How to change scroll direction on Mac

Reverse Scrolling on Your Mac: A Comprehensive Guide

If you've recently switched from Windows to a Mac, you might find the default scroll direction on your Mac's mouse or trackpad disorienting. This guide provides multiple methods to change your Mac's scrolling direction, adjust scrolling speed, and disable inertia scrolling.

Why Reverse Scrolling?

macOS defaults to "natural" scrolling, mirroring touchscreen behavior (swipe up to scroll down). If you're a Windows user, this can feel counterintuitive. Let's fix that!

Changing Scroll Direction via System Settings

This is the easiest method:

1. Click the Apple logo (top-left corner).
2. Select "System Settings."
3. Choose "Mouse" from the sidebar.
4. Click "Point & Click."
5. Toggle "Natural Scrolling" on or off to change the direction.

Adjusting Scrolling Speed

Find your scrolling speed too slow or too fast? Here's how to adjust it:

1. Go to Apple menu > System Settings > Accessibility > Pointer Control.
2. Select either "Trackpad options" or "Mouse options."
3. Adjust the scrolling speed slider. You can test changes in real-time.

Disabling Inertia Scrolling

Inertia scrolling (momentum after lifting your finger) can be disruptive for some. Here's how to disable it:

1. Apple menu > System Settings > Accessibility > Pointer Control.
2. Select "Trackpad options" or "Mouse options."
3. Toggle "Use inertia when scrolling" off.

Advanced Methods: Automator and Terminal

For more advanced users, here are alternative methods:

Automator: This method creates a custom application to reverse scrolling. The detailed instructions involve creating an Automator application using AppleScript (provided for macOS Ventura and Monterey) and granting it accessibility permissions. This allows you to create a custom keyboard shortcut to toggle scrolling direction.

Terminal: Use the Terminal command line to change scrolling:

• defaults write -g com.apple.swipescrolldirection -boolean NO (traditional scrolling)
• defaults write -g com.apple.swipescrolldirection -boolean YES (natural scrolling)

Remember to reboot after using the Terminal command.

Changing Trackpad Scroll Direction

For trackpad users:

1. Apple menu > System Settings > Trackpad > Scroll & Zoom.
2. Toggle "Natural Scrolling."

Troubleshooting Slow Scrolling

Slow scrolling might stem from resource-intensive background processes or apps. Consider using optimization tools like CleanMyMac to improve overall system performance.

Enhance Your Mac Experience

This guide offers various ways to customize your scrolling experience. For further customization, explore apps like BetterTouchTool and Swish for advanced trackpad gesture control. Remote Mouse allows iPhone control of your Mac. And CleanMyMac can help maintain optimal system performance. These apps are available through Setapp.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

• Where is Scroll Lock on a Mac? Press fn Shift F12.
• Why do Macs scroll backwards? Due to "Natural Scrolling," designed to mimic touchscreen behavior.

Mentioned Apps: BetterTouchTool, Remote Mouse, Swish, CleanMyMac

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