How to Right-Click Without a Mouse on Windows and Mac

To right-click without a mouse, open the context menu from the keyboard. On Windows, select an item and press Shift+F10. On a Mac, use the Contextual Menu key on a supported Magic Keyboard. If you need to move the pointer first, turn on Mouse Keys and set up the right-click action for your system.

If an external mouse has failed but a MacBook’s trackpad still works, hold Control while clicking, or use the trackpad’s secondary-click gesture if it is enabled.

Right-click on Windows with a keyboard

Give the target keyboard focus first. In File Explorer, use the arrow keys to select a file or folder. In other apps, use Tab or the arrow keys to reach the control or item. Press Shift+F10 to open its context menu, use the arrow keys to choose a command, then press Enter. Press Esc to close the menu.

A keyboard with a Menu or Context key can open the same menu for the focused item. The key is often near the right-side Alt and Ctrl keys and may show a small menu icon, but many laptops omit it. If F10 is mapped to a media control, try Fn+Shift+F10.

If no menu appears, select the target again. The shortcut opens a menu for the focused item, not for an arbitrary screen location, and shortcut behavior can vary by app.

Use Mouse Keys to right-click in Windows

Mouse Keys moves the pointer with a numeric keypad. In Windows 11, press Windows+U, select Mouse under Interaction, and turn on Mouse keys. Use Tab and the arrow keys to reach the switch if you are navigating without a pointer. In Windows 10, find it under Settings > Ease of Access > Mouse.

Use the numeric keypad, not the number row above the letters, to move the pointer:

To right-click, move the pointer over the target, press keypad minus (-) to select the right button, then press 5. The selected button stays active until changed. Press keypad slash (/) to switch back to left-click. This method requires a numeric keypad; otherwise use Shift+F10.

See Microsoft’s Windows keyboard shortcuts and its Mouse Keys instructions for the official key mappings.

Right-click on a Mac without a mouse

Apple calls a right-click a secondary click or Control-click. If you have a Magic Keyboard with Touch ID and Numeric Keypad (USB-C), Apple documents a Contextual Menu key below F13 that opens a shortcut menu. Focus an item with the keyboard, then press that key. It is specific to this keyboard, so other Mac keyboards may not have it.

For details, see Apple’s Mac right-click guide.

Use Mouse Keys for keyboard-only right-clicking on Mac

Open System Settings > Accessibility > Pointer Control, then turn on Mouse Keys. To get to Settings with the keyboard, press Command+Space, type “System Settings,” and press Enter. Use Tab and the arrow keys to navigate.

Mouse Keys moves the pointer with keypad 7, 8, 9, 4, 6, 1, 2, 3; without a keypad, Apple lists 7, 8, 9, U, O, J, K, L. Press keypad 5 or letter I for a regular click.

A regular Mouse Keys click is not a right-click. In Pointer Control, turn on Alternate pointer actions, open its options, and assign a key to Right-click. Move the pointer to the target with Mouse Keys, then press your assigned key. Apple explains how to use Mouse Keys and customize Pointer Control.

While Mouse Keys is on, the keyboard or numeric keypad cannot enter text. Turn it off in Pointer Control when finished, or use Accessibility Shortcuts to toggle it.

Which method should you use?

For a one-time context menu, start with Shift+F10 on Windows or the dedicated Contextual Menu key on a supported Mac keyboard. Choose Mouse Keys when the target needs pointer positioning or keyboard-based pointer control is more comfortable. The available menu commands depend on the selected item and app.