds depend on the app.
Smart Zoom is not the same as enlarging the entire Mac interface. It acts on the current webpage or document. For screen-wide magnification, use the separate Accessibility zoom feature described below. If a double-tap does nothing, try a lighter tap and test a normal webpage or PDF before concluding that the gesture is unavailable.
Mission Control
Double-tap with two fingers. Mission Control presents a view of open windows and spaces, including desktops and full-screen applications, so you can select another workspace.
If the two-finger double-tap does nothing, check the Mission Control control in System Settings > Mouse. A connected device, macOS version, or changed setting can affect whether the option is available. Make sure both fingers contact the surface together and that you are double-tapping rather than sliding.
Swipe between full-screen apps
Place two fingers on the surface and swipe left or right in one continuous motion. macOS moves to the neighboring desktop or full-screen application. This is useful when an app occupies its own full-screen space and you want to move to another space without opening Mission Control.
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- -Nd The Multi-Touch Surface Allows You To Perform Simple Gestures Such As Swiping Between Web Pages And Scrolling Through Documents.
- -Lightning Port
The gesture changes spaces rather than tabs inside an app. For example, it can move from a full-screen browser to a full-screen editor when each occupies a separate space; it does not select the next browser tab. If there is no neighboring desktop or full-screen application, there may be no visible change even when the motion is correctly recognized.
Swipe between pages
Swipe left or right with one finger. In apps that support page navigation, macOS shows the previous or next page, such as moving backward or forward through webpages or document pages.
Open System Settings > Mouse to choose the available page-swipe behavior or turn it off. Because apps decide whether they support the action, a swipe may have no effect in a document, canvas, or interface that does not expose previous-and-next-page navigation. This is a one-finger gesture, so using two fingers invokes the separate full-screen-app action instead.
Use screen-wide zoom with a modifier key
For accessibility magnification, hold the Control key while scrolling with one finger. This zooms the Mac screen rather than only the current webpage or PDF.
- Open Apple menu > System Settings > Accessibility > Zoom.
- Enable Use scroll gesture with modifier keys to zoom.
- Leave the selected modifier as Control unless you have a reason to change it.
- Hold Control and slide one finger on the Magic Mouse to enlarge or reduce the screen view.
This feature must be enabled in Accessibility before the Control-plus-scroll motion works. It is separate from Smart Zoom: Smart Zoom uses a one-finger double-tap and affects supported content, while Accessibility zoom uses a modifier key and scrolls the entire display. Ordinary scrolling remains available when you do not hold the modifier key.
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The Mouse pane includes general pointer settings alongside the six gesture controls. Tracking speed changes how far the pointer travels for a given physical movement. Pointer acceleration changes how pointer response varies between slow and fast movement. These options affect cursor behavior and are not additional finger gestures.
Adjust tracking speed if you repeatedly lift and reposition the mouse to cross the screen, or lower it if precise positioning is difficult. Change pointer acceleration when the cursor feels inconsistent at different movement speeds. Test one setting at a time so you can tell which change affected control. Natural scrolling belongs in this group as well: it changes direction behavior for scrolling, but does not add another motion to the six-gesture list.
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Troubleshoot a gesture that is not working
The gesture is missing from Mouse settings
- Confirm the mouse is a Magic Mouse and is connected wirelessly; Apple says the relevant controls appear when a wireless mouse is connected.
- Check whether the mouse has a USB-C port. That model requires macOS Sequoia 15.1 or later for the listed Multi-Touch gestures.
- Look for the control under Apple menu > System Settings > Mouse, or under System Preferences > Mouse on older macOS.
- Remember that some gestures shown in Apple’s trackpad documentation are not available on a Magic Mouse.
- Inspect the control for an alternate assignment or an off state. A missing response can be a configuration choice rather than a connection failure.
A swipe is interpreted as a click or does nothing
- Keep the finger on the touch surface and move it in one smooth stroke rather than pressing repeatedly.
- Use the correct finger count: one finger for page switching, two for full-screen app switching.
- Try the gesture in an app known to support the action. Page swiping and panning are app-dependent.
- Open Mouse settings and verify that the gesture has not been disabled or assigned a different action.
- Separate a tap from a swipe: a short contact without travel is interpreted differently from a continuous movement across the surface.
Scrolling goes the wrong way
Change Natural scrolling in the Mouse pane. The direction is a preference, so an unexpected result does not by itself indicate a hardware fault. Test both vertical and horizontal movement after changing it, since the setting governs the direction relationship between your finger and the content.
Smart Zoom or Mission Control does not respond
- For Smart Zoom, use a light one-finger double-tap without clicking down.
- For Mission Control, use a two-finger double-tap, not a swipe.
- Check that the corresponding control remains enabled in Mouse settings.
- Test after selecting a normal webpage, PDF, or desktop view; an app can limit what its content supports.
- Do not substitute trackpad pinch or spread instructions; those are separate trackpad-only patterns.
Control-plus-scroll zoom does not work
Open System Settings > Accessibility > Zoom and enable Use scroll gesture with modifier keys to zoom. Without that Accessibility option, Control-plus-scroll is not enabled, even though ordinary scrolling works. Also confirm that you are holding the selected modifier key while sliding one finger, rather than double-tapping for Smart Zoom.
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Choosing the right gesture for common tasks
| Task | Fastest gesture | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Open file or link actions | Secondary click | Displays the contextual menu for the selected item |
| Read farther down a page | One-finger scroll | Moves through content continuously |
| Enlarge a paragraph or PDF area | One-finger double-tap | Uses Smart Zoom on supported content |
| See all open spaces | Two-finger double-tap | Opens Mission Control |
| Move between full-screen workspaces | Two-finger left/right swipe | Changes spaces directly |
| Go to the previous or next page | One-finger left/right swipe | Uses an app’s page-navigation support |
| Magnify the entire display | Control plus one-finger scroll | Uses Accessibility Zoom rather than Smart Zoom |
When a motion conflicts with your workflow, disabling it is often better than changing several unrelated settings. For example, turn off page swiping if horizontal movements in a design or spreadsheet app trigger unwanted navigation, while leaving ordinary scrolling enabled. Likewise, changing the secondary-click side affects only contextual clicking; it does not alter scrolling, zoom, or space navigation.
System Preferences versus System Settings
Apple renamed the main configuration app in macOS Ventura. Current releases use System Settings; older releases use System Preferences. The Mouse pane serves the same purpose, although labels and the arrangement of controls can differ. Follow the wording displayed by your installed macOS version rather than looking for a label that is not present.
On either interface, start by confirming that the Magic Mouse is connected, then review the gesture control before testing. If a setting is unavailable, compare the Mac’s operating-system version and the mouse’s connector type with Apple’s compatibility requirement. This avoids treating a feature that the system cannot offer as a failed gesture.
Once the mouse is recognized and the controls are enabled, the six standard gestures cover contextual actions, document movement, content zoom, workspace management, and page navigation. The separate Accessibility setting adds screen magnification without changing Smart Zoom.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How do I right-click with a Magic Mouse?
Click the configured side of the mouse, normally the right side. To use the left side, open Apple menu > System Settings > Mouse and change Secondary click. You can also hold Control while clicking.
Best Value
- Magic Mouse is wireless and rechargeable, with an optimized foot design that lets it glide smoothly across your desk.
- The Multi-Touch surface allows you to perform simple gestures such as swiping between web pages and scrolling through documents.
- The incredibly long-lasting internal battery will power your Magic Mouse for about a month or more between charges.
- It’s ready to go right out of the box and pairs automatically with your Mac, and it includes a woven USB-C to Lightning Cable that lets you pair and charge by connecting to a USB-C port on your Mac.
- System Requirements: Bluetooth-enabled Mac with OS X 10.11 or later , iPad with iPadOS 13.4 or later.
How do I scroll with a Magic Mouse?
Slide one finger up or down on the touch surface. Move horizontally or diagonally when the document or app supports panning. Change the direction relationship with Natural scrolling in Mouse settings.
How do I switch between full-screen apps?
Swipe left or right with two fingers. The gesture moves between desktops and full-screen application spaces, not between tabs inside an app.
How do I turn off a Magic Mouse gesture?
Open Apple menu > System Settings > Mouse, select the control for the gesture, and choose the available option that disables it. Older macOS versions use System Preferences instead.
Why is my Magic Mouse gesture not working?
Verify that the mouse is connected and recognized, that the gesture is enabled and assigned as expected, and that you are using the correct finger count. Test page swipes and panning in an app that supports them. USB-C Magic Mouse models require macOS Sequoia 15.1 or later for the listed Multi-Touch gestures.
What is the difference between Smart Zoom and Accessibility Zoom?
Smart Zoom is a one-finger double-tap that enlarges or reduces supported webpage or PDF content. Accessibility Zoom magnifies the entire screen and requires enabling Use scroll gesture with modifier keys to zoom under Apple menu > System Settings > Accessibility > Zoom, then holding Control while scrolling.
The Bottom Line
The six standard Magic Mouse gestures are secondary click, one-finger scrolling, one-finger Smart Zoom, two-finger Mission Control, two-finger swiping between full-screen apps, and one-finger swiping between pages. Configure or disable them in the Mouse pane, use Accessibility Zoom separately for whole-screen magnification, and remember that USB-C Magic Mouse models need macOS Sequoia 15.1 or later for these Multi-Touch gestures.
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