Perhaps you are unable to access some very important function or you simply wish to learn how you can utilize your Mac without touching a mouse.
You can easily access the system preferences or any other application without needing a mouse, regardless of your reason for doing so.
Is it possible to access system preferences on a Mac without using a mouse?
Using Siri’s voice control or a program called mouse keys, you can open a Mac’s system preferences without using a mouse. A touchscreen is also available on many Apple computers. Using a cursor control device, such as a trackpad or another mouse, is another possible solution.
Here is a breakdown of all the options available to you for opening system preferences without a mouse on your Mac.
Siri or voice control can be used to open the System Preferences
With the inclusion of numerous voice control features on the Mac, Apple has made the operating system more accessible to users. This allows them to perform any task that they could perform with a mouse on their Mac.
Mac computers came with an independent version of Siri starting in 2016 that was capable of answering questions and performing simple computer tasks.
If your computer is equipped with Siri, you can open System Preferences by saying “Hey Siri, open system preferences”. Siri will understand and perform this operation without difficulty.
While she can probably open System Preferences, there are not many things that she will be able to accomplish without the use of a mouse.
To address this issue, Apple has added voice control to computers released after 2019.
Users of voice control are able to use their voice to control all aspects of their computer.
A service like this can open applications, click buttons, type sentences, and so on.
The Voice Control feature of your System Preferences can be enabled by selecting the Voice Control tab.
The Voice Control feature may be toggled on or off by saying, “Wake up” or “Go to sleep.”
When voice control is enabled, you can say things such as “open the System Preferences.” You can also use voice control to click on specific buttons or open other applications.
To simplify the process, divide your screen into a grid to make it easier for you to specify what you want your computer to do.
If you apply the grid, you can say, “Drag the window from 4 inches to 7 inches.
In order to understand the full range of possibilities of voice control, it is a good idea to educate yourself.
Ensure that you have enabled it and learn how to use it as soon as possible before you need its services.
Using the mouse to open the System Preferences
In addition to using a mouse, you can also open system preferences on a Mac without using a mouse by using a service called Mouse Keys.
Mouse Keys allows you to move your cursor around your screen and interact with objects on the screen by using buttons on your keyboard.
The Accessibility tab in System Preferences can be used to enable this service.
It can be found in the Alternate Control Methods section under the Pointer Control tab.
Pressing the Options button five times will unlock Mouse Keys if it is enabled.
As soon as this has been accomplished, your mouse can be controlled either by the number pad on the right side of your keyboard (if you have one) or by using the letter “I” as a clicker and the keys surrounding it as navigators.
When you are finished, press the Options button five times to disable mouse keys so that you can use the number pad and type normally.
With Mouse Keys, you can operate your computer’s cursor without an external control device, though with less efficiency than a mouse would provide.
You can control your computer in different ways other than by using the mouse keys.
You may enable keyboard control, for instance, so that you may use specific commands to control your computer.
In addition, the Mac has software that allows you to control your computer using facial expressions and head movements.
Although interesting, these services are difficult to use and therefore not recommended.
They do, however, provide a solution for those who have no alternative.
This software can be learned more about here.
Connecting other devices to open System Preferences
It is likely that you do not own a laptop if you are having difficulty accessing apps such as system preferences without a mouse.
In fact, all Mac notebooks are equipped with a trackpad that can be used to control the cursor and open System Preferences.
Mac computers usually come with touchscreen monitors, so you might not need assistance here if you are using a Mac desktop computer.
You can connect devices to your Mac that allow you to control the cursor even if it is not a touchscreen or if it does not have a trackpad.
It’s pretty obvious that the best option is a wireless mouse – you can find one for a very reasonable price in almost any store that sells electronics.
In addition, you can find one that comes with a USB port- all you have to do is plug it in and you are all set.
You should keep in mind that MacBooks do not have USB ports.
A port converter will be necessary if your mouse does not have a USB-C plug.
You can easily find trackpad devices that can either be plugged in or connected by Bluetooth to your computer if you do not wish to use a mouse.
Although these are not as popular as the trackpad as people do not prefer using them, they are still readily available.
As a general guideline, it is a good idea to always have a spare cursor control device in case the one you are using runs out of battery or experiences other problems.
In summary, even without a mouse you can access System Preferences in several ways.
There are several options available to Mac users, and they should be aware of some of them (like mouse keys) before they need to utilize them.
You should learn how to use mouse keys and voice commands, and keep a spare cursor control device at all times in order to maintain access to your laptop or computer.
