Meowse
Download Back and forward, out of the box
Install Meowse and the side buttons work right away: the back button presses ⌘[ and the forward button presses ⌘], the keys Mac apps use to go back and forward. That covers Safari, Chrome, Firefox, Finder and most other apps with a history.
In some code editors ⌘[ and ⌘] indent instead. If you use one, give the buttons another shortcut, as below.
Give any button a job
Open Settings → Hotkeys. Under Mouse buttons, click Add a Button or Side Wheel, then press the button or turn the side wheel on your mouse. Choose an action for it, or Record Shortcut… and press any key combination.
| Action | Presses | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Back | ⌘[ | Goes back in browsers, Finder and most apps |
| Forward | ⌘] | Goes forward again |
| Previous Tab | ⌃⇧⇥ | Switches to the tab on the left |
| Next Tab | ⌃⇥ | Switches to the tab on the right |
| Mission Control | ⌃↑ | Shows every open window |
| App Windows | ⌃↓ | Shows the current app’s windows |
| Space Left | ⌃← | Moves one Space left |
| Space Right | ⌃→ | Moves one Space right |
A button with an action does only that, instead of what it normally does. Remove the action and it works as before. To turn them all off at once, switch off Use extra buttons as shortcuts.
Side wheels
Mice with a thumb wheel can use each direction as a shortcut: turn it left for the previous tab and right for the next, for example. Each turn presses the shortcut once, however many notches it covers, so a quick flick doesn’t skip ahead.
Buttons as scroll hotkeys
Any extra button can also change how the wheel scrolls while you hold it. In Settings → Hotkeys, click Scroll faster, Scroll sideways or Scroll without smoothing and press the button: hold it and roll the wheel to scroll faster, scroll sideways or skip the glide.
Questions
Which mice work?
Any mouse with extra buttons, wired or wireless, from any brand. If your mouse’s own software turns its buttons into keystrokes, turn that off so Meowse sees them as buttons.
Do I need my mouse’s own software?
No. Meowse reads the buttons as macOS reports them, so there’s nothing else to install.
Can the middle button open Mission Control?
Yes. Add the middle button under Mouse buttons in Settings → Hotkeys and choose Mission Control. Any of the actions, or a shortcut you record, works the same way.
Does it work with the Magic Mouse or a trackpad?
They have no extra buttons, so there’s nothing to set. Gestures keep working as they always have.