Turn extra mouse buttons into real productivity shortcuts on macOS

Stop wasting side buttons on generic browser back/forward behavior.

Mouse Mapper is a lightweight native macOS menu-bar app that lets you assign custom actions to your mouse buttons, so the buttons you already have can actually speed up your workflow.

Whether you want to trigger keyboard shortcuts, launch apps, control media, scroll, open URLs, or run AppleScript, Mouse Mapper gives you a simple way to remap extra mouse buttons without a bloated setup.

Why this is useful

Many mice ship with extra buttons, but on macOS those buttons are often underused, inconsistently supported, or limited to one default action.

Mouse Mapper fixes that by giving you a clear, native interface for assigning practical actions to buttons 2 through 8.

Instead of reaching for the keyboard or repeating the same clicks all day, you can move common actions directly onto your mouse.

Best use cases

Speed up everyday navigation

Map buttons to:

browser back / forward
scroll up / down
Mission Control
App Exposé
Show Desktop
Launchpad

Trigger shortcuts without leaving the mouse

Assign a custom keyboard shortcut to any supported mouse button for workflows in:

browsers
Finder
editors
creative apps
productivity tools

Launch apps and links instantly

Open your most-used app or URL with a single button press.

Control media from the mouse

Map buttons to:

play / pause
next track
previous track
volume up / down
mute

Automate advanced actions

Run AppleScript or trigger screenshots directly from your mouse.

Core features

Custom actions for buttons 2–8

Supports middle click, back, forward, and additional side buttons commonly found on modern mice.

Menu-bar app

Mouse Mapper runs as a lightweight menu-bar utility, so it stays available without taking over your desktop.

Detection Mode

Not sure which physical button number your mouse is sending? Use Detection Mode to identify it before assigning an action.

Category-based action picker

Actions are organized into practical groups:

General
Keyboard
Launch
System
Media
Clipboard
Navigation
Advanced

Keyboard shortcut mapping

Record your own shortcut combination and assign it directly to a mouse button.

Launch apps and open URLs

Choose any .app on your Mac or enter a URL to open it on demand.

System actions

Includes built-in actions for:

Mission Control
App Exposé
Show Desktop
Launchpad
Lock Screen

Clipboard actions

Quickly trigger:

copy
paste
cut
undo
redo

Media control

Control playback and volume without switching apps.

AppleScript support

Run custom AppleScript for more advanced automation workflows.

Launch at Login

Mouse Mapper can be configured to start automatically when you log in.

Local-first privacy

Mouse Mapper only reads mouse button numbers required for remapping. It does not log keystrokes, cursor positions, or remote analytics data.

Who it is for

Mouse Mapper is a strong fit for:

power users
developers
designers
editors
productivity-focused Mac users
anyone with a multi-button mouse who wants faster control on macOS

What you get

the Mouse Mapper macOS app
a ready-to-use .app release build
setup instructions in the included README

Requirements

macOS 13 Ventura or later
Accessibility permission to capture and remap mouse button presses
Xcode 15+ or Swift 5.9 command-line tools if you want to build from source

First-launch setup

Open MouseMapper.app
Click the menu-bar icon
Open Settings…
Grant Accessibility permission when prompted
Configure actions for the buttons you want to remap

If you already own a mouse with extra buttons, this unlocks more value from it

Mouse Mapper keeps the setup simple:

detect the button
assign the action
save immediately
use it every day

It is a practical utility for turning unused mouse buttons into shortcuts you will actually use.

Mouse Mapper