Change Mouse Double-Click Speed In Ubuntu

Double-click speed is the time window allowed between two clicks for Ubuntu to treat them as one double-click instead of two single clicks. The standard GNOME desktop sets this delay to 400 milliseconds by default. Depending on your hand coordination and how comfortable you are with the mouse, that can feel too fast or too slow.

Adjusting the delay helps you open files and folders reliably without having to rush or slow down your clicking.

How to change a mouse double-click setting in Ubuntu Linux

You change the double-click speed in the Settings app. Open Settings › Accessibility, find the Pointing & Clicking section, and drag the Double-Click Delay slider until it feels right. Some guides place this setting under Mouse & Touchpad, but in current Ubuntu with GNOME the slider is in the Accessibility panel, so that is where the steps below take you.

A longer delay helps if your second click is slow and the system keeps reading your double-clicks as two single clicks. A shorter delay helps if separate clicks are being merged into double-clicks by accident.

Here’s how to change the double-click speed. You can do it on a default Ubuntu desktop, and you don’t need administrator rights because the setting only affects your own user account.

First, open the Settings app. There are two ways to get there. The first is the Activities overview:

1. Press the Super key (the Win on most keyboards), or click Activities at the top-left of the screen.
2. Type Settings in the search🔍 box.
3. Click the Settings icon in the results. The Settings⚙️ window opens with a sidebar of categories on the left.

The second way is the System menu in the top bar:

1. Click the System menu at the top-right corner of your desktop’s top bar. This is the area with the network, volume and battery icons. A panel drops down.

2. From the System menu, select Settings, as shown below. On most versions it is the gear icon at the bottom of the panel. The Settings⚙️ window opens.

1. In the Settings app, click the Accessibility entry in the sidebar to open its panel. On some versions it is shown as a tile or a row. The Accessibility options appear on the right.

If you can’t see it, scroll down the sidebar, because the list is longer than the window on small screens.

1. In the Settings › Accessibility panel, look for the Pointing & Clicking section. In some newer versions you may need to click the Pointing & Clicking row first to open it.
2. Find the Double-Click Delay slider and drag it to a value you find comfortable. Move it toward the shorter end if you want double-clicks to be stricter, or toward the longer end if you need more time between clicks.
3. If your version shows a test area under the slider, double-click it to check the new timing. If not, try double-clicking a folder in the Files app.

The change applies immediately. You don’t need to restart or log out.

This setting affects your mouse, touchpad, and other pointing devices. If you adjust the slider and double-clicks still don’t behave as expected on a touchpad, test with an external mouse to rule out the hardware.

That completes the process, so close the Settings app. To undo the change, go back to the same slider and drag it back to the middle, which is close to the 400 millisecond default. Adjust it again whenever you need to.

Conclusion:

• Changing the mouse double-click setting in Ubuntu Linux is a simple process through the System Settings panel.
• The Double-Click Delay slider under Pointing & Clicking in the Accessibility panel allows users to adjust the double-click speed according to their preference. The default is 400 milliseconds, and the change takes effect right away.
• This setting applies to the mouse and affects the touchpad and other pointing devices connected to the system.
• Following these steps, users can customize their mouse settings to improve their overall user experience with Ubuntu Linux.