How to Right-Click on a Chromebook
It can be quite confusing your first time
Chromebookstypically have a touchpad or trackpad with no (left and right) buttons. A soft tap, touch, or press of the trackpad is equivalent to a left click. If it’s your first time using a buttonless trackpad, right-clicking on your Chromebook can be confusing.
This tutorial will show you how to right-click on your Chromebook using the touchpad and external mouse. We’ll also show you how to troubleshoot mouse and touchpad issues in ChromeOS.
Right-click on the Touchpad
Tapping your Chromebook’s touchpad with two fingers will open the ChromeOS context menu on a webpage and compatible apps.
Alternatively, press and hold theAlt keyon your keyboard and tap/press the touchpad with one finger.
You canpress the trackpad with two fingersto achieve the same result. The context menu should appear on the screen when you hear a click.
Open the Right-Click Menu Using a Touchscreen
If your Chromebook has a touchscreen, you can access the right-click menu without a mouse or trackpad. Interestingly, there’s more than one way to right-click on a Chromebook’s touchscreen.
Tap and hold your screen with one finger for 1-3 seconds. Release your finger when the right-click menu pops up on the screen.
Another way to open the ChromeOS context menu is totap your screen with two fingerssimultaneously.
Use a Wireless or USB Mouse
Many third-party mice (wired and wireless) work with Chromebooks. If there’s a mouse plugged in or connected to your Chromebook, press itsright-click buttonto open the context menu.
Right-click Not Working on Chromebook? Try These Fixes
Foreign particles (dust or dirt) can make your Chromebook’s touchpad unresponsive. Before you try the fixes below, ensure your touchpad is clean and dirt free. Use a clean, dry, and lint-free cloth to wipe your touchpad’s surface, and try right-clicking again.
According to Google, pressing theEsc keyseveral times can also fix touchpad-related problems. Press your Chromebook’sEsc keyrepeatedly for a minute and check if that resolves the issue.
Does your Chromebook fail to open the context menu when you tap the touchpad with two fingers? That could be because “Tap-to-click” is disabled in your Chromebook’s touchpad settings.
Go toSettings>Device>Mouse and touchpadand toggle onEnable tap-to-clickin the “Touchpad” section.
By default, a mouse’s right button is its secondary button, while the left button is the primary button. Right-clicking your touchpad or external mouse won’t produce the desired result if your Chromebook’s mouse button settings are correct.
Go toSettings>Device>Mouse and touchpadand set “Swap primary mouse button” toLeft button.
Shut down your Chromebook and turn it back on if you still can’t right-click on the touchpad or external mouse.
Select the time or Wi-Fi icon in the bottom-right corner of yourChromebook’s screenand select thePower icon.
Wait 5 minutes for your Chromebook to shut down and power it back on. Unlock your device and check if you can right-click with your touchpad or mouse.
Updating your Chromebook’s operating system can fix touchpad or mouse-related malfunctions.
Connect your Chromebook to a Wi-Fior Ethernet network, go toSettings>About ChromeOS, and selectCheck for updates.
Get Clickin’
If you can’t right-click with a USB, Bluetooth, or wired mouse, it likely doesn’t support Chromebooks or ChromeOS. Contact the mouse manufacturer or refer to its instruction manual for usage and compatibility information.
Reset your Chromebookorcontact the manufacturerif you still can’t right-click with the touchpad or external mouse.
Sodiq has written thousands of tutorials, guides, and explainers over the past 4 years to help people solve problems with Android, iOS, Mac, and Windows devices. He also enjoys reviewing consumer tech products (smartphones, smart home devices, accessories, etc.) and binge-watching comedy series in his spare time.Read Sodiq’s Full Bio
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