So you’re there, staring at your laptop screen, a sleek 2025 model no doubt, and you need to get that little menu to pop up. The one with ‘copy’ and ‘paste’.
You poke at the mousepad. Nothing. You press harder. Still nothing. It’s a moment we’ve all had, a weirdly modern problem that feels like it should have been solved ages ago.
You’re trying to right click on a mousepad. It sounds simple. It should be simple. But sometimes, it really, really isn’t. The thing is that different computers have different ways of doing it.
This whole guide is about sorting that out. We’re going to go over the main ways to do it, what to do if it’s not working and how to make it work the way you want it to.
What Even Is a Right Click Anyway?
A right click is basically a secret menu. Officially, it’s called a “context menu” because what shows up depends on the context of where you clicked.
Click on a file, you get options like “Open” or “Delete”. Click on a picture on a website, you might get “Save Image As”. It’s a shortcut to common actions.
The name comes from old-school mice. You know the ones. They had two buttons, a left one and a right one. The main click was the left, and the special menu click was the right.
But mousepads, or trackpads as some people call them, usually don’t have two separate buttons you can see. It’s just one big rectangle. That’s where all the confusion starts.
The Main Ways to Right Click on a Mousepad
Okay so let’s get down to it. There are normally a few standard methods that work on most modern laptops, whether you’re using Windows, a Mac, or something else. One of them will probably be the one for you.
The Two-Finger Tap: Your Go-To Move
This is the big one. It is pretty much the universal standard today for getting a right click on a mousepad. It’s the method that most manufacturers have decided is the main way.
How do you do it? Simple.
Just take two fingers, any two will do but your index and middle are easiest, and tap them on the touchpad at the same time. Don’t press and hold, just a quick tap.
Like a single click, but with an extra finger. That should bring up your menu. It works on almost all Windows laptops and all MacBooks made in the last decade. It is considered to be the default.
If this doesn’t work, don’t worry. It might just be turned off in your settings. We’ll get to that later on. But first, try the other physical method.
Using the Bottom Corner of the Pad
Remember how old laptops had two distinct, clicky buttons below the touchpad? Well, a lot of modern ones still have that idea built in, it’s just hidden.
On many touchpads, the entire surface can be pushed down to make a clicking noise. It feels like one big button.
But the pad is often divided into zones you can’t see. The bottom-right corner is typically set up to act like a right click.
So, try this: move your cursor where you want it, then press down firmly on the bottom-right corner of your mousepad until it physically clicks.
Some people prefer this because you get that clicky feeling, which is satisfying. Others find it awkward to reach for the corner.
This is more common on Windows machines. MacBooks haven’t really had a dedicated right-click corner for a very long time, they prefer you use gestures.
The Old-School Control-Click (Mostly for Mac People)
This one is a holdover from way back. For Mac users this is kind of the classic move before gestures were a big thing. It’s a keyboard-and-mousepad combo.
Here’s the deal: hold down the Control key on your keyboard. While you’re still holding it down, perform a normal single-finger click on the trackpad.
Voila. A right click menu should appear. This is a super reliable method on macOS and it works almost everywhere on the system.
For Windows users, this is less of a thing. Holding Control while clicking usually does something else entirely, like selecting multiple files. So it’s not a great habit to get into on a Windows machine.
What if My Right Click Isn’t Working? (Troubleshooting)
So you’ve tapped with two fingers. You’ve clicked the corner. Nothing’s happening. First of all dont panic. This is usually a settings issue, not a broken computer issue.
Your laptop’s operating system lets you change how the touchpad behaves. It’s possible the feature you want is just turned off.
For Windows 10 & 11 Users:
The settings are usually in the same spot.
Go to your Settings app. You can find it in the Start Menu.
Click on “Bluetooth & devices”.
Then find and click on “Touchpad”.
In here, you’ll see a section probably called “Taps” or “Gestures”.
Make sure the option for “Tap with two fingers to right-click” is checked. You can also set what the corners of the touchpad do here.
For Mac Users:
Apple calls it a Trackpad, not a Touchpad, but it’s the same thing.
Open up “System Settings” (it used to be called System Preferences).
Find “Trackpad” in the list on the side.
Look under the “Point & Click” tab.
There’s an option called “Secondary Click”. Make sure it’s turned on.
You can even choose how you want to do it. The options are usually “Click or tap with two fingers” or “Click in bottom right corner”.
Sometimes the problem can be drivers. That’s the software that tells your hardware how to work. Making sure your system is up to date is a good idea.
Customizing Your Mousepad for a Better Life
While you’re in those settings, you should poke around. You dont have to stick with the default options that your laptop came with. This is your computer after all.
Maybe you find the two-finger tap annoying. You can turn it off. Maybe you want a three-finger tap to do something else entirely, like open the search bar. You can often change that.
You can also change things like pointer speed and sensitivity. If you find the cursor flying across the screen too fast, you can slow it down. It’s all about making the machine work for you.
Spending just five minutes in your touchpad or trackpad settings can make using your laptop so much less frustrating. It’s worth doing.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q1: How do you right click on a mousepad that has no buttons?
The most common way is the two-finger tap. Just tap two fingers on the surface at the same time. If that doesn’t work, check your touchpad settings in Windows or macOS to make sure the gesture is enabled.
Q2: Why is my two-finger right click not working on Windows 11?
This is almost always a settings issue. Go to Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Touchpad. Open the “Taps” section and make sure “Tap with two fingers to right-click” has a checkmark next to it. If it’s on but not working, a system update might fix it.
Q3: Can I right click on a Chromebook touchpad?
Yes, absolutely. A two-finger tap is the standard way to right click on a Chromebook, just like on Windows and Mac. You can also hold down the Alt key and do a regular one-finger tap to get a right click.
Q4: What’s the real difference between a touchpad and a trackpad?
Basically nothing. They are the same thing. Apple has always called their device a “Trackpad,” while most other companies that use Windows call it a “Touchpad.” They both refer to the touch-sensitive rectangle you use to move your cursor.
Key Takeaways
Look, getting the hang of a mousepad is just a bit of muscle memory. After a while you won’t even think about it.
Here’s the short version of everything:
The Two-Finger Tap: This is your best bet. It’s the standard on almost every modern laptop. Tap, don’t press.
The Corner Click: Try pressing down on the bottom-right corner of the mousepad. If it clicks and a menu pops up, that’s your answer.
Check Your Settings: If nothing works, the feature is probably just turned off. Dive into your system settings for “Touchpad” or “Trackpad” and turn it on.
Make It Yours: Don’t forget you can change these gestures. Set up your touchpad in a way that feels natural to you.
