Is my trackpad broken?

[bearinthetown]

I just got 14" MacBook Pro with M2 Pro. Everything is great so far, except the trackpad.

The two bottom corners are sometimes much harder to press than the rest of it, which is not great, because I prefer to press the lower-left corner. I set the click force to light already, but it's still much, much harder to press in these corners. And the strange thing is that after hard-pressing it, it becomes good for some time and then requires a hard press again.

Is this normal in these new trackpads? Am I just not supposed to press the corners? Im pretty sure that's not the case. If it's not an expected behavior, is there a chance it would fix itself over time? Has anyone experienced this with their new MacBook Pro with Apple Silicon?

 

[hg.wells]

The trackpad is not actually a button, it vibrates to make you think you’re pressing a button. Try turning on tap to click in the trackpad preferences.

 

[bearinthetown]

The trackpad is not actually a button, it vibrates to make you think you’re pressing a button. Try turning on tap to click in the trackpad preferences.

I already have tap-to-click enabled, but it doesn't answer my concern. Let's say I'm taking a screenshot with cmd+shift+4. I need to drag an area to capture. I start with the lower-left corner, but in order to register the "click" to start dragging the area, I need to press the corner very hard (unless it's been pressed previously and is good for some time). To me it seems like a badly assembled trackpad, but I'm waiting for the feedback here.

 

[iMacDragon]

Does sound like could be faulty, maybe try running edge of a bit of paper lightly into and around the corners to see if there's any particles trapped.

Whilst the trackpads don't press like a button, there is still a fractional movement against the strain gauges that measure the press and I've occasionally found a bit of crap under the edges makes them misbehave a little.

 

[PROFESS0R]

This may sound strange, but try this:

Put some lotion on your hands and rub it in. Then test the trackpad. Any difference in the corners?

Joe

 

[bearinthetown]

This may sound strange, but try this:

Put some lotion on your hands and rub it in. Then test the trackpad. Any difference in the corners?

Joe

Could you please explain this procedure? 😊

 

[ab22]

Return it & get another - it's not working normally. Try some demo models in store while you're there.

 

[bearinthetown]

Return it & get another - it's not working normally. Try some demo models in store while you're there.

I checked today and it looks like all or most trackpads behave like this. Which is strange, because my MacBook Air 2018 had perfect trackpad. These newer ones just have semi-dead edges of the trackpad, which sometimes click and sometimes don't. I checked on multiple M3 Pro units.

 

[ab22]

I checked today and it looks like all or most trackpads behave like this. Which is strange, because my MacBook Air 2018 had perfect trackpad. These newer ones just have semi-dead edges of the trackpad, which sometimes click and sometimes don't. I checked on multiple M3 Pro units.

That's sad to hear - I'll check a few at the local store in a couple of days. M2/2022 seems good here - even when looking for problems; but as you say, the M3 is different.

 

[bearinthetown]

That's sad to hear - I'll check a few at the local store in a couple of days. M2/2022 seems good here - even when looking for problems; but as you say, the M3 is different.

I mean M1 and M2 too, at least the Pro. I actually got M2 Pro.

 

[ab22]

Trying to re-create on an M2 Air here - I can only find problems if say, I use right middle finger so close to the right edge / corners that part of the fingertip overlaps : then it behaves inconsistently - sometimes clicking, sometimes not. Pressure seems to make no difference.

 

[bearinthetown]

Trying to re-create on an M2 Air here - I can only find problems if say, I use right middle finger so close to the right edge / corners that part of the fingertip overlaps : then it behaves inconsistently - sometimes clicking, sometimes not. Pressure seems to make no difference.

Thanks for being involved in my investigation I will experiment with M2 Airs too.

 

[Fishrrman]

OP:

You realize that the "force touch" (or whatever it is) on the newer MacBooks doesn't "move", right?

This is one "feature" that I, too, definitely don't care for. But it is what it is.

Many times I try to "click" (either left or right), and... nothing happens. Touch light, touch hard, touch hardER, still... nothing.

I've found that going to the trackpad setting and changing the setting may or may NOT help.

It took me a little time to realize the following (and I still make the error sometimes):
If you use both hands to do something with the trackpad, a finger on one hand may be "close enough" to the surface to impact what the other hand is doing. To put that another way, it may interfere with the "choice" you are trying to make with the other hand.

Try physically moving one hand "away from" the trackpad, and THEN make the selection. This can make a difference.

I MUCH preferred the older style trackpad that has physical (moving) switches inside...

 

[bearinthetown]

OP:

You realize that the "force touch" (or whatever it is) on the newer MacBooks doesn't "move", right?

This is one "feature" that I, too, definitely don't care for. But it is what it is.

Many times I try to "click" (either left or right), and... nothing happens. Touch light, touch hard, touch hardER, still... nothing.

I've found that going to the trackpad setting and changing the setting may or may NOT help.

It took me a little time to realize the following (and I still make the error sometimes):
If you use both hands to do something with the trackpad, a finger on one hand may be "close enough" to the surface to impact what the other hand is doing. To put that another way, it may interfere with the "choice" you are trying to make with the other hand.

Try physically moving one hand "away from" the trackpad, and THEN make the selection. This can make a difference.

I MUCH preferred the older style trackpad that has physical (moving) switches inside...

Yes, I realize how this trackpad works, but I'm not sure if that makes any difference for my issue.

I need to learn to avoid the edges of this trackpad, which is annoying, but not a deal-breaker. In general, I find both the keyboard and the trackpad a downgrade of their former selves. I found out that I also often press some keys on the keyboard by the edge and it doesn't register the press. Wasn't the case when the keyboard was lower.

 

[reframer]

Same exact issue. 2024 M3 Air.

I found it pretty odd coming from a ~2011 Butterfly Macbook Pro? Around there.

I actually bought two. Both in ~June 2024. First one came. I found the bottom left harder to press. This is odd.
So I called Apple. No luck, they just said bring it in after doing the full diagnostic mode send in and changing the availabe trackpad settings.. I just returned it. Tried again. Same exact issue. So I'm like, guess this is a feature.

I'm just keeping it. Annoying. Don't understand it. I might get AppleCare but I don't know. Seems at least one other model and person has this issue? I don't have an Apple store near me or I'd bring it in and go try all the other track pads.

My solution is using the middle bottom for my thumb clicks. If I move my thumb more to the left and click it becomes harder to register.

@OP. Are you near an apple store? You mentioned the trackpads you've tried behave like this?

Add two brand new June 2024 M3 Air's to your list of trackpads that behave like this.
I might get Applecare just in case on this one.


its also kinda odd. If I take the very point of a single finger and click. Like a pencil. Response becomes more uniform across the pad. Using the side of the thumb I get much harder presses in the corner. A poster did mention it, but it does seem like some kind of multi registration issue. It might be that the thumb is more spread out when its moved farther from center line and the click registers differently? Its more spread out? I'm pretty darn sure this is whats happening on my end.

Otherwise. Better keyboard than the butterfly. Beautiful screen and the M3 cruises through sound workloads my 4 core blew up on, imagine that. Otherwise happy.