Natural trackpad scrolling. Classic mouse-wheel scrolling. One small macOS menu-bar app.
macOS's “Natural scrolling” switch affects both devices. ScrollFix keeps their directions separate without changing that system preference: it reads the baseline, then corrects the device that needs it. The app is open source, runs locally, and has no network or telemetry code.
See the 130-line scroll filter · How it works · Deutsch lesen · Troubleshooting · Privacy
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| Status details | Fix off, macOS natural scrolling off |
|---|---|
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Scroll Reverser is an established, more configurable solution. ScrollFix is a focused Swift/SwiftUI implementation of one outcome: a natural trackpad and a classic mouse wheel, with a visible filter status. Its gesture-based device classification was informed by Scroll Reverser; provenance and limits are documented openly. If this repo is useful to you, you can star it to find it again.
The v0.1.0 preview release provides a ZIP for Apple Silicon (arm64). Extract it, move ScrollFix.app to /Applications, and open it. The ZIP's SHA-256 is 443711d46fe664b25fa255d20dcbca01e1537f1c6c3a2959bfbc0a16b64e9731.
This preview is ad hoc signed and not Apple-notarized. macOS may block the downloaded app. Read Apple's explanation of the warning before deciding whether to open it. Building the app from this repository is the transparent alternative; do not disable Gatekeeper globally.
For an Intel Mac or a source build, you need macOS 13 or newer and Swift 6 with the macOS SDK (Xcode Command Line Tools or Xcode):
git clone https://github.com/eShok93/ScrollFix.git
cd ScrollFix
./scripts/build-app.sh
open build/ScrollFix.appThe script builds build/ScrollFix.app, adds the icon, and signs the bundle locally with an ad hoc signature. It does not notarize the app. Inspect the source and build script before granting macOS access. Move the app to its permanent location before enabling Bei Anmeldung starten.
- Turn on Fix aktiv in ScrollFix.
- Grant ScrollFix access in System Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessibility. On newer macOS versions, the permission page may be named Device Control and Data Access. The macOS-Freigabe row in ScrollFix opens the relevant page.
- Return to ScrollFix. AKTIV and Scrollfilter: Läuft mean its event tap is running.
- Scroll once with each device to confirm the result on your hardware. Enable Bei Anmeldung starten if you want the app at every login.
The menu-bar icon remains available after the settings window closes. Use Fix aktiv to turn the correction on or off. When it is off, both devices follow macOS's shared setting.
| macOS “Natural scrolling” | ScrollFix | Trackpad | Mouse wheel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Off | Off | Classic | Classic |
| Off | On | Natural | Classic |
| On | Off | Natural | Natural |
| On | On | Natural | Classic |
ScrollFix reads the macOS setting about every 1.5 seconds and switches its filter mode when that setting changes. It never writes the setting. The interface shows the current macOS baseline and the expected direction for each device.
ScrollFix uses a Quartz session event tap for scroll-wheel and gesture events. macOS requires a broad system permission for this kind of input filtering. The app processes events in memory and does not write scroll history, send events over the network, or include analytics. Read the precise scope in Privacy.
The preview binary and local builds are ad hoc signed, not Developer ID signed or notarized. The build uses a stable bundle identifier (app.scrollfix.mac) and designated requirement so local rebuilds can retain their permission identity. A fully verified binary release would need a stable Developer ID signature and Apple notarization.
- Only vertical scrolling is corrected.
- The app distinguishes devices using discrete wheel ticks and recent two-finger gestures. Some high-resolution mice, unusual drivers, remote desktops, or fast device switches may be classified incorrectly.
- A Magic Mouse has a touch surface; its scrolling may differ from a mechanical wheel.
- Another scrolling utility can modify the same events and conflict with ScrollFix.
- A green AKTIV status confirms that the filter is running. It cannot prove how a specific mouse or trackpad feels; check both devices once.
See Troubleshooting if a direction is still wrong.
The application is a Swift package with a SwiftUI interface. Run ./scripts/build-app.sh from this repository to create the app bundle. How it works covers the design, and Contributing explains how to report device issues.
Licensed under Apache 2.0. See NOTICE and Provenance for the Scroll Reverser reference.