How To Right-Click With The Keyboard In Windows

I find myself right-clicking on my computer all the time, so I started to wonder how to do it with the keyboard. Turns out, there are a few ways to right-click with the keyboard.

Why Should You Right-Click With the Keyboard Instead of the Mouse?

You might be surprised to learn that the keyboard is a more efficient tool for highlighting text than the mouse.

With a mouse, you’re limited by how far your arm can reach and must use the mouse to click and drag around the text.

With a keyboard, you can highlight with just one finger and then move it quickly to another place.

So, accessibility or mobility is the number one reason why should you right-click with the keyboard.

The second consideration is hardware-related. Your mouse or trackpad is just hardware and it can stop working one day for no reason. So, when such failure occurs, then you need to use the keyboard until new hardware arrives or it’s fixed.

Turn on Mouse Keys in Windows 10

Windows 10 offers a feature called Mouse Keys. This feature is designed to allow users who do not have access to a mouse or other pointing device to still use Windows 10. Here is how to activate it:

STEP 1: Click on the Start and open the Settings app.

STEP 2: Select the Ease of Access.

STEP 3: Scroll down and then click on the Mouse in the left sidebar.

STEP 4: Under the Control your mouse with a keypad section, turn on the Mouse Keys.

Once you activate Mouse Keys, you can use the numerical keypad to move the cursor instead of the mouse.

The / and * and – on the numeric keypad are now the mouse buttons. The – is now functioning as the right-click button of the mouse.

Is There a Keyboard Shortcut for Right-click?

So how will you manage your PC without a mouse? There are two basic shortcuts that are acting as a right-click of the mouse.

SHIFT + F10 is a shortcut for right-click. The next thing you should try is to hold the document key on your keyboard (if there the document key is).

How do I right click on a laptop?

With a laptop, it’s easy to right-click using the trackpad. You can also use a second mouse or touchpad or you can use the function keys.

You can also use the same shortcut as on the computer – hold down Shift and press F10 to right-click.

What is The Purpose of Right-click Anyway?

The right-click is the computer mouse button that executes an action when you click on something with your mouse.

This includes selecting, dragging, dropping, opening links, and more.

The right-click does not execute any action by default; however, it can be changed to perform different commands depending on the software you are using.