ZYLENA Mouse Pro User Guide
ZYLENA Mouse Pro is a Windows app that lets you change what the side buttons on your mouse do. You can make XB1 or XB2 do things like Copy, Paste, Cut, Undo, Save, Back, Forward, Zoom, Move Canvas, or Rotate - and give every app or website its own set of actions. This page is the same guide that is built into the app (User Settings, top-right "User Guide").
Quick Start
Do this first - takes under a minute.
Right-click the ZYLENA tray icon (click the ^ arrow near the clock if it's hidden), choose Emulate 5-Button Mouse (no side buttons), then click QUICK TUTORIAL in the top-right corner of that panel.
It's a short interactive walkthrough - each step has a TRY IT button that opens a real app so you can test the shortcut live, including how to add your own Profile and record your first shortcut. Works even if your mouse has no side buttons yet.
Prefer to read the steps yourself instead? See Add, remove, or manage a Profile and Record a shortcut below.
Everything below is optional reference material - come back to it anytime you want to learn more. You do not need to read any of it before using the app.
Part 1: Features
1. Profile
A Profile is the app or website you want to control.
Examples:
- Excel or Google Sheets for data entry, spreadsheets, and number work
- Photoshop or Canva for graphic designers
- Blender or 3D software for 3D artists
- Adobe Premiere Pro, CapCut, or DaVinci Resolve for video editors
- Microsoft Word or Google Docs for typing and document work
- Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or Google Meet for meeting and call controls
- YouTube, Canva, and other websites for website profiles
Use a Profile when you want different button actions in different apps or websites.
Example: XB1 can be Copy in Word, Back while browsing Canva, and Move Canvas in Photoshop.
Canva is a website profile example, so you can also add websites and give them their own button actions.
Global means the general setup used when no special app or website profile is active.
2. Shortcut Layers
Shortcut Layers let one mouse button do more than one thing.
- Layer 1 = side button only.
- Layer 2 = Ctrl trigger.
- Layer 3 and above = choose a key that does not interfere with your workflow. Alt or Shift can be easier to remember if they do not conflict with the app. (CapsLock is reserved for locking layers.)
You are not limited to only two actions. You can add more layers if you need them - see Part 2.
Example in Microsoft Word: XB1 = Copy, Ctrl + XB1 = Cut, XB2 = Paste.
3. Mouse Buttons
- XB1 (XButton1) = the rear side button, usually closer to your wrist.
- XB2 (XButton2) = the front side button, usually closer to your fingertips.
4. Function Name
Function Name is the label you type so you can remember what the button does.
Examples: Copy, Paste, Cut, Undo, Save, Back, Forward, Zoom In, Move Canvas, Brush Size.
5. Press Type
- Tap = click and release.
- Drag = hold and move mouse.
- Long Press = repeating clicks while held.
- Sequential = taps each key one at a time, for shortcuts that need keys pressed in order (for example Excel's Alt, H, A, C).
Use Tap for normal actions like Copy, Paste, Undo, Save, or Cut.
Use Drag for actions that need mouse movement while the button stays held, like Move Canvas or Rotate.
Use Long Press for actions that should repeat while you hold the button, like arrow-key holding or fast seeking in some apps.
Use Sequential when an app's shortcut is a chain of separate key presses rather than keys held together.
6. On-Screen Prompt
Show means a small status indicator appears on the taskbar to confirm which function or layer is active.
Hide means the prompt stays quiet for less visual distraction.
7. Apply, Reset, and Factory Reset
- Apply saves your changes and activates them.
- Reset Selected Button clears only the button you are editing now.
- Factory Reset permanently deletes your settings file and restarts ZYLENA fresh.
Use Factory Reset only if you want to start over completely - it cannot be undone.
8. Advanced Settings
Click "Advanced Settings" in the top-right of User Settings to reach power-user, per-profile options: Layer Configuration, Button Action, Sequential Shortcut Speed, and Smart Layer 1 / Global Layer 1 (all covered next).
These are all optional - every profile works normally with them left at their defaults.
9. Layer Configuration
A Layer Configuration is a saved batch of a Profile's whole set of layer shortcuts.
Example: Layer 2 does Copy/Paste on Canva, but sometimes you want Layer 2 to do Undo/Redo instead - everything else unchanged. Save each version as its own Layer Configuration, then just switch between them.
Delete removes the one currently selected. Every Profile must keep at least one, so Delete is refused while only one remains.
10. Button Action
A built-in action for one side button on one layer, for the rare things Record Shortcut cannot do. Found in Advanced Settings. Off by default.
- Timeline Drag Scroll - hold the button and move the mouse to pan sideways. Not just for video editors - also useful for wide Excel/Sheets sheets, Gantt/timeline views (MS Project, Notion, Monday.com), design canvases (Figma, Miro), and any wide table or long unwrapped code line. Speed is adjustable in Advanced Settings, under Shortcut Speed Settings. Not available on a layer whose trigger includes Ctrl (e.g. Layer 2, or a custom Ctrl+Shift trigger) - holding Ctrl through the drag makes most apps read it as Ctrl+Scroll (zoom) instead of pan.
- Run Whole Layer - one press fires another layer's XButton1 shortcut, then its XButton2 shortcut, in sequence.
Only one button and layer per Profile can have a Button Action at a time.
11. Sequential Shortcut Speed
How fast a Sequential-mode shortcut taps its keys, in milliseconds. Found in Advanced Settings. Applies to every Profile at once.
Lower is faster. Default is 10ms. If a Sequential shortcut fails in a slower app (like Excel Online), try raising it.
12. Smart Layer 1 and Global Layer 1
- Smart Layer 1 - when on, Layer 1 automatically hands off to Global Copy/Paste whenever a text field, selection, or file is active, then falls back to this Profile's normal action otherwise.
- Use Global Layer 1 shortcuts - when on, Layer 1 uses the same shortcuts as Global Nav / Global Copy/Paste instead of this Profile's own action. Ignored while Smart Layer 1 is on.
13. Function HUD
A small floating window that shows the current Profile and Layer's button functions on screen.
14. Efficiency Dashboard
Shows how many clicks and actions you have saved by using ZYLENA's shortcuts instead of clicking through menus manually.
15. Emulate 5-Button Mouse
Lets you trigger XB1 and XB2 without physical side buttons, using a keyboard and scroll wheel instead.
- Hold CapsLock and scroll the mouse wheel down to trigger XB1.
- Hold CapsLock and scroll the mouse wheel up to trigger XB2.
- No scroll wheel? Hold CapsLock and press the Down arrow for XB1, or the Up arrow for XB2.
This works anywhere on your PC while the panel is open (or minimized) - you do not need to point at it or click anything on it.
16. Export, Import, and Pause
- Export Settings saves your whole setup to a file - useful as a backup or to move to a new PC.
- Import Settings loads a saved setup back in.
- Pause ZYLENA temporarily turns off all button remapping without closing the app.
17. Emergency Stop
A safety switch that releases stuck input and safely closes the app if something is misbehaving.
Part 2: How to set up
How to add, remove, or manage a Profile
Right-click the ZYLENA tray icon to find these. It lives in the taskbar's system tray, near the clock at the bottom-right of your screen. If you don't see it, click the small up-arrow (^) in the taskbar to show hidden icons - ZYLENA is usually there.
- Add Profile - type the app's name or a website domain (like canva.com), then it appears in the Profile list in User Settings.
- Remove Profile - permanently deletes a Profile and its button settings.
- Pause / Resume Profile - turns off a Profile's shortcuts and hides it from the list without deleting it. Use this for an app you are not using right now but might come back to.
- Reset Profile to Default - clears only that one Profile's buttons back to blank. This is different from Factory Reset, which erases everything.
How to add or remove a Shortcut Layer
Right-click the ZYLENA tray icon (click the ^ arrow near the clock if it's hidden), then choose:
- Add User Shortcut Layer - adds a new layer number, like Layer 3, with its own trigger key.
- Remove User Shortcut Layer - removes a layer you added.
How to use Layer 2 and above
- One time only: hold Ctrl, then press XB1 or XB2.
- Keep it active: press and hold Ctrl + CapsLock + XB1 or Ctrl + CapsLock + XB2.
- Unlock Layer 2 and above: use the trigger key for that layer, then press XB1 or XB2. Layer 2 uses Ctrl. You can also use a letter or number if it is not already used in the app.
How to record a shortcut
A shortcut is the key or mouse action the side button will press for you.
Examples: Ctrl + C = Copy, Ctrl + V = Paste, Ctrl + X = Cut, Ctrl + Z = Undo, Ctrl + S = Save.
You can also record mouse buttons when needed, including Middle Mouse Button.
- Click Record Shortcut.
- Press the keyboard keys or mouse button you want.
- Click Apply to save.
Tip: If you press the wrong keys while recording, press Record Shortcut and start over.
How to open Advanced Settings
Click "Advanced Settings" in the top-right of User Settings. It applies to whichever Profile is currently selected there.
Inside you will find Layer Configuration, Button Action, Sequential Shortcut Speed, and Smart Layer 1 / Global Layer 1 - all covered in their own sections next.
How to use Layer Configurations
Click "Advanced Settings" in the top-right of User Settings, then find Layer Configuration.
Press Duplicate to add a new batch (a new set of layers) for this Profile, then use it from the Function HUD. Pick one to switch, Rename to relabel it, or Delete to remove it (a Profile must always keep at least one).
How to use Button Action
Click "Advanced Settings" in the top-right of User Settings, then find Button Action.
Check Enable Button Action, choose the button and layer, then choose Timeline Drag Scroll or Run Whole Layer. If you choose Run Whole Layer, also choose which layer it should run.
Timeline Drag Scroll will not appear as a choice on a layer whose trigger includes Ctrl (Layer 2, or a custom Ctrl+Alt/Ctrl+Shift trigger). It holds the button down and streams scroll events for as long as you keep dragging, and for that whole time Ctrl is still physically held (it has to be - that is what selects the layer). Most apps check that in real time and read Ctrl+Scroll as zoom, not pan, so this is turned off there on purpose rather than shipping a feature that quietly does the wrong thing. Pick Layer 1 or a letter-based custom trigger instead, or use Run Whole Layer on a Ctrl layer.
How to change Sequential Shortcut Speed
Click "Advanced Settings" in the top-right of User Settings, then click "Shortcut Speed Settings" near the bottom.
Type a new number in milliseconds and press Tab to save.
How to turn on Smart Layer 1 or Global Layer 1 shortcuts
Click "Advanced Settings" in the top-right of User Settings, then check the box for whichever one you want for that Profile.
How to open the Function HUD
Right-click the ZYLENA tray icon (click the ^ arrow near the clock if it's hidden), then choose Function HUD (floating).
How to open the Efficiency Dashboard
Right-click the ZYLENA tray icon (click the ^ arrow near the clock if it's hidden), then choose Efficiency Dashboard.
How to try ZYLENA without side buttons
Right-click the ZYLENA tray icon (click the ^ arrow near the clock if it's hidden), then choose Emulate 5-Button Mouse (no side buttons). Hold CapsLock and scroll down for XB1, or scroll up for XB2 (Down/Up arrow keys also work).
How to export, import, or pause
Right-click the ZYLENA tray icon (click the ^ arrow near the clock if it's hidden), then choose Export Settings..., Import Settings..., or Pause ZYLENA (this instance).
How to trigger Emergency Stop
Hold XButton1 + XButton2 together for about 5 seconds.
More help
Get ZYLENA Mouse Pro from the Microsoft Store, or see the frequently asked questions and how to create your free account. You can also reach us on Facebook.