There is no Control Panel like in Windows or the old Classic Mac OS systems of years ago. Instead, what macOS has are System Preferences. You can access this from the Apple Menu and selecting the System Preferences… option.

Once you do you’ll see a list of Preferences Panes you can access by using a single mouse click. There are two you can utilise to address your issue, because both the Magic Mouse and Magic Trackpad can be set up to do what you’re calling a right-click.

Below are screenshots of both the Mouse and Trackpad preference panes:

Note that when you look at both these preference panes you will see options for a Secondary click. This is the setting that will enable the right-click you’re looking for.

I suggest while you’re in System Preferences you also have a play with what else is available.

Finally, you may find the Mac tips for Windows switchers site of great interest to you.

Answer from Monomeeth on Stack Exchange
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Apple
support.apple.com › en-hk › guide › mac-help › mh35853 › mac
Right-click on Mac - Apple Support (HK)
Go to the System Settings app on your Mac. Click Mouse or Trackpad in the sidebar. (You may need to scroll down.) Click the “Secondary click” pop-up menu, then choose an option. On a mouse, you can choose to click the right or left side of the mouse surface, whichever is most comfortable ...
Discussions

How To Right Click On Mac - Tips - Ditchnet Forum
I just switched from Windows to a MacBook and I can’t figure out how to right-click without a dedicated right mouse button. I’ve tried tapping the trackpad different ways but nothing seems consistent. Can someone explain the different ways to right-click on a Mac and how to change the settings ... More on ditchnet.org
🌐 ditchnet.org
0
February 16, 2026
Right click using keyboard (no trackpad) - Apple Community
The closest I could get on Mac is either use Command + click or two fingers tap but I still have to use mouse to come to the place where I want to right click. What I am looking for is be able to use use my keyboard from example in mail application to move up and down and without having to ... More on discussions.apple.com
🌐 discussions.apple.com
July 6, 2009
The MacOS keyboard shortcut for a right click—I used to know it. Now I've forgotten it.
Ok so I'm not sure what exactly you mean but, are you looking for Control / Ctrl key? More on reddit.com
🌐 r/MacOS
70
12
May 1, 2024
Is there any way to right click with the keyboard on a mac?

You can use CTRL- click, but maybe that's not what you are looking for?

More on reddit.com
🌐 r/mac
8
2
October 10, 2015
People also ask

What key is right click on Mac?
For using a mouse, you can right click by pressing the key on the right side of the mouse. For the trackpad, you can tap with two fingers at the same time. Another option is to hold the Control key on the keyboard and then left-click with either your mouse or trackpad.
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setapp.com
setapp.com › how-to › right-click-on-a-mac
How to right click on a Mac | Trackpad, mouse, keyboard, iPhone
How do you right-click copy and paste on Mac?
When you right click on Mac in most apps, you have the option to copy or paste content from the clipboard. Just select copy in one app and paste in another. If you’d rather use keyboard shortcuts, it’s Command + C for copy and Command + V for paste.
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setapp.com
setapp.com › how-to › right-click-on-a-mac
How to right click on a Mac | Trackpad, mouse, keyboard, iPhone
What is the right-click menu option?
A pop-up context menu ready to offer quick shortcuts for the actions the developers think users might want.
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setapp.com
setapp.com › how-to › right-click-on-a-mac
How to right click on a Mac | Trackpad, mouse, keyboard, iPhone
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/kingdomsandcastles › how do i right click on mac?
r/KingdomsandCastles on Reddit: How do I right click on Mac?
June 29, 2023 -

Hey all,

I'm new to the game. I was told I have to right-click in order to move troops and diplomates. On a Mac I use control click but it doesn't seem to work. I was wondering if any mac users know how to help with this.

Thanks.

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TeamDynamix
bowdoin.teamdynamix.com › TDClient › 1814 › Portal › KB › Article › 106344 › Right-Click-on-a-Mac
Article - Right-Click on a Mac
If you need to right-click only occasionally, hold down the Control key (labeled Ctrl on a Windows keyboard) and click the mouse or trackpad button. A right-click menu opens where you clicked.
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Avast
avast.com › c-how-to-right-click-on-mac
How to Right-Click on Mac With or Without a Mouse
September 16, 2025 - What’s called right-clicking in Windows is called a secondary click or control-click on Macs — both act as a right click. To control-click, hold down the control key when you click your mouse or tap your trackpad.
Find elsewhere
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Ditchnet Forum
ditchnet.org › tips
How To Right Click On Mac - Tips - Ditchnet Forum
February 16, 2026 - I just switched from Windows to a MacBook and I can’t figure out how to right-click without a dedicated right mouse button. I’ve tried tapping the trackpad different ways but nothing seems consistent. Can someone explain…
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CNET
cnet.com › tech › computing › how to right-click on a mac
How to Right-Click on a Mac - CNET
August 19, 2025 - In the System Settings app, click Mouse in the sidebar · On the right, click the Secondary click pop-up context menu, and choose between “Click Right Side” and “Click Left Side” ... Drag and drop files from the Mac to a mirrored iPhone and vice-versa.Apple/Screenshot by Jeff Carlson/CNET · The other way to right-click on a Mac is simpler but will take some getting used to. This method doesn’t use the Control key and just requires you to tap the trackpad, but with two fingers.
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Setapp
setapp.com › how-to › right-click-on-a-mac
How to right click on a Mac | Trackpad, mouse, keyboard, iPhone
November 4, 2025 - There are multiple ways to right-click on a Mac. Use · Control + Click, right-tap on the Magic Mouse, or perform a two-finger click on the trackpad. Customize your right-click menu for better productivity.
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Apple Support
support.apple.com › guide › imac › magic-mouse-apd292c14df0 › mac
Magic Mouse for iMac - Apple Support
If you want to pair your Magic Mouse using Bluetooth®, see Connect accessories to your Mac. Adjust the tracking and scrolling speed and customize gestures for certain actions—like how to perform a secondary click—and more.
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TeamDynamix
bowdoin.teamdynamix.com › TDClient › 1814 › Portal › KB › ArticleDet
Article - How to right-click on a Mac
This article applies to anyone using a Mac. There are two primary ways to right-click: hold a key while clicking, or enable secondary click on a Magic Mouse or Magic Trackpad.
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PCMAG
pcmag.com › home › how-to › operating systems › macos
How to Right-Click on a Mac Without a Mouse | PCMag
December 2, 2024 - In macOS, the equivalent of a right-click is called a secondary click, which involves holding down the Control button on your keyboard and using the trackpad (or a mouse) to click.
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Apple Community
discussions.apple.com › thread › 2068536
Right click using keyboard (no trackpad) - Apple Community
July 6, 2009 - I guess there aren't many crazy people like me out there 🙂 ... Theoretically, you should be able to turn on Mouse Keys in the Universal Access pane in System Preferences and be able to use the keyboard to achieve a control-click (right click) by pressing fn-control-5.
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/macos › the macos keyboard shortcut for a right click—i used to know it. now i've forgotten it.
r/MacOS on Reddit: The MacOS keyboard shortcut for a right click—I used to know it. Now I've forgotten it.
May 1, 2024 -

Spoiler: look ahead for what pressing ⌃-⏎ (control - return) is intended to accomplish.

I'm writing a reddit post for here, I mistype a word, and I get the little, red, squiggly, misspelling line.

(After having fixed it, I'd edited it. “Edited it.” Say that quickly three or more times. 0K. Back on point.)

Moving the cursor to the word, I press the tab button—which, interestingly works for Chrome on MacOS for Gmail, but that's due to Gmail's client injecting its own life ring—but no joy.

In Windows, of course, it's obviously Shift-F10—which, intuitively, makes total sense, in a completely natural way <sarcasm>—but on Mac? It's… I don't remember.

Google is usually my friend, but in this case, Google has abandoned me. *sigh*

I battled with using “Mac” versus “MacOS” in the title because I wasn't sure if it was a feature that was done globally as a MacOS thing, or if it was somehow partitioned into puzzle piece subdivisions of the OS and depended on which field of the farm needed work that day, requiring different keypresses for different parts of the OS.

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Splashtop Business
support-splashtopbusiness.splashtop.com › hc › en-us › articles › 4402346146701-How-to-right-click-when-connecting-from-Mac-to-Windows
How to right-click when connecting from Mac to Windows – Splashtop Business - Support
April 22, 2026 - Control-click Control-click is similar to the right-click on Windows PC. Press and hold the Control key while clicking the mouse. ... To configure right-click/secondary click with Trackpad, please go to Apple menu > System Preferences > Trackpad
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Quora
quora.com › How-do-I-fix-the-right-click-on-a-Mac
How to fix the right click on a Mac - Quora
Answer (1 of 6): How do you want to fix it? If you’re using a one-button mouse or a non-Apple trackpad, you can use control-click to get contextual menus, or anything you’d use for right click, with a two button mouse. If you want a two button mouse, any usual USB two button mouse (or three, ...
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Macworld
macworld.com › home › desktop pcs
How to right-click on a Mac or MacBook | Macworld
May 14, 2025 - One way to right-click on a Mac is to press the Ctrl (or Control) key when you tap the mouse button or the trackpad. Don’t confuse the Ctrl key with the Option (or Alt) key.