Is the TrackPad Supposed to Click when Powered Off?

[bradl]

Simple question here.

is the trackpad supposed to click when the Mac is powered off?

I ask this, because my wife once again beat the odds, with having her logic board completely go out on her 2015 Macbook that she bought a little over a month ago. Thankfully it was under AppleCare, otherwise we would have been upset with having to pay for maintenance on something less than 35 days old. We just got it back today, and was in the middle of migrating everything over from her TM backup.

Anyway, when her Macbook died, I noticed that we couldn't click on the trackpad when it was powered off. That is completely opposite of her 2008 MBP and my mid-2011 MBA, as we can click on the trackpad when both are powered off, and hear the click.

When powered on, we can hear it, but wanted to see if any other 2015 Macbook users are able to click on their trackpad when the Macbook is powered off.

So, can you or can't you?

BL.

 

[Hook85]

Simple question here.

is the trackpad supposed to click when the Mac is powered off?

I ask this, because my wife once again beat the odds, with having her logic board completely go out on her 2015 Macbook that she bought a little over a month ago. Thankfully it was under AppleCare, otherwise we would have been upset with having to pay for maintenance on something less than 35 days old. We just got it back today, and was in the middle of migrating everything over from her TM backup.

Anyway, when her Macbook died, I noticed that we couldn't click on the trackpad when it was powered off. That is completely opposite of her 2008 MBP and my mid-2011 MBA, as we can click on the trackpad when both are powered off, and hear the click.

When powered on, we can hear it, but wanted to see if any other 2015 Macbook users are able to click on their trackpad when the Macbook is powered off.

So, can you or can't you?

BL.

I think the click is generated by the force touch element of the trackpad. You can disable the 'click' in the trackpad settings on El Capitan. So mine doesn't ever click.

 

[redheeler]

is the trackpad supposed to click when the Mac is powered off?

No. Unlike a physical button, Force Touch does not "click" when powered off.

 

[tbirdparis]

Why would you have had to pay for maintenance? The standard warranty covers everything Apple Care does, from day of purchase to one year later. Apple Care is an extension program that continues the same warranty for longer once the standard warranty has expired, plus giving you the extra perk of an extended phone-assistance period.

And yep, it's completely normal that the trackpad doesn't click when the machine is off because it has no physical button, it uses force touch to vibrate. Apple Store staff seem to love showing this off to people in store, to freak out customers..

 

[T'hain Esh Kelch]

No. Read up on what Force Touch is, as there is no click either when it is powered on. It is a physical sensation, but not a click.

 

[bradl]

No. Read up on what Force Touch is, as there is no click either when it is powered on. It is a physical sensation, but not a click.

You can click down on the trackpad, like other MacBooks (MBA, MBP) when the Mac is powered on, like how any previous trackpad operates (read: highlight, drag & drop). What caught us by surprise is that when her Mac was powered down, we did not hear that when we pressed down on the trackpad, which was unlike her MBP and my MBA.

And as for payment, we were given the invoice, and while I remembered that we didn't have to pay anything, the amount for the work done was still on the invoice. I saw that number before I saw the $0 amount.

BL.

 

[French River]

The trackpad doesn't actually click. It vibrates using an electric motor, which (very convincingly) simulates a click. When the Macbook is powered off, the vibrating motor is off, hence no click.

It's explained on the Apple website here: http://www.apple.com/macbook/design/

Scroll down to the Force Touch trackpad and Taptic Engine sections.

 

[marmiteturkey]

And as for payment, we were given the invoice, and while I remembered that we didn't have to pay anything, the amount for the work done was still on the invoice. I saw that number before I saw the $0 amount.

BL.

All Apple repairs look like that, including those under warranty. You have a 12-month warranty that covers you for defects, regardless of the AppleCare you purchased - it's excellent, Apple typically behave very well with repairs/replacements (you'll often get a completely new machine within the first three months or so).

As others have said, force touch trackpads don't actually physically move; they 'click' with a small haptic motor, which doesn't fire when the laptop is off. This is new in the rMB and 2015 rMBPs.