One click, two clicks: right click, left click

For novices, a mouse is often the easiest way to navigate windows, programs, websites, email, and other computer applications. And, with an understanding of where, when, what, why, and how to use your mouse, you’ll spend less time and energy getting the results you want from your clicks.

The descriptions below assume the default settings on a basic PC mouse for a right-handed person. Note that there are options available to customize a mouse’s settings, so it works differently than described here. You can also get a mouse with additional programmable buttons. And finally, if you’re using a Mac, mouse operation looks a bit different, but we’ll cover that later.

the left click

Left clicking is your main tool for making selections; following hyperlinks; and open folders, documents or programs. It is the most natural click option since right-handed people use the index finger of their right hand to perform it. In fact, if someone tells you to “click” or “double click,” you can usually assume they mean “left click.” The biggest challenge is knowing what to click and how many times. These are some of the most common stumpers:

Radio buttons: Think of these as toggle switches where you can only choose one option, like male or female. You can turn your “mark” on or off with a single click of the left mouse button. If you accidentally click twice, it will leave your mark and delete it too, so left-click only once on a radio button.

Checkboxes: When you are presented with checkboxes, you can click them in any combination. For example, when you order your pizza, make sure you click on pepperoni and sausage and peppers!

hyperlinks: These can appear as URLs, images, buttons, headlines, or text phrases on web pages, emails, and documents. The hyperlink text is usually underlined; however, not all underlined text is a hyperlink, and not all hyperlinks are underlined. So, to confirm if something is a hyperlink, hover your mouse arrow over the top of the image or text and see if it turns into a picture of a hand holding up its index finger. In most cases, this is a good indication that you have found a hyperlink, and a single left click will allow you to follow it, usually to a web page or document.

Dropdown menus: Most software programs and some web pages include drop-down menus for features, usually at the top of the window. A single left click on the menu name will reveal the available options and features. Another simple left click on the option or function of your choice will activate it. Some menu options are toggles, meaning they will turn a feature on or off with your click. Other menu options will open a new window where you can make selections, choose files, or read about other options.

Files, folders, documents and programs: Whether you’re browsing files and folders as icons or text names, on your desktop or in Windows Explorer (the operating system’s archiver), you can almost always assume that opening them will require two quick clicks of the left mouse button. Think of it as a click to select the file, folder, or program quickly followed by another click to open it. “Click, select. Click, open.”

If the two clicks are too long apart, then your second click may activate an edit mode for your selection’s name. You will recognize this mode when a black box appears around the text and the cursor blinks inside it. You can disable this mode by clicking outside the highlighted area on another file or folder or on most blank areas of your screen.

The right click

Right-click is used less often, but it’s extremely useful when you want to know “what are my options here?” From wherever you are, clicking the right mouse button should bring up a pop-up list of currently active features. In most software programs, right-clicking will bring up all of the same options that you would find if you clicked the individual drop-down menus at the top of the window.

I am a mac mouse

If you’re a PC user on an Apple Macintosh desktop or laptop, you might be surprised to find only one mouse button. Apple is on a constant quest to make everything as simple as possible, so its philosophy is “why require two buttons when you can with one?” Therefore, they design user interfaces to work more intuitively and minimize the need for a right click.

Apple also realizes that old habits are hard to break for familiar PC users, so holding down the CTRL key while clicking the single mouse button works like the right mouse button on a PC. . If you’ve “upgraded” to a two-button mouse, you can configure the right mouse button to work on a Mac the same way it does on PC.