How to get smooth scrolling with a mouse on Mac
Trackpads glide; a regular mouse wheel jumps line by line. Make your wheel scroll smoothly — or predictably.
Short answer
macOS smooths trackpad and Magic Mouse scrolling but not regular wheel mice. MacFixes adds smooth scrolling for wheel mice, or linear scrolling where every notch moves the same distance.
What macOS gives you
System Settings → Mouse has a scrolling speed slider and the scroll direction switch. There’s no smoothing for wheel mice, and macOS speeds up scrolling the faster you spin, which makes a notch scroll different amounts.
How MacFixes fixes it
- 1Add the fixOpen MacFixes Settings → Mouse and add “Smooth scrolling”. Fixes are off until you add them.
- 2Allow AccessibilitymacOS asks for Accessibility permission so MacFixes can adjust scroll events.
- 3Set the feelAdjust the speed to taste — or add Linear scrolling instead, for the same distance on every notch. Trackpads and the Magic Mouse are left as they are.
This is one of 28 fixes in MacFixes.
Something else your Mac won’t do? Request it — we build it.
Questions
Does it change my trackpad?
No. Only wheel mice are affected; trackpads and the Magic Mouse keep their own scrolling.
What’s the difference between smooth and linear?
Smooth gives each notch a glide. Linear makes every notch scroll exactly the same distance however fast you spin.