IT for Donuts: the power of the triple-click

IT for Donuts: the power of the triple-click

IT for Donuts is our regular weekly feature where we explain a tech term or answer a question about business IT.

This week, you’re probably used to double-clicking your left mouse button to open programs and generally make things happen on your computer. But did you know that triple-clicks can be useful, too?

What is a triple-click?

Yep, you guessed it. A triple-click is where you click your left mouse button three times in quick succession. (A double-click plus one, basically.)

Triple-clicks are most useful when you’re working with text in software like Microsoft Word. You probably know that you select text by clicking and dragging the mouse. You might also know that a double click is a quick way to select a single word.

Well, a triple-click goes one step further. In Microsoft Word, a triple-click automatically selects the paragraph over which your mouse pointer is positioned.

Alternatively, move your mouse into the margin of the page, so it turns into an arrow leaning to the right. Triple-click there to select all the text in your document.

Triple-click your iPhone or iPad

If you use an Apple iPhone or iPad, triple-clicking the home button can be a life-saver if you need to use the device’s excellent accessibility features.

Just go to Settings > General > Accessibility > Accessibility Shortcut.

There you can set triple-clicking to perform a range of functions. These include the ability to zoom the screen, invert the display or access the built-in screenreader (‘VoiceOver’).

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