The essence of right-clicking is to reveal a set of options that will otherwise not have been available using the left-click function. The right-click function makes it easier to navigate the web and type texts. Technically, you should only be able to right-click by using a mouse. However, you can achieve similar results on your iPad without using a mouse.
To right-click on an iPad, you can connect a Bluetooth mouse or USB mouse to it and do it traditionally. Alternatively, you can right-click on your iPad without using a mouse by tapping and holding your finger on the iPad screen for one or two seconds until a menu with different options appears. You can then choose one of the options.
Unlike laptops and desktop computers, where you can right-click anywhere on the screen, and it will display a menu containing several options, the right-click function on iPad is quite limited. This article explains how to right-click on your iPad with and without a mouse. It also sheds light on how and where to use the right-click function on your iPad.
How To Right-Click With a USB Mouse
Not all iPads support Bluetooth and wireless mice. Before using any mouse with your iPad, ensure its software OS is iPadOS 13.4 or higher. Ensure your mouse has a USB-C connector since your iPad has a USB-C port. If it doesn’t, you will need to use an adapter cable.
If your mouse is a standard USB mouse, you’ll need a USB-A to USB-C adapter to ensure compatibility with your iPad.
Follow the steps below to right-click on your iPad with a USB mouse.
- Connect your mouse to the USB-C port of your iPad. If you have another type of mouse, connect the mouse to the adapter cable and connect the adapter cable to the USB-C port at the bottom of your iPad.
- Move the mouse around to control the round cursor that appears on your iPad screen.
- Place the cursor on a text, link, or app on your iPad’s home screen, and right-click on it to reveal a menu with different options. Unlike your computer, where you can right-click anywhere on the screen, right-clicking on an empty space on your iPad’s home screen will not display a menu with options.
- Select the option you want.
How To Right-Click With a Bluetooth Mouse
Using a wireless mouse is more convenient than a USB mouse. Apart from the comfort a wireless mouse affords you, it also rids you of the need to find a mouse with a USB-C connector since you can’t use the standard wired mouse with your iPad without an adapter cable that has a USB-C connector.
Follow the steps below to right-click on your iPad with a Bluetooth mouse.
- Launch the Settings app on your iPad.
- Tap “Bluetooth”.
- Turn on your Bluetooth mouse and put it in pairing mode.
- Tap the name of the Bluetooth mouse when it appears among the available devices on the Bluetooth menu of your iPad.
- Connect your Bluetooth mouse to your iPad by following the pairing instructions onscreen.
- Tap “Pair” when it appears on your iPad screen.
- Move the Bluetooth mouse around to control the round cursor that appears on your iPad screen.
- Place the cursor on a text, link, or app on your iPad’s home screen, and right-click on it to reveal a menu with different options.
How To Right-Click Without a Mouse
While the right-click function is originally programmed with your mouse, you can also save yourself the stress of taking your mouse everywhere you go by using the programmed function for right-clicking on your iPad without a mouse. Additionally, if your iPad OS is lower than 13.4, you can only use this option since your iPad doesn’t support an external mouse.
How do you right-click without a mouse? You can do that in a few simple steps.
- Place your finger on a text, link, or app on your iPad’s home screen.
- Tap and hold the text, link on a website, or app on your iPad’s home screen for one or two seconds. A mini taskbar pops up with several options to choose from.
- Select the option you want.
Where Can You Right-Click on an iPad?
While using a mouse on your laptop or desktop computer, you can place the cursor anywhere on the desktop screen and right-click on it, and it will display a taskbar with a list of options. This is not the same for an iPad.
While the right-click function is built into the iPad operating system and holding your screen for a few seconds will trigger the function, you can’t use it everywhere, even if you use a mouse.
Instead, the right-click function works when you tap and hold a text item or link, a tab on a webpage, a message in the conversation menu of iMessage, the text box of an email message, an app on your home screen, and a few other occasions.
Conclusion
Now that you have figured out how and where to right-click on an iPad, you can explore this function on your iPad to uncover other places you can use the right-click function.
