MiddleDrag

Who It's For

MiddleDrag solves a specific Mac trackpad limitation: no middle button. If you use apps that depend on middle-click for panning (Figma, Blender, browser tab management) or middle-drag for orbiting (3D tools, CAD software), MiddleDrag adds these gestures to your Mac trackpad via three-finger interactions. It's a single-purpose utility — it does nothing for window management in the traditional sense, but it fills a real gap for creative and technical users who need middle-mouse-button behavior.

How It Works

MiddleDrag maps three-finger tap to a middle-click event and three-finger drag to a middle-drag event. Both are intercepted via the Accessibility API and translated to standard middle-mouse-button events that apps receive normally — Figma, Blender, and browsers all interpret them as they would a physical middle click. MiddleDrag coexists with macOS system gestures: Mission Control, Exposé, and swipe-to-switch-spaces continue to work normally because they use different gesture patterns.

Compared to Similar Tools

Compared to BetterTouchTool, MiddleDrag is free and open-source but covers only the middle-click/drag use case. BetterTouchTool can be configured to do the same thing plus hundreds of other gestures, but requires a paid license and complex configuration. Compared to Multitouch ($19.99 lifetime), MiddleDrag is free but narrow in scope. For users who specifically need middle-click/drag and nothing else, MiddleDrag is the most direct solution.

Requirements

• macOS 12 Monterey or later (check GitHub for exact requirements)
• Accessibility permission required
• Free and open-source — source at github.com/NullPointerDepressiveDisorder/MiddleDrag

Getting Started

brew install --cask middledrag

Launch MiddleDrag from Applications, grant Accessibility permission, and three-finger interactions immediately work as middle-click and middle-drag. Configure sensitivity in the menu bar popover.