MeowseWhy a mouse wheel feels jumpy
A scroll wheel turns in steps called notches. macOS turns each notch into a single scroll of a few lines, so the page jumps from one position to the next with nothing in between. A trackpad sends a stream of small movements instead, which is why it looks smooth.
macOS has no system-wide setting to change how a wheel scrolls. Meowse adds one.
How Meowse smooths it
- Each notch becomes a glide of a set distance, 100 points by default, that eases out over about half a second.
- Spin the wheel faster and each notch goes farther, so long pages are quick to cover without the scroll running away.
- Glides are drawn at your display’s refresh rate and feel the same at 60, 120 and 144 Hz.
- Turn the wheel the other way and the glide changes direction at once. A click stops it.
- Every glide lands on the exact distance, so scrolling stays predictable.
Make it feel right
Everything is in Settings → Scrolling and takes effect as you move the slider.
| Setting | Default | Range |
|---|---|---|
| Scroll distance | 100 pt | 20 to 200 pt per notch |
| Smoothness | 0.5 s | 0.1 to 1 s per glide |
| Vertical and Horizontal | On | Smooth either axis, or both |
| Trackpad-style momentum | Off | Apps rubber-band at the edges, as after a swipe |
| Stop glide on click | On | In Settings → Hotkeys |
Hold a key to change a scroll
| Hold | Default | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Scroll faster | ⌥ Option | Multiplies the distance, 3× by default (2× to 10×) |
| Scroll sideways | ⇧ Shift | Turns the wheel into horizontal scrolling |
| Scroll without smoothing | ⌘ Command | Passes the wheel straight through |
Each can be any modifier key, on either side or only the left or right one, or the middle, back or forward mouse button. Set them in Settings → Hotkeys.
Trackpads and other mice
Trackpads and the Magic Mouse already scroll smoothly, so Meowse leaves them exactly as they are. When you switch to one, Meowse rests: Settings → General shows Idle (trackpad) or Idle (Magic Mouse), and the menu bar icon dims until you scroll a wheel again.
Mice whose own software already smooths scrolling send smooth input too, and Meowse passes it through untouched. Any mouse with a notched wheel works, wired or wireless, from any brand.
Questions
Does smooth scrolling work in every app?
Yes. It works system-wide, in browsers, code editors, Finder, design tools and anything else that scrolls.
Will it slow my Mac down?
No. Meowse uses no CPU while you’re not scrolling and about 12 MB of memory. During a glide it posts only motion you can see, then goes straight back to sleep.
Can I make scrolling faster or slower?
Yes. Scroll distance sets how far each notch goes, and Smoothness sets how long the glide takes. Hold ⌥ to multiply the distance while you hold it.
Does it work with a Logitech mouse?
Yes. Any mouse with a notched scroll wheel benefits. If its own software already smooths scrolling, turn that off to use Meowse’s glide, or leave it on and Meowse stays out of the way.