How to Change Scroll Direction on Mac

Normally when you scroll on your Mac, it is inverted. This means when you use the two-finger gesture and scroll up, the page moves down and vice versa. However, sometimes it might be necessary to change the scroll direction on your Mac if you notice that your mouse is scrolling reverse or for some game.

To change the scroll direction on Mac using the Mouse or the trackpad on your system. Click on the Apple logo and open System Preference. Tap on either the Mouse or Trackpad tab. Now, go to Scroll and Zoom section. Here uncheck the box beside Scroll Direction. You can do the same steps on both the Mouse and Trackpad section, whichever you are currently using.

This article details how you can change the scroll direction on your Mac, along with a few other helpful tips and tricks. Keep reading to find out more.

Table of Contents

How to Change Scroll Direction on Mac?

The method to change the scroll direction on Mac is rather simple. Follow the steps given below to see how it is done.

Open System Preferences by clicking the Apple logo on the Menu bar or using the shortcut on the dock.
Click on the Mouse or Trackpad tab, depending on which of the two you use.
Now, click on the Scroll & Zoom tab.
Uncheck the box next to the Scroll Direction option; this will reverse the direction of the scroll on your Mac. You’ll be able to see how it works with the help of the live preview provided on the right side of the window.

If you want to revert to the natural scroll function, check the box again and reset it to the original one.

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Why Can’t I Scroll Using My Mouse?

If you use an external mouse like Apple’s Magic Mouse, your Mac might sometimes miss or not recognize the gestures you’re trying to use.

Hence, ensure that the battery is charged up. Sometimes, when it is low, the mouse may malfunction, or some of its features might stop functioning properly.

Furthermore, charging the mouse back usually resolves most issues it faces unless it is a hardware issue.

How do you Scroll Left & Right on Mac?

Many users trying out macOS for the first time might be a little confused about how the trackpad or mouse gestures function. You can do many things with the trackpad, along with several adjustments that can be made per your preferences.

So to start things off, if you want to scroll up or down on a webpage, you need to use two fingers and slide them up or down on the trackpad. Similarly, if you move a page left or right, you need to use the same two-finger gesture but move them side to side depending on where you want to move the page.

As you must know by now, the scrolling direction on Mac is reversed so that it follows the natural direction of your fingers. However, you can change this using the abovementioned method.

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Can I Scroll Using the Spacebar on Mac?

Yes, you can also use the spacebar to scroll on your Mac. However, it could be more finely tuned and can be used to skip large portions of the page at once. This is something that users coming from Windows might find similar as the spacebar can also be used to scroll in Windows systems.

All you need to do is hit the space bar, and the page will scroll down a couple of paces; it is also great if you want to reach the bottom of a page quickly. If you’re going to scroll upwards, hold down the Shift button and press the Spacebar.

Scrolling Using The Keyboard on Mac

You can also scroll up and down on a page using the keyboard keys on Mac. However, you can only scroll up and down. You cannot scroll sideways using this method. You can also hold down the Command key to scroll right to the top or bottom of a page.

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How to Use Right-Click on Mac?

You must’ve noticed that no matter where you click on Mac’s trackpad, it will select the file if you use a single finger; unlike Windows systems, if you right-click on the trackpad, it will open up more options.

To do this on Mac, you can either use the two-finger gesture or hold down the Control key and click on the file to display the contextual options.

This can be changed by going into the System Preferences. Head over to the Trackpad tab and click on Point & Click.

Now, select the small chevron below the Secondary Click option and select Click in the bottom right corner option. Enabling this option will let you use the traditional right-click by clicking on the bottom right corner of the trackpad.

How to Reset Apple Mouse?

Since you now know the methods and steps you can follow to change the scroll direction, you might want to make other changes to your Mouse settings.

Or if you believe your mouse isn’t functioning properly, you can reset it for a smoother experience. Refer to the steps provided below to see how it is done.

Open System Preferences from the Menu bar or uses the dock shortcut.
Now click on the Mouse tab or the Trackpad tab, depending on your use.
Click on Point & Click
Check the box next to the Secondary Click option.
Click on the small chevron below the Secondary Click option and choose which of the options you want to use. You can choose whether you wish to use the right or left part of the mouse to trigger the action.
Use the slider below the Tracking speed option to adjust the speed at which your mouse moves across the screen.

Conclusion

That’s it for this article, folks; now you know how to change the scroll direction on Mac, along with a few other tips and tricks. Apple’s trackpad has very intuitive gestures that make the entire experience feel buttery smooth. Once you get the hang of the gestures and features, you might find it difficult to use any trackpad other than Apple’s.