Adding a right mouse button to a Macbook

This shows you how to add a right mouse button to a Macbook's trackpad -- click the left side of the existing button, that's left click, click the right and that's right click. Works in Windows, Linux and Leopard.

Step 1: Find the electronics

While you don't have to take the top panel out (especially on a Macbook Pro) since you can reach through the battery hole, I find it's easier to do so. If you don't, make sure to disconnect power!
Make sure you have plenty of light to work. This modification requires only a few soldering joints (as few as two) but one of them can be pretty difficult to do, so be sure you can see what you're doing.

Remove the transparent plastic that protects the circuitry; it can go back on later.

Comments

[gmichaelt]

One Finger Snap (" is a Preference Pane that brings up the contextual menu whenever you click and hold down the mouse button. This means that you can do everything with a single-button mouse that you can do with a 2-button mouse." Once installed, and with 'enable access for assistive devices' turned on in the Universal Access system preference and 'tap to click' turned on in Trackpad, a prolonged mouse-down on the trackpad will bring up the contextual menu. Functionally, that's a right-click in your current context (RMB, effectively). You can set the delay before the menu appears i.e. the length of time required of the mouse-down. Generally, you want the delay to be ~.5 seconds, but it's tolerable at ~.75 or even 1.0 seconds. Obviously, this also works with a mouse button--should you ever come across a USB mouse with only a single button (they do exist).

[jeff-o]

Hmmm, sharp pictures would really be helpful here.

[spiritplumber]

I only have a cellphone for a camera at the moment :) do you have any suggestions? I thought about making the photos into drawings.

[gmichaelt]

Take the lens from a dead optical drive, judiciously mount it in a convenient holder, and secure that holder to the cell phone, directly over the lens of the phone... There's an instructible showing how that can be done, I believe. Haven't tried it myself--I don't have a cellphone.

[jeff-o]

Hmmm, aside from getting a dedicated camera I'm not sure what to suggest. I suppose the photos you have are about as good as it gets for a cell phone camera - they're not so great for macro shots! Vector drawings could help too, though that's a lot of work. I think that one ought to be enough, just to show where everything is. That should help people get aligned, then they can follow the written instructions more easily.

[spiritplumber]

Thanks, good point :) I'll do that after work today.

[Kittymew]

Work kinda never ended today, sorry about that; I'll try to remind her about the vector drawings, we had a rough day.

[kelseymh]

System Preferences -> Trackpad -> [X] Secondary Click {Bottom Right Corner}

[ez4u2sa67]

i think that only for the new (late 2008) macbooks.

[daveismith]

While this approach may only work on the unibody, I use the System Preferences > Trackpad > For secondary clicks, place two fingers on the trackpad then click the button option on a mid-2007 laptop. It works like a charm, I don't have to try and get my thumb over to the right hand side of the click button. When I'm at work using my windows laptop I find that I miss this feature (even though I've got two buttons). This works in both Mac OS X and Windows (Bootcamp). I don't know if there's an option in a linux driver for this though.

[cody777]

same here

[willrandship]

What a headache for something that should have been included. How could anyone play minecraft on that? :P

[PSPerson]

I do it all the time, It isn't too bad once you get used to it. Although, I do prefer my mouse, the trackpad is the most inconspicuous for in-class gaming.

[kelseymh]

Okay. Given the posting date, it wasn't obvious that the author was referencing an older model. (Hey, spiritplumber, do you want to add a note in the topic text about which models your solution applies?). Sorry for the confusion.

[phant0m_sp00f3ra]

exactly, that only works with a 5,1 "Unibody"

[spiritplumber]

This works on 2006 to 2008 macbook pro's. it will also work on the macbook air but the circuitboard is slightly different (the test point is in the same place though). Mine is a 2007 model.

[phant0m_sp00f3ra]

yeah your hack do works in all, but the Systtem preferences > trackpad > seconadry click bottom only works in the new buttoneless trackpad

[willrandship]

Doesn't mac have a left handed mouse option? If you reverse the joints, just use that.

[bidwellian]

How about making a 3 button mouse?

[Max Headroom]

Dude! Buy a decent digicam with macro mode before make a thing like this, please!

[cflowers]

Great hack! I featured it on The Daily Hack. Keep hacking, modding and building! :)

Charlie Flowers
DailyHack.net
twitter.com/charlie

[Jonas714]

A software workaround is also available for the older MBP's. System Preferences -> Trackpad -> Select 'Tap Trackpad using two fingers for secondary click'. Which essentially means if you rest two fingertips on the trackpad the button triggers a right click, or tapping with two fingers triggers a right click. Is tearing apart your MBP for this really necessary?

[spiritplumber]

Well, a lot of people complain about the lack of a RMB on macs... this is a simple way to add one. And you don't in fact even have to take it apart, you can do everything through the battery hole -- on a macbook pro anyway. I took mine apart because the fans needed cleaning anyway. I hope to release a kit that will fit right under the trackpad chassis and will not require soldering at some point.

[vcolombo]

How about the two finger right click in trackpad preferences? Works great for me. In fact I find it easier than trying to hit a secondary trackpad button with my thumb. I take it the author of the instructable didn't like that option for some reason.