Control the pointer using Dwell on Mac

1. On your Mac, choose Apple menu > System Preferences, click Accessibility , then click Keyboard.

   Open the Keyboard pane for me

2. Click Viewer, then make sure Enable Accessibility Keyboard is selected.

   For information about the Accessibility Keyboard options, click the Help button in the lower-right corner of the pane.

3. Click Options, click Dwell, then select “Allow dwell actions toolbar in panels” or “Show dwell actions in menu bar”, or both.

   Depending on the tickboxes you selected, a Dwell toolbar appears across the top of the Accessibility Keyboard and custom panels, or a Dwell status menu appears in the menu bar, or both.

You can also turn on these options from the Accessibility Keyboard. In the top-right corner of the keyboard, click the Panel Options button , choose Dwell, then choose an option.

If you’re using Dwell with the Accessibility Keyboard on your Mac, you can access dwell actions from the Accessibility Keyboard and custom panels or from the Dwell status menu in the menu bar, depending on how you set Dwell options.

1. On your Mac, select one of the following dwell actions:

   • Left Click : Performs a left click when you dwell on an item.

   • Double Click : Performs a double click when you dwell on an item.

   • Right Click : Performs a right click when you dwell on an item.

   • Drag & Drop : Drags and drops the item you dwell on.

     When the countdown is over, the pointer indicates the item can be dragged. As you dwell where you want to drop the item, the item moves there, the countdown begins, and when it’s over, the item is dropped.

   • Scroll Menu : Scrolls the item you dwell on.

     Make sure you dwell on content that can be scrolled — for example, a web page or a document. When the countdown is over, scroll indicators appear at the top, bottom and sides of the content (depending on how it can be scrolled). Dwell on a scroll indicator to scroll in that direction.

     Note: The colour of the scroll indicators in the Scroll Menu is determined by the highlight colour set in General System Preferences. To change the highlight colour, on your Mac choose Apple menu > System Preferences, then click General .

     Open General preferences for me

   • Options Menu : Shows the Options menu when you dwell on an item.

     When you choose an action from the Options menu, it’s used once only — the action is not repeated. See Use the Options menu below.

   • Pause : Pause and take no action as you move around the screen or dwell on items. This action is useful when you want to take a break from actions — for example, to read a web page or watch a movie.

     When you’re ready to resume and perform dwell actions again, dwell on any dwell action in the Accessibility Keyboard. If the Accessibility Keyboard is hidden, dwell on the hot corner assigned to show it (as set in Viewer preferences).

2. Dwell on the spot where you want the action performed — for example, on a tickbox or an image.

   The dwell pointer appears over the item and the dwell time countdown begins (the pointer circle starts to turn white). When the countdown is over, the action is performed.

   Tip: You can assign a colour, such as green, to the dwell pointer so it’s easier to spot during the dwell time countdown. If you don’t want to see the dwell time countdown, select “Hide dwell time indicators” in Dwell Options.

If you’re using Dwell with the Accessibility Keyboard on your Mac and you chose to show dwell actions in the menu bar, you can easily access the actions using the Dwell status menu. The icon shown in the menu bar changes as you use different dwell actions.

The Dwell status menu on your Mac is useful for changing dwell actions when the Accessibility Keyboard or another panel is hidden. A left click to select an action is always performed in the status menu, regardless of the current dwell action.

• Open the menu: On your Mac, dwell on the status menu in the menu bar. The pointer appears over the status menu and the dwell time countdown begins (the pointer circle starts to turn white). When the countdown is over, the menu opens.

  Note: If you don’t want to see the dwell time countdown on the screen, select “Hide dwell time indicators” in Dwell Options.

• Choose an action from the menu: On your Mac, dwell on an action. When the countdown is over, the action is selected.

If you’re using Dwell with the Accessibility Keyboard on your Mac, you can use the Options menu to quickly switch between various dwell actions. When you select an action from the Options menu, it’s used once only — the action is not repeated.

• Select an action: In the Options menu on your Mac, dwell on the action you want to select — for example, the double-click action. The pointer appears over the button, and the dwell time countdown begins (the pointer circle starts to turn white). When the countdown is over, the button is selected and the action is performed at the target location.

  The Options menu disappears from the screen when the action is performed, but reappears as soon as you dwell on another item, so that you can choose another action.

  Note: If you don’t want to see the dwell time countdown on the screen, select “Hide dwell time indicators” in Dwell Options.

• Close the menu: In the Options menu on your Mac, dwell on the close button at the bottom of the menu. When the countdown is over, the Options menu closes.