How to change the scroll direction on a Mac

2 min read · 4 steps · Updated 2 October 2026

On a Mac the page follows your fingers: push two fingers up and the content moves up, as on a phone. Apple calls this natural scrolling. People who come from Windows often prefer the opposite direction.

These steps are for recent versions of macOS, where the settings app is called System Settings. The pictures are our own screenshots from macOS Tahoe 26 on a MacBook Pro.

Step by step

1. 

   Open System Settings and click Trackpad

   Click the Apple menu, then System Settings. Trackpad is near the bottom of the sidebar, so scroll down.

   Done

2. 

   Click the Scroll & Zoom tab

   The Trackpad page has three tabs: Point & Click, Scroll & Zoom and More Gestures.

   Done

3. 

   Switch Natural scrolling off

   With the switch on, the content moves in the same direction as your fingers. With it off, scrolling works the way it does on most Windows laptops.

   Done

4. Test it

   Open a long web page and scroll with two fingers. Change the switch back if it feels wrong.

   Done

Good to know

If you use a mouse, open Mouse in the sidebar. It has its own Natural scrolling switch.

The Point & Click tab has two more settings that newcomers often look for: Tap to click, and Secondary click for the right-click.

Which options you see depends on the Mac model and on the trackpad or mouse that is connected.

More on the right-click: how to right-click on a Mac.

In short: System Settings, Trackpad, Scroll & Zoom, Natural scrolling.