The keyboard and mouse — a.k.a. the dynamic duo of computing — have remained relatively unchanged in their design over the years. This humble combo, despite its simplicity, has stood the test of time as the primary input devices for computers. While there was no need to reinvent the wheel and find alternate ways to use it, my never-ending quest to find ways to improve productivity and efficiency made me experiment with some shortcuts on the mouse.

This simple yet powerful change has been transformative in many ways, and I'm here to tell you all about it, including how you can assign keyboard shortcuts to your mouse, and how it can streamline your tasks.

Intuitive navigation and control

Seamless control with a click

Mapping frequently used commands to my mouse buttons has significantly improved the way I navigate and control things within applications. Even simple things like zooming in and out of documents, adjusting, say, the brush sizes in design software, or even basic things like switching between tabs in a web browser are now just a click or two away for me. This simple and effective change — though it has a bit of a learning curve — has been great for my overall productivity and computing experience. It's going to be really hard for me to go back to using regular keyboard shortcuts again, especially for some basic things that I instinctively use the mouse now for.

Customization and personalization

Truly make it your own

Most modern mice out there on the market come with programmable buttons these days, which can be used to assign specific keyboard shortcuts. That's right, you can assign macros to each button, unlocking a great level of customization with which you can create a personalized workflow that aligns with your individual needs and preferences.

It's like using the programmable buttons on your mouse within games, except in this case you'll be using them within different Windows programs. The more programmable buttons you have on your mouse, the better, but you can unlock a lot of customization options even with a simple gaming mouse that has two additional programmable buttons on the side.

Simple and easy to set up

Get shortcuts on your mouse in just a few steps

For something that has far-reaching benefits to improve productivity, mapping basic keyboard shortcuts to your mouse is fairly simple, too. I wish there was an easier way to assign these shortcuts directly via the Windows settings page, but that's not really the case. Despite that, though, mapping keyboard shortcuts to your mouse is a relatively simple affair that can be done with a simple third-party tool called X-mouse button control.

It's a free-to-use utility that I use on my PC and laptop to get keyboard shortcuts up and running on my mouse in just a few simple steps. Alternatively, you can even use the companion software of your mouse to assign these shortcuts, but keep in mind that it may not work very well for this particular use-case. Most of them are fairly limited, and you are better off using a dedicated third-party utility for getting more advanced tools and options.

A great way to improve productivity and your computing experience

What started off as an experiment to improve productivity has now become a necessity for me. Even basic shortcuts for copy-pasting text, or going back to the previous page on Chrome browser are something I use on a daily basis, and they make all the difference by simplifying my workflow. I'll take anything that improves my time on the computer more enjoyable, and I highly recommend you try put keyboard shortcuts on your mouse, too.