What is butterfly clicking?
Butterfly clicking is clicking one mouse button with two fingers, usually the index and middle finger, tapping in turn. Each finger only has to click at half the rate, so together they can go faster than one finger can. It is mostly used in Minecraft PvP and other games that reward clicking speed.
How does the butterfly click test work?
Choose 5 or 10 seconds, rest two fingers on the left button and click with them in turn, as fast as you can. The clock starts on your first click and every click is timed the moment the button goes down. On a phone, tap the box with two fingers: each touch counts as its own click.
How is your Butterfly Click CPS calculated?
Your CPS is your clicks divided by the seconds of the test, and your fastest second is the most clicks in any one-second stretch. Then two readings about the gaps between clicks:
- Shortest gap: the two clicks that came closest together. Two fingers can land much closer than one finger can press twice, so this is where butterfly clicking shows.
- Typical gap: the middle of all your gaps; half were shorter, half longer.
Why doesn't my mouse count every butterfly click?
A mouse ignores its button for a few milliseconds after each click, so that the metal contact inside, which bounces as it closes, can't turn one press into two. That pause is called debouncing. When your two fingers land closer together than the pause, the mouse sends one click instead of two. If your shortest gap never drops below about the same value however you click, that is likely your mouse's limit, not your fingers'. Some mice let you change the pause in their own software.
Butterfly or jitter clicking?
| Technique | How the clicks are made | What its page shows |
|---|---|---|
| Butterfly | Two fingers tap one button in turn | Shortest and typical gap |
| Jitter | A tensed arm makes one finger shake on the button | How even the gaps are |
Both count clicks the same way as the CPS Test: only clicks before the time runs out, from the first one.
What can affect your Butterfly Click CPS?
- The mouse's shape. A long, flat left button leaves room for two fingers; a short or curved one makes them get in each other's way.
- Phone or mouse. Two-finger tapping on glass is a different movement; compare results from the same device.