Mouse double click test

How the double click test works

Every press and release on the pad is stamped with the browser clock. For each button the test keeps two gaps: from the previous press to this press, and from the previous release to this press. A person clicking on purpose cannot get the first gap much below 70 ms, and cannot get the second below about 30 ms. A worn switch does both easily, because the second "click" is the metal contact bouncing, not your finger.

• Double: the press came sooner after the previous press than the threshold (80 ms unless you change it).
• Chatter: the press came less than 10 ms after the previous release, the up, down, up pattern of a bouncing contact. Some people call every form of this fault chattering.

The test does not use the browser's double click event. That event fires whenever two clicks land inside the Windows double-click time, often 500 ms, so it cannot tell your own fast double click from a fault. The raw gaps can.

Reading the 50-click verdict

Pick the button, press Start and click 50 times at a calm, even pace, about two clicks a second. Do not try to click fast. The verdict counts presses flagged as double or chatter:

• 0 flags: the switch is fine at the moment. Intermittent faults come and go, so test again if the problem returns.
• 1 flag: inconclusive. One slip of the finger can do this. Run it again.
• 2 or more flags: the switch is most likely wearing out. The more flags, the further it has gone.

The timeline under the table shows the last six seconds, one lane per button. Each bar runs from press to release, and flagged presses are red. A healthy switch gives evenly spaced bars of similar length. A worn one shows a long bar with a sliver right next to it.

How to fix a mouse that double clicks

1. Clean it. Unplug the mouse, hold the button down and blow short bursts of compressed air into the gap around it. Dust and grime under the button can cause false contacts. Click it 20 or 30 times hard, then test again.
2. Update the firmware. Logitech G HUB, Razer Synapse, SteelSeries GG, Corsair iCUE and most other mouse apps can update the mouse. Several makers have shipped firmware that changes how clicks are filtered.
3. Raise the debounce time. Many gaming mice have a debounce or click response setting in their software, for example models from Glorious, Pulsar, Lamzu and Endgame Gear. A higher value, for example 8 to 12 ms instead of 2 to 4 ms, hides early chatter at the cost of a tiny delay. Logitech G HUB does not offer one for most models.
4. Use the warranty. Most gaming mice carry a 2 year warranty and double clicking is a known fault. Run the 50-click check, save a screen recording of the result and send it with your request. In the EU and UK you also have statutory rights that cover faults like this.
5. Replace the switch. Out of warranty, the switch can be desoldered and replaced with a new Omron, Kailh or Huano switch for a few dollars, or a contact spring can be re-tensioned. Mice with optical switches do not suffer from contact bounce, which is why many recent models use them.

The Windows double-click speed setting

Windows decides how close two clicks must be to count as a double click (Settings, Bluetooth and devices, Mouse, Additional mouse settings, Double-click speed). Moving the slider does not stop a faulty switch: the extra clicks still arrive, and dragging, selecting text and holding buttons in games still break. Leave it at your preferred value and fix the hardware. On a Mac the same setting lives under Accessibility, Pointer Control.

Before you blame the mouse

A double click can also come from software. Check that no macro or rapid-fire binding is set for the button in the mouse app, that Windows ClickLock is off (in the same mouse settings window), and that a second pointing device such as a drawing tablet is not sending clicks. If this test is clean but your game still double clicks, the cause is a setting in the game or the app, not the switch. Use the mouse test to check that every other button responds.