How to Reverse Scrolling Direction on Mac

A computer engineer by degree, Varun has 7+ years of experience in the field of technology. After his stints at Beebom and MrPhone, Varun has been covering different facets of technology at Guiding Tech. Here, he contributes to Team GT by helping its readers make better purchases while also understanding the meaning of each feature. In his free time, you can find him sharing his excellent photography skills along with his Aces in Valorant over Twitter.

Namrata Gogoi is an author covering Buying Guides and device-related tips and tricks. She loves learning and writing about gadgets and accessories that are functional, innovative, and have a positive impact on people’s lives. Since 2016, she has covered smartphones, computer accessories, household electric appliances, and any product that helps bring convenience to one’s life. Previously, she worked as an IT Analyst at TCS but found her calling at Guiding Tech.

Method 1: How to Invert Scroll in macOS

Apple offers a native way to easily change the trackpad’s scroll direction. Here’s how to do that.

Step 1: Click on theApplelogo on the Menu bar and selectSystem Settings. Now, scroll down on the left sidebar and click onTrackpad.

Step 2: Now, switch to the ‘Scroll & Zoom‘ tab, and toggle the switch forNatural scrolling.

And that’s it. Your trackpad and mouse’s scroll direction have been inverted.

Limitation of Apple’s Reverse Scroll Method

This method, while straightforward, also reverses the scroll for both the touchpad and your external mouse. But if you want a different scrolling mechanism for the trackpad and a different one for the external mouse, you’d have to take the help of third-party tools.

Tools like UnnaturalScrollWheels helps to reverse the scroll independently for the trackpad and the external mouse. The tool is open-source, so you don’t have to worry about anything.

Also See:How to Customize Gestures for Apple’s Trackpad or Magic Mouse on a Mac

Method 2: How to Reverse Scroll Independently for TrackPad and Mouse

UnnaturalScrollWheelsworks by controlling the scroll direction for your external mouse. So, you can still use Apple’s official method to control the scroll direction of your trackpad. Ideally, it’s best to enable Natural scrolling to ensure that your trackpad scrolls in the proper direction.

So, here’s how to independently invert the scroll direction for your mouse.

Step 1:Install UnnaturalScrollWheels using theDMGfile you just downloaded. Once done, drag the UnnaturalScrollWheels icon to theApplicationsfolder.

Step 2: Launch the app and click onOpento proceed. Now, insidePreferencesfor UnnaturalScrollWheels, enable the checkbox next to ‘Invert vertical scrolling‘.

And that’s it. You can now use the scroll wheel on your mouse as intended without having to reverse the scroll direction of the trackpad.

See Also:How to Fix Mouse Cursor Lagging on Mac

FAQs

By default, the scroll direction for your mouse and trackpad will be the same. However, you can change this by using a third-party app like UnnaturalScrollWheels.

Yes, once you modify the scrolling direction in the System Settings (or System Preferences), the change will apply to all applications and windows throughout your macOS environment.

No, reversing the scrolling direction won’t affect your trackpad or mouse’s other gestures or functionalities.

On the trackpad, you can simply scroll two fingers horizontally to scroll horizontally. Alternatively, on a mouse, you can hold down the Shift key and scroll using the scroll wheel to scroll horizontally instead of vertically.

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Last updated on 28 August, 2024

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