When we talk about productivity in front of the computer, we always tend to highlight recommendations on monitors, applications, keyboard shortcuts, and the like. However, the mouse is also part of that set of tools that, in addition to its most common use, can also get us out of trouble or waste less time on our tasks.
That is why in this article we wanted to compile some very useful functions for the mouse that they will make you much more productive in front of the screen. Under these lines we leave you with all the examples that you may not know.
Although most basic mice only have the left, right and center button, there are more and more mice that include, at a minimum, a pair of side buttons that can help us save time on multiple tasks.
Its most characteristic function is to go backwards or forwards in the web browser or in applications, although if we wish, we can also use some third party program to modify the function of these buttons (or any other) and get them to be used for something else, such as opening a certain application.
If you have a mouse with more than three buttons, you may be able to change the function of its buttons from the manufacturer’s own software. However, you can also use programs as simple as Mouse Manager, which allow you to add keyboard shortcuts to the mouse buttons.
Besides being able to do scroll, the middle mouse button also has hidden some secrets that you might not know. Under these lines we leave you with the most outstanding ones that can satisfy your appetite for wanting to be more productive.
- Middle-click any icon pinned to the taskbar open a new application window.
- If you hover the mouse pointer over an icon on the taskbar, it shows a thumbnail with all the open windows of that app, if you click Middle click on any thumbnail will close the window.
- If you like simulate middle click on a touchpad just open Windows Settings, navigate to Bluetooth & devices, and find Touchpad options. In the Gestures and interaction section find “Three-finger gestures” and in the Taps menu change the default action to “Middle mouse button”. This will cause three-finger tapping on the trackpad to perform the equivalent action of clicking the mouse wheel.
- Middle click on any browser tab is used to close it.
- Middle click on any link within a website, opens the page in a new tab.
- Middle click on the browser’s “Back” button opens the previous page in a new tab.
- Middle click on the browser’s “Forward” button opens any subsequent page in a new tab.
- Middle clicking on the “Refresh” button opens an updated version of the current page in a new tab.
- Middle click on the “Home” button (the little house) opens your home page in a new tab. + Middle click on a bookmark, open that page in a new tab.
- Middle clicking on a bookmarks/favorites folder opens all links in that folder at once.
- Middle click in the middle of a web page enables the scroll automatic.
- Middle clicking on any auto suggestion when doing a search opens the result in a new tab.
Quick text selection
You already know that by double-clicking on any word in your word processor, system and application interface, or browser, you can select the word, while triple-clicking can select an entire paragraph. However, there is also a simple trick to more comfortably select the amount of text you choose.
By working together between the keyboard and the mouse it is possible to make a quick selection of text with a very simple command. You just have to place the writing bar at the beginning of the text and holding the shift key We select the point to where we want to highlight.
Gestures for your touchpad
If you do not have the possibility of having a physical mouse next to your laptop, also you can take advantage of the touchpad to benefit from multiple gestures that exist in Windows. Under these lines we leave you with the most outstanding gestures for your touchpad.
- One finger tapping: Normal click.
- Two-finger tap: Right click.
- Three finger tap: Open Cortana searches. It can be changed to open notifications.
- Four-finger tap: Opens the notification center.
- Double tap with one finger: Double click.
- Double tap with one finger and drag: Select texts or applications. It also serves to drag icons.
- Swipe up or down with two fingers: Scroll on the screen.
- Swipe up with three fingers: Opens the task view, and within them we can slide down with three fingers to select which one to view.
- Swipe down with three fingers: Shows the desktop. If we slide up again with the three fingers, the windows are shown again.
- Swipe left or right with three fingers: Navigates between open windows.
- Swipe left or right with four fingers: Switch virtual desktops.
- Swipe up with four fingers: Go to the multitasking screen.
- Pinch in or out Zoom in or out.