Mouse button test
Press every button, including middle, back and forward. Each lights up and counts while it is down.
Isolation: —
Press every button here, including back and forward.
Per button: presses, last hold, shortest release-to-press gap. Corner mark: the button has reported at least once. Solid: held now.
- Series
- —
- Chatter
- —
- Hold test
- —
If Back and Forward never light up, the browser is not passing them: try Chrome or Firefox.
Result
Waiting for input
Loading the instrument…
This mouse button test shows every button the browser can see: left, middle, right, back and forward. Press each one; it lights while held and counts each press. The context menu, middle-click autoscroll and back navigation are blocked inside the test area, so every button can be tested safely.
How to read the readings
| Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Count | presses seen for that button |
| Held | duration of the last press |
| Gap | shortest release-to-press time; under 30 ms is chatter |
What a browser cannot measure
- Safari often does not pass buttons 4 and 5 to web pages. If they never light up, test in Chrome or Firefox.
- Extra side buttons, DPI buttons and macro keys are handled by the mouse or its driver and are invisible to the browser.
Fixing the fault
Windows
- If back or forward do nothing anywhere, check the button assignment in the maker’s software.
- If a button lights twice per press, run the double click test.
macOS
- macOS needs the maker’s software (or a utility) for back and forward on many mice.
Linux
xevorlibinput debug-eventsshows whether the button reaches the system at all.
Questions
Why do back and forward not light up?
Safari often does not pass buttons 4 and 5 to web pages. Try Chrome or Firefox; if they still do not light, check the button assignment in the mouse software.
Will pressing back leave the page?
Not while the pointer is on the test area: side buttons pressed there are caught, and if the browser navigates anyway the press still counts. The browser's own Back button and keyboard shortcut still leave the page as usual.
Method and algorithm version
Algorithm version 1 (2026-10). Buttons are derived from the buttons bitmask, which also reports a second button pressed while the first is held. Back and forward are stopped with preventDefault. A side press on the pad also adds one spare history entry; if the browser navigates anyway, that press is counted from the history event. A Back from the toolbar or keyboard is passed on, so leaving the page works as usual.