How to Enable Hover Click in Ubuntu Linux

Hover click opens items when you rest your mouse pointer on them for a set time, so you can click without pressing a physical button. Ubuntu includes it as an accessibility feature, also called dwell click. It helps if you have hand pain or repetitive strain, or if you use an alternative pointing device such as a trackball, head tracker or joystick.

Most people start with a hover delay of around 500 milliseconds, which feels fairly natural. You can change the timer in Settings until it suits you. A longer delay prevents accidental clicks, and a shorter one is faster.

How to turn on or off Hover click in Ubuntu Linux

You turn it on or off in the Settings app, and you can also change how long the pointer must wait before the click happens. It is a per-user setting, so it applies to your account and does not need administrator rights. You do not need to log out or restart for it to take effect.

1. Open the Settings app. The quickest way is to open Activities, type “Settings” and press Enter.

Alternatively, click the System menu at the top-right corner of the desktop top bar. It holds the network, sound and power icons. A panel with quick settings opens.

From the System menu, select Settings, as shown below. The Settings window should open with a list of categories on the left.

2. In the Settings app, click the Accessibility tile to open the panel. If you cannot see it, scroll down the sidebar or use the search🔍 icon at the top of the window and type “Accessibility”.

3. Within Settings › Accessibility, scroll to the Pointing & Clicking section.
4. Select the Click Assist tile to expand it. A pop-up window with the click options should appear.

5. In the Click Assist pop-up window, flip the Hover Click switch to the On position.

Hover click is now active. On most Ubuntu releases a small floating window with click-type buttons also appears. It lets you choose between a single click, a double click, a drag or a secondary (right) click for the next dwell. You can leave it on screen or ignore it.

To turn the feature off, flip the Hover Click switch back to the Off position. The floating click-type window should disappear, and the mouse goes back to normal clicking.

To test it, hold the mouse pointer steady over a button. The control gradually changes color. Once the color transition finishes, the button registers a click. If you move the pointer away before the transition ends, nothing is clicked, so you can cancel an unwanted click simply by moving the mouse.

6. Adjust the Delay setting to control how long the pointer must stay still before a click is triggered. Move the slider toward the shorter end for faster clicks, or toward the longer end if you get accidental clicks.

If your hand has a slight tremor, check whether the same window offers a motion threshold setting. A larger threshold makes the pointer count as “still” even when it wobbles a little. Test the change on a button after each adjustment.

7. Close the Settings⚙️ app. Your changes are saved as you make them, so there is nothing to confirm. To undo them, reopen Settings › Accessibility › Click Assist and change the switch or the delay.

Conclusion:

• Enabling or disabling Hover Click in Ubuntu Linux lets you tailor how the mouse works to your own needs, and you can switch it back at any time.
• Single-click mode and Hover Click can be useful alternatives if you have trouble double-clicking.
• The Delay setting sets how long the pointer must rest on an item before Hover Click fires. Adjust it until it feels right.
• You reach the Hover Click feature through the Settings app, under Accessibility › Click Assist.