Scroll Reverser

Scroll Reverser is a free Mac utility that reverses scroll direction independently for mice and trackpads, including Magic Mouse. It also lets you choose whether to reverse vertical scrolling, horizontal scrolling or both. These are scroll-event controls, not independent settings for each display or a tool for rotating a screen.

Configuration

Enable Scroll Reverser, select the axes and choose Reverse Mouse and Reverse Trackpad to suit your preferred behavior. A common setup enables natural scrolling in macOS, leaves Reverse Trackpad off and turns Reverse Mouse on. The utility changes scrolling relative to the system's base natural-scroll setting; it does not reverse swipe gestures. Mouse-wheel users can adjust step size so each wheel click scrolls a fixed amount instead of the normal acceleration. The step-size control appears when a scroll wheel is used.

Installation and permissions

Version1.9 requires macOS13.5 Ventura or later and supports Intel and Apple Silicon Macs. Its ZIP download is1,699,502 bytes. Unzip it, move Scroll Reverser.app to Applications and open it. Grant Accessibility and Input Monitoring permissions to the correct application copy in macOS privacy settings. Accessibility permits modification of scrolling events; Input Monitoring supports detecting trackpad finger gestures so the utility can distinguish trackpad input from mouse input.

The app runs as a menu-bar utility and provides an optional Start at Login setting. Relaunching an already running1.9 copy opens Preferences. No account, activation key or subscription is required, and there are no separately advertised runtime dependencies for ordinary use.

Device classification and limitations

The developer explains that Scroll Reverser distinguishes devices by examining gesture events and trackpad finger contact; this is not perfect device identification. The macOS Accessibility setting Use trackpad gesture to zoom can interfere with this detection and cause a trackpad to be treated as a mouse. Older non-multitouch trackpads and some third-party external trackpads can also be classified as mice.

The developer states that iPhone Mirroring and Calendar use gesture-based custom scrolling that Scroll Reverser cannot reverse. Swipe direction follows macOS's natural-scroll setting. A utility that modifies scroll events is not a guarantee of compatibility with every application or input device.

When Scroll Reverser runs on both ends of a remote-desktop connection, the developer documents a remote-side raw-input setting to avoid double processing. Other scrolling utilities can change the same input stream; check their configuration if direction or acceleration behaves unexpectedly rather than assuming each layer applies independently. If the app stops working, the official troubleshooting guide recommends quitting it, confirming its Applications location and renewing the Accessibility entry for the correct copy before restarting.

Cost and license

Scroll Reverser is free and open source under Apache License2.0, maintained by Nick Moore of Pilotmoon Software. Donations are optional. The application uses Sparkle for updates; free use does not require an online account.

Official sources: Product, setup and FAQ, Source and device-classification explanation, 1.9 release notes, License.