In short: set the Mac up so it asks less of your hands. Let shortcut keys be pressed one at a time (Sticky Keys), slow down accidental key presses (Slow Keys and key repeat), click with a light tap instead of a press (Tap to click), slow the double-click, and write by voice instead of typing. Every setting here is free and built into macOS, and you can turn any of them off again.
This is a guide to computer settings, not medical advice. For pain, stiffness or swelling, talk to your doctor or an occupational therapist, who can also recommend a keyboard, mouse or splint suited to your hands.
Steps are for recent macOS (Tahoe 26). To open settings, click the Apple logo in the top-left corner and choose System Settings. Most of what follows is under Accessibility in the list on the left.
Keyboard
- Sticky Keys: Accessibility > Keyboard > Sticky Keys. Shortcuts like Command-C need two keys held together. With Sticky Keys on, you press them one after the other instead. There’s also an option to switch Sticky Keys on and off by pressing Shift five times.
- Slow Keys: Accessibility > Keyboard > Slow Keys. Sets a short delay before a key press counts, so brushing a key by accident doesn’t type it. Adjust the Acceptance delay until it feels right.
- Key repeat: System Settings > Keyboard. If letters repeat when a finger rests on a key a moment too long (“helllllo”), make Delay until repeat longer and Key repeat rate slower.
Mouse and trackpad
- Tap to click: System Settings > Trackpad > Point & Click. Turn on Tap to click and a light one-finger tap does a click, so you don’t have to press the trackpad down.
- Tracking speed: System Settings > Mouse or Trackpad > Point & Click. A faster speed moves the pointer further for each small movement of your hand; a slower one gives more control. Try both.
- Double-click speed: Accessibility > Pointer Control. Slow it down so two clicks don’t have to be quite so quick.
- Mouse Keys: Accessibility > Pointer Control. Moves the pointer with keys on the keyboard (7, 8, 9, U, O, J, K, L) and clicks with I, for days when the mouse is hard to hold. You can’t type text while it’s on; there’s an option to switch it on and off by pressing Option five times.
- Head pointer and alternate actions: also in Pointer Control. Head pointer moves the pointer as you move your head, using the Mac’s camera, and Alternate pointer actions let you click with keys or switches. These are worth knowing about if hands are very limited.
Type less: write by voice
The setting that saves the most effort is the one that replaces typing altogether. Dictation turns what you say into text in any email, message or document.
- Free: Apple Dictation. System Settings > Keyboard > Dictation. Pick a shortcut that’s easy for your hands, like the Microphone key or pressing Fn twice. Step-by-step guide.
- With clean-up: VybeScript (paid) starts and stops with one tap of the Option key, a large key next to the space bar, and removes the “um”s and repeated words for you, so there’s less to fix by hand afterwards. You can change the key, or choose to hold a key while you talk. It needs a Mac with Apple silicon and macOS 14 or later, and there’s a 14-day free trial with no card.
- Whole computer by voice: Apple’s free Voice Control (Accessibility > Voice Control) lets you click, scroll and open apps by speaking. Standard Dictation is off while Voice Control is on.
Not sure which dictation to use? See Apple Dictation vs a dictation app.
Make the screen easier too
Leaning in to read puts strain on shoulders, wrists and hands. Bigger text helps: Accessibility > Display > Text size, or Command and plus (+) inside apps like Mail. Our Mac tips for seniors cover Zoom, a larger pointer and having the Mac read text aloud.
One shortcut to switch things on and off
Press Option-Command-F5, or press Touch ID three times quickly if your Mac has it, to open a panel of accessibility features. Choose which appear in Accessibility > Shortcut. Handy on a bad day: turn Sticky Keys or Mouse Keys on only when you need them.
Your checklist
- Sticky Keys on (if shortcuts are hard).
- Slow Keys or a longer key-repeat delay (if you hit keys by accident).
- Tap to click on (trackpad).
- Tracking speed and double-click speed adjusted.
- Dictation on, with a start key that’s easy to press.
- Text size up.
- Accessibility shortcut remembered: Option-Command-F5.
Then use the Mac for a few days and adjust. If something feels worse, switch it back.
Settings checked against Apple’s macOS Tahoe 26 guide on 2026-11-04: keyboard accessibility, Pointer Control, trackpad, accessibility shortcut.
Keep going
- Typing with arthritis: habits and the bigger picture.
- Voice to text for seniors
- How to write an email by voice
- Helping a parent type by voice