Getting started#
Install and open#
On Windows, download mousetroke.exe from the latest release. It is a portable executable: save it somewhere you want to keep it and double-click it. Compare the download's SHA-256 with SHA256SUMS.txt on that release page.
Windows 10 1809 or later and Windows 11, 64-bit, are supported. Settings uses Microsoft Edge WebView2, included in Windows 11. The executable is not code-signed yet. If SmartScreen blocks the first launch, choose More info → Run anyway after checking that you downloaded the official release.
On Mac, download Mousetroke.dmg, open it and drag Mousetroke into Applications. The universal app supports Apple silicon and Intel on macOS 11 or later. If opened inside the DMG, the app offers Move to Applications and reopens the installed copy.
The Mac beta is self-signed and not notarized. If blocked, use System Settings → Privacy & Security → Open Anyway; on older macOS, use right-click → Open. In setup, click Grant… and enable Mousetroke under Accessibility. Wait for Ready — you can use gestures now. Screen Recording permission is not required. Setup offers Input Monitoring if listening still fails on systems that need it; enable it when requested.
Open settings and finish the guide#
On Windows, left-click the notification-area icon to open settings. Right-click it for Settings…, Pause gestures / Resume gestures, Start automatically, Open config folder and Quit. A new-version item can also appear when an update is available.
On Mac, use the menu-bar icon to open Settings…, pause/resume or Quit. Permission and update items appear when relevant. About Mousetroke opens About.
The first-run guide explains drawing, screen edges, app exclusions and pause. Review the checked apps before finishing: those apps will have gestures turned off. You can reopen it with About → View the getting-started guide. Changes in settings save automatically; an incomplete stroke must be recorded before it can save.
Draw your first gesture#
Open a browser page with navigation history.
Hold the right mouse button, move left to draw
←, then release. This goes back.Try
↓→on a disposable tab to close it, or↙to minimize the window.
The built-in actions follow the platform: browser shortcuts use Ctrl on Windows and Command on Mac where appropriate. The full editable list is under All apps → Mouse gestures. Some built-ins are disabled, especially actions unavailable on Mac.
A plain right-click still opens the application's context menu. Holding still long enough also passes the button through for normal clicking or dragging; adjust that time in Preferences.
Pause#
On Windows choose Pause gestures, then Resume gestures to restore them. On Mac, Pause gestures stays the same label: its checkmark indicates manual pause, and clicking it again resumes. The default pause/resume hotkey is Win+Esc on Windows and Control+Option+Command+P on Mac. Change it under Preferences → Pause / resume hotkey.
Fullscreen games, videos and presentations automatically suppress gestures while the foreground window is detected as fullscreen. See per-app rules for exclusions and troubleshooting if nothing triggers.