Use a Mac Without a Keyboard or Mouse

In short: to type without a keyboard, use dictation (talk and the Mac types) or the onscreen Accessibility Keyboard. To work without a mouse, use Mouse Keys (move the pointer with the keyboard) or Head pointer (move it with your head, using the camera). To do without both, turn on Voice Control and run the Mac by speaking. All of it is free and in System Settings > Accessibility.

Which one do you need?

“I can click, but typing is hard.” Dictation, or the Accessibility Keyboard.
“I can type, but the mouse is hard.” Mouse Keys, or Head pointer.
“Both are hard.” Voice Control, or Head pointer with the Accessibility Keyboard and Dwell.

Steps are for recent macOS (Tahoe 26). To open settings, click the Apple logo in the top-left corner, choose System Settings, then click Accessibility in the sidebar. If you can’t use a mouse at all yet, ask someone to help with the first setup, or use Siri if it’s turned on: Apple lists “Turn on Voice Control” as a request.

Typing without a keyboard

Dictation: talk and the Mac types

The fastest way to write without a keyboard is to say it. Every Mac has free Dictation: turn it on in System Settings > Keyboard > Dictation (step-by-step guide). Click where you want to write, start dictation, and talk.

If you’d like the “um”s and repeated words removed, or messages tidied up, VybeScript is a paid app that does it on your Mac, in English or Spanish. It starts and stops with one tap of the Control key (or you hold Option while you talk), so you still need one key, or a key you choose in its settings. For writing with no keys at all, use Voice Control below. Not sure which to use? See Apple Dictation vs a dictation app.

The Accessibility Keyboard: a keyboard on the screen

Apple describes it as an onscreen keyboard that lets you use your Mac without a physical keyboard. Turn it on in Accessibility > Keyboard > Accessibility Keyboard, then click the keys on the screen with the mouse, trackpad or Head pointer. It’s slower than talking, but handy for passwords and short searches.

Working without a mouse

Mouse Keys: move the pointer with the keyboard

Turn on Mouse Keys in Accessibility > Pointer Control. Keys like 7, 8, 9, U, O, J, K and L move the pointer, and I clicks. There’s also an option to switch Mouse Keys on and off by pressing Option five times. You can’t type text while Mouse Keys is on, so switch it off to write.

Head pointer: move the pointer with your head

Also in Accessibility > Pointer Control, Head pointer uses the Mac’s camera to move the pointer as you move your head. Alternate pointer actions, in the same place, let you click using keys, switches or facial expressions.

Dwell: click by holding still

With Dwell, you rest the pointer on something for a set time and the Mac clicks, drags or scrolls for you. You turn it on from the Accessibility Keyboard’s Panel Options. It’s designed for eye- or head-tracking, so it pairs well with Head pointer.

Without both: Voice Control

Voice Control lets you run the whole Mac by speaking. Turn it on in Accessibility > Voice Control. The first time, your Mac needs the internet for a one-time download from Apple; after that, it works without a connection. A few commands to start with:

“Open Mail” opens an app.
“Click Done” clicks a button by its name.
“Show numbers” labels the things on screen with numbers, so you can pick them by number.
“Show grid” puts a grid over the screen, for places that have no name to say.
“Scroll down” scrolls the page.
“Show commands” shows what you can say.

The full list is in Accessibility > Voice Control > Commands, and the same settings have an Open Tutorial button. While Voice Control is on, standard Dictation isn’t available; Voice Control does its own dictation.

A shortcut to switch features on and off

Press Option-Command-F5 (or press Touch ID three times quickly, if your Mac has it) to open a panel where you can switch accessibility features on and off. It’s useful for Mouse Keys, which you’ll want off whenever you type.

Steps checked against Apple’s macOS Tahoe 26 guide on 2026-11-05: Accessibility Keyboard, Mouse Keys, Head pointer, Dwell, Voice Control commands.

Keep going

Questions

If Mouse Keys is set up, press Option five times to switch it on (with that option enabled), then move with the keys and press I to click. On a laptop, the built-in trackpad also works as a mouse.

Only the first time, for a one-time download from Apple. After that it works offline.

They do different jobs: Voice Control runs the Mac by spoken commands, and VybeScript turns longer speech into clean text when you tap a key. Voice Control includes its own dictation, so if you rely on it for everything you may not need a separate app. If you can press one key, VybeScript adds the automatic clean-up and rewrite styles.

Yes: Cómo usar la Mac sin teclado ni mouse.

How to use a Mac without a keyboard or a mouse.