How to use mouse keys to navigate your computer with only your keyboard

The mouse, trackpad and pointing stick (the rubber gadget in the middle of the keyboard) are crucial to computer use, and it is hard to imagine how to operate without them. So when they fail (the button is stuck or completely invalid), the computer seems to be scrap iron. Fortunately, that is not the case. In fact, with the help of appropriate keyboard shortcuts, including "mouse keys", you don't need a mouse or trackpad at all and may even find yourself preferring to use the keyboard.

Why can the keyboard also act as a mouse?

Modern computing has long relied on keyboard navigation, and the earliest version was almost an additional typewriter. The manufacturer ended up adding the "Home", "End", "Page Up" and "Page Down" keys to make it less laborious to browse a lot of information. As the computer takes on new tasks, more dedicated keys have emerged over time, including "Alt" and "Command". Still, the keyboard changes are very small, and decades-old models may be fully compatible with today's operating systems.

The keyboard is also designed to protect your wrist. Although the mouse provides more precision than the keyboard's capabilities, performing small and precise movements of certain mouse moving muscles for a long time can cause pain and other discomfort in your hands and wrists. Therefore, keyboard and keyboard shortcuts are very important for computer users with motion control or flexibility issues. Whoever you are, you may find that putting your hands on the keyboard for a few hours a day will make you more efficient and comfortable.

Common keyboard navigation shortcuts

So if your mouse or trackpad is broken, or you just don't want to use it, you need to be familiar with the commonly used shortcuts. Most programs, regardless of the operating system or browser you are using, allow you to jump between screen options in sequence using the Tab keys, press the Enter key to start the command, And use the arrow keys to scroll. Meanwhile, Home and End will usually bring you to the top or bottom of the page respectively. Each operating system has its own shortcut keys, so please pay attention to the operating system you use most.

Cross-platform applications like Google Chrome also tend to use the same shortcut keys, regardless of the user's operating system, but their developers must adapt to the characteristics of computer manufacturers. For example, Mac users will open a new tab with Command T, while Windows or Linux users will press Ctrl T. Although there may be many similarities, you should not assume that one shortcut key can be converted to another program.

[Related: Master your Mac with custom keyboard shortcuts]

After determining your most commonly used programs, prepare a list of shortcut keys and practice using them. They are usually a little faster than using a mouse, especially if you do something often, such as returning to your Google search results and trying the next link.

Activate the mouse button on Windows 10 or 11

To enable the mouse button in Windows 10 or 11, press Win I to open Settings. Depending on the operating system you have, subsequent options will vary:

• Windows 10: Go to Easy to and scroll down to Mouse. Open Use the keyboard to control the mouse.
• Windows 11: Click Accessibility and scroll down to find Mouse. Click it and open the toggle switch next to the mouse button at the top of the window. Adjust any other options you prefer.

Now you can get started, but it is important to note that if you have a separate keyboard on the right side of the keyboard, the mouse keys are most likely to work. If you have a small laptop that is missing a small keyboard, you can still enable the mouse keys, but they may not work. Try it a little and see if your computer allows you to navigate with your keyboard.

If possible, the numbers 1 to 9 will control different directions: 8 is up, 2 is down, 4 is left, and 6 is right. 7, 9, 1 and 3 are as diagonals. 5 means left-click, and right-click press

plus key . You can enable or disable this type of navigation control using left Shift Left Alt digital lock. Need to enter numbers on the keyboard? The digital lock will, uh, lock it to enter the number.

Enable full keyboard access on macOS

For Apple computers, the mouse keys can be activated via "Full Keyboard Access", which does not require a numeric keypad. This is a good thing because these little keyboards are very optional accessories on your Mac.

[Related: 38 Advanced Mac keyboard shortcuts to enhance your workflow]

To enable this feature on macOS Ventura, go to the

Apple menu , select System Settings , and then select Accessibility . Under the Sport title, click Keyboard and then open the toggle switch next to Full keyboard access at the top. If you are using an older version of Apple operating system, you can navigate to the Apple menu>System Preferences>Keyboard>Shortcut keys>All controls to find this option. After this is done, you will enable the mouse button. If your Mac doesn't have a numeric keypad, take some time to practice. You will use the numeric key row at the top of the keyboard, but it will have the same navigation layout as the keyboard: 8 is up, 2 is down, 4 is left, 6 is right, 1, 7, 9 and 3 as pairs Corner line. It feels strange at first, but it works.

Enable Ubuntu's mouse button

Unlike most operating systems, Linux allows you to give up on your desktop altogether and use the command line interface (CLI) to perform all operations, running your code directly. Simply press Ctrl Alt T to open the terminal or press Alt F2 to open the Run application window (if you already know which program you need). However, if you don't want to do that, it's still easy to enable the mouse button.

First, if you have a numeric lock key, press Ctrl Shift numeric lock and press the numeric keys to see if the pointer moves. If so, then you're done setting up. If not, press Ctrl Alt Tab or Super if you have one. This will open the activity. If you have Ubuntu installed on your Windows laptop, use the Windows key. Select Set , and then select General Access . Under Point and click , you will find the Mouse key . Press the Enter key to turn it on, and you are done setting it up.

This story has been updated. It was originally released on June 24, 2019.

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