Mac trackpad gestures: the full list and how to change them

2 min read · 8 steps · Updated 3 October 2026

Short answer

On a Mac trackpad, tap or click with two fingers to right-click, slide two fingers to scroll and pinch with two fingers to zoom. Swipe up with four fingers for Mission Control and sideways with four fingers to change desktops. You can change each gesture under System Settings, Trackpad.

The trackpad on a MacBook, and the separate Magic Trackpad, understand far more than pointing and clicking. A handful of gestures replaces most of the buttons and keys you would otherwise reach for. Here is the whole list, sorted by the number of fingers.

Menu names are from recent versions of macOS, where the settings app is called System Settings.

Step by step

  1. One finger

    Tap with one finger to click, if Tap to click is switched on. Otherwise press the trackpad down until it clicks.

  2. Two fingers: click, scroll and zoom

    Click or tap with two fingers for a secondary click (right-click). Slide two fingers up or down to scroll. Pinch two fingers together or apart to zoom out or in. Double-tap with two fingers for smart zoom, which enlarges a web page or PDF and shrinks it again. Move two fingers around each other to rotate a photo.

  3. Two fingers: pages and notifications

    Swipe left or right with two fingers to go back or forward a page, for example in Safari. Swipe left from the right edge of the trackpad with two fingers to open Notification Center.

  4. Three fingers

    Tap with three fingers to look up a word or get a preview of a link, where that gesture is switched on. With three-finger drag switched on, you move windows and select text by sliding three fingers, without pressing.

  5. Four fingers

    Swipe up with four fingers to open Mission Control, which shows all open windows. Swipe down with four fingers to see all windows of the current app (App Exposé). Swipe left or right with four fingers to move between desktops and full-screen apps.

  6. Thumb and three fingers

    Spread your thumb and three fingers apart to push all windows aside and show the desktop. Pinch them together to show your apps.

  7. Change or switch off a gesture

    Choose Apple menu, System Settings and click Trackpad in the sidebar. The tabs Point & Click, Scroll & Zoom and More Gestures list every gesture with a short video. Switch one off, or change the number of fingers.

  8. Turn on three-finger drag

    This one is in a different place: System Settings, Accessibility, Pointer Control, Trackpad Options. Switch on the dragging option and choose Three-Finger Drag.

Good to know

Several gestures can be set to three or four fingers. If one in this list does not react on your Mac, look in the Trackpad settings to see which is selected.

On a Magic Mouse: click on the right side for a secondary click, slide one finger to scroll, double-tap with one finger for smart zoom, double-tap with two fingers for Mission Control, and swipe with two fingers to move between full-screen apps.

Related: how to right-click on a Mac, how to change the scroll direction on a Mac and how to use Mission Control and multiple desktops on a Mac.

In short: Two fingers: right-click, scroll, zoom, back and forward. Four fingers: up for Mission Control, sideways for desktops. Thumb and three fingers apart: desktop. Change them under System Settings, Trackpad.

Sources
  • Apple Support: Use Multi-Touch gestures on Mac (102482)

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