What are the Minecraft controls on a Mac?
They are the same keys as on any computer: W, A, S and D to move, Space to jump, Control to sprint, Shift to sneak, and E for the inventory. The mouse looks around, the left button breaks blocks and attacks, and the right button places blocks and uses things. On a MacBook with no mouse, a click on the trackpad is the left button and a two-finger click is the right.
I took the key list from Minecraft's own controls guide on minecraft.net, which I read on October 7, 2026. It applies to Java Edition, the version that runs on a Mac. I make InputConfig, a free Mac app that puts these controls on a game controller, which Java Edition does not support by itself.
On this page: 8 sections
Learn the default keys
| Action | Key or button |
|---|---|
| Look around | Move the mouse, or slide on the trackpad |
| Move | W, A, S and D |
| Jump | Space |
| Fly, in Creative | Double tap Space, then hold it to rise |
| Sprint | Control, while moving |
| Sneak, or fly down in Creative | Shift |
| Break a block, or attack | Left mouse button, held to break |
| Place a block, or use something | Right mouse button |
| Inventory | E |
| Drop the item you are holding | Q |
| Pick a hotbar slot | 1 to 9, or the scroll wheel |
| Chat and commands | T, then Return to send |
| Player list, in multiplayer | Tab |
| Menu | Escape |
The three to remember are the left button to break, the right button to place, and E to open everything you are carrying.
InputConfig is completely free on the Mac App Store. You don't have to make an account, there are no subscriptions, and nothing is locked. Optimized for Apple silicon.
Use the trackpad as both mouse buttons
- You: Open System Settings, Trackpad, and set Secondary click to Click or Tap with Two Fingers.
- macOS: Treats a two-finger click as the right mouse button.
- Check: In the game, a one-finger click breaks a block and a two-finger click places one or opens a chest.
Sliding one finger looks around, and sliding two fingers scrolls through the hotbar. Mining is the awkward part, because the same finger has to hold the click and turn the view. A two-finger click is the right mouse button, which is how you place blocks and open chests on a MacBook. Minecraft on a Mac without a mouse has the fixes for mining.
Watch the Control key
Sprint is the Control key on a Mac too, not Command. That causes one surprise: holding Control while you click is a right click on a Mac, so Control and a click places a block instead of breaking one. Remember that Sprint is Control, and that Control with a click counts as a right click. If that gets in the way, move Sprint to another key, or set it to toggle, in the game's controls.
Reach the function keys
Minecraft also uses keys in the F row, and on a MacBook that row controls brightness and volume first. Hold fn while pressing an F key to send the key itself. To reverse that for good, open System Settings, Keyboard, Keyboard Shortcuts, Function Keys, and turn on the option to use F1, F2 and the rest as standard function keys. On a MacBook, an F key needs fn held unless you change that one setting.
Change a control
Every bind can be changed in the game: open Options, then Controls, then Key Binds, click an action, and press the new key. The same screen can reset them all to the defaults. If a key feels wrong, change it in Key Binds, and reset there if you get lost.
Play with a controller instead
Minecraft Java Edition has no controller support of its own, and the Bedrock version that does has no Mac release. A mapper fills the gap: InputConfig reads a PS5, Xbox or Switch controller and sends the keys and mouse moves in the table above, so the left stick walks, the right stick looks, and the triggers break and place. It comes with a ready Minecraft layout. A controller on a Mac plays Java Edition by sending these same keys. The Minecraft layout shows every button, and how to play Minecraft with a controller on a Mac compares it with a mod.
The short version
- Move. Use W A S D and Space, with Control to sprint and Shift to sneak.
- Hands. Left button breaks, right button places and uses.
- Trackpad. Click with one finger for the left button and two fingers for the right.
- Inventory. Press E.
Minecraft on a Mac uses the standard keys, with a two-finger click for the right mouse button.
Questions
How do you place blocks in Minecraft on a Mac?
With the right mouse button. On a trackpad that is a two-finger click, once Secondary click is set to Click or Tap with Two Fingers in System Settings, Trackpad.
How do you sprint in Minecraft on a Mac?
Hold Control while moving. It is Control on a Mac as well, not Command.
How do you open the inventory in Minecraft on a Mac?
Press E. Press E or Escape to close it.
How do you right click in Minecraft on a MacBook?
Click the trackpad with two fingers, or hold Control and click. Control is also the sprint key, so the two-finger click is the cleaner way.
Can you change the controls in Minecraft on a Mac?
Yes. Open Options, Controls, Key Binds, click an action and press a new key. The same screen resets everything to the defaults.
Can you use a controller for Minecraft on a Mac?
Java Edition has no controller support of its own. A mod can add it, or a free mapper such as InputConfig can send the keyboard and mouse controls from a PS5, Xbox or Switch controller.
Related
Completely free. You don't have to make an account, there are no subscriptions, and nothing is locked. Optimized for Apple silicon. Open source on GitHub.
Updated