MiddleDrag
BetterTouchTool
Middleclick
MiddleClickApp
Vim Python IDE
MiddleDrag: Three-finger trackpad gestures for middle-click and middle-drag on macOS. Mac trackpads don't have a middle mouse button. Many apps expect one. MiddleDrag fixes this. How it works:
Three-finger tap โ Middle-click Three-finger drag โ Middle-drag (pan/orbit)
Use cases:
Browsers: Open links in new background tabs, close tabs with a click, open bookmarks in new tabs. 3D & CAD Software: Orbit and pan viewports in Blender, Fusion 360, FreeCAD, SketchUp, Maya, OnShape. Essential for apps with broken or missing trackpad support.
Design Tools: Pan canvas in Figma, Photoshop, Illustrator. Navigate large documents in PDF viewers.
Development: Close editor tabs in VS Code and IDEs. Middle-click paste in terminals. Why MiddleDrag?
Existing solutions are either paid (BetterTouchTool $10-24, Middle $8), abandoned (MagicPrefs stopped working years ago), or require terminal configuration (MiddleClick has no GUI).
MiddleDrag is free, open-source (MIT), and actively maintained. Native menu bar app with GUI settings โ no terminal required. Key features:
Works alongside Mission Control and other system gestures Configurable sensitivity and smoothing Launch at login support Requires only Accessibility permissions
Technical approach: Uses Apple's MultitouchSupport framework to read raw touch data, allowing three-finger gestures to generate middle-mouse events while leaving system gestures intact. Backs off automatically when four or more fingers are detected.
Install via Homebrew: brew tap nullpointerdepressivedisorder/tap brew install --cask middledrag
Also available via MacPorts.
macOS 15.0+ required. Works with built-in MacBook trackpads and Magic Trackpads.
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MiddleDrag's answer
MiddleDrag is the only free, open-source middle-click solution for Mac trackpads that works alongside Mission Control and other system gestures. Most alternatives either require disabling system gestures, cost money, or have been abandoned. MiddleDrag uses Apple's MultitouchSupport framework to intercept touch data before the system gesture recognizer, so three-finger gestures trigger middle-click while four-finger gestures still activate Mission Control. It's also a native menu bar app with GUI settings: no terminal configuration required.
MiddleDrag's answer
MacBook users who need middle-click functionality without an external mouse. This includes 3D and CAD professionals using Blender, Fusion 360, FreeCAD, SketchUp, Maya, or OnShape who need to orbit and pan viewports. Designers working in Figma, Photoshop, or Illustrator who want to pan canvases. Developers who want to close tabs in VS Code or IDEs with a click. Browser power users who open links in new tabs frequently. Anyone frustrated that Apple trackpads lack a middle mouse button.
MiddleDrag's answer
BetterTouchTool ($10-24) is powerful but overwhelming: hundreds of options when you just want middle-click. Middle ($8) charges for functionality that should be free and is closed-source. MagicPrefs stopped working years ago when Apple changed their APIs. MiddleClick requires terminal commands for configuration and has no GUI. MiddleDrag does one thing well: middle-click and middle-drag via three-finger gestures. It's free, open-source, actively maintained, and just works.
MiddleDrag's answer
I was using Blender and Fusion 360 on my MacBook and got tired of the workarounds for middle-click. You either buy an external mouse, pay for BetterTouchTool, or suffer. The free alternatives had either stopped working or required terminal configuration. It felt wrong that such basic functionality was paywalled or abandoned. So I built MiddleDrag: a native, open-source solution that does one thing well. The hardest part was getting it to coexist with Mission Control instead of fighting it, which required digging into Apple's private MultitouchSupport framework.
MiddleDrag's answer
MiddleDrag's answer
MiddleDrag is a free, open-source tool for individual users rather than enterprise customers. Its users include:
BetterTouchTool - Nov 5, 2017 - BetterTouchTool is a great, feature packed app that allows you to configure many gestures for your Magic Mouse (1 & 2), Macbook Trackpad and Magic Trackpad (1 & 2) and also Mouse Gestures for normal mice.
Middleclick - Welcome to MiddleClick. The next generation application launcher from CodeLogic Software.
MiddleClickApp - MiddleClick is a free app with the only purpose of enable the middle click with magic mouse. Download link: https://dericeira.github.io/middleclick/
