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mbp2016w

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jan 19, 2017
19
3
Hi there,

My 5 days old 15' tb MBP's force touch trackpad actually clicks physically. Is this normal?


Thanks
 
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It doesn't click physically. Turn off the machine, then try to click it. It'll be tougher than granite ;)

The Force Touch trackpad is full of loads of magnets and a few other clever things to make it seem/feel like a click. It's pretty incredible! You can also click right on the edge of the pad and it will feel identical to if you clicked in the middle -- you won't feel it's tougher to click there, whereas you would have on the older machines which use the hinge mechanism.
 
It doesn't click physically. Turn off the machine, then try to click it. It'll be tougher than granite ;)

The Force Touch trackpad is full of loads of magnets and a few other clever things to make it seem/feel like a click. It's pretty incredible! You can also click right on the edge of the pad and it will feel identical to if you clicked in the middle -- you won't feel it's tougher to click there, whereas you would have on the older machines which use the hinge mechanism.


It does move even turned off though?
 
Despite all the grousing about the FT trackpads, I love how you can click "anywhere" and it just works.

To me that alone is a HUGE improvement the early 2015 and earlier ones that required hitting near the bottom third to register..
 
It doesn't click physically. Turn off the machine, then try to click it. It'll be tougher than granite ;)

The Force Touch trackpad is full of loads of magnets and a few other clever things to make it seem/feel like a click. It's pretty incredible! You can also click right on the edge of the pad and it will feel identical to if you clicked in the middle -- you won't feel it's tougher to click there, whereas you would have on the older machines which use the hinge mechanism.

This is all true but the video shows the pad moving downwards considerably. This doesn't look normal at all.
[doublepost=1484844910][/doublepost]

It does move even turned off though?

That shouldn't be happening. Can you get it swapped?
 
Hi there,

My 5 days old 15' tb MBP's force touch trackpad actually clicks physically. Is this normal?


Thanks

When you're pushing down on the trackpad, it looks like it travels farther than it should. How long have you had it.
 
When you're pushing down on the trackpad, it looks like it travels farther than it should. How long have you had it.

Less than a week. I've already requested a replacement for other issues (battery and screen) but I seem to keep finding new defects...
 
Less than a week. I've already requested a replacement for other issues (battery and screen) but I seem to keep finding new defects...

Wow. Less than a week and you've had issues with the trackpad, battery and screen? I would say you need a new MacBook all together. You have 14 days, why don't you just return it for a new one?
 
Mine was doing the same thing, the trackpad was physically moving. Also parts of the trackpad were dead.
sent it in for replacement
 
Mine moves almost as much as yours. Movement is normal, maybe yours seems to move a bit more. The glass flexes when you push it.
 
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Mine moves almost as much as yours. Movement is normal, maybe yours seems to move a bit more. The glass flexes when you push it.
Does clicking work when you click on the edge of the trackpad?
 
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Does clicking work when you click on the edge of the trackpad?

Sometimes when I click the left and right edge - exactly the edge - it won't click. However, ONLY if I click without touching the trackpad before. What I mean is, if I put my finger anywhate on the trackpad, then slide it to the edge - it always clicks. I think this has to do with capacitive detection of the finger, palm resist and stuff like that. For example, if I press the very edge of my Magic Trackpad 2, it also won't click. It's easier to do this on the MBP, but it can happen on the Magic Trackpad as well. Btw, it also moves physically.

So, I'm guessing it's ok.

Btw, how hard did you press on your trackpad? I can get it to move almost this much if I press really hard.
 
Sometimes when I click the left and right edge - exactly the edge - it won't click. Never bothered me, really.

Btw, how hard did you press on your trackpad? I can get it to move almost this much if I press really hard.
I pushed relatively hard.

I think yours may have a defect if clicking on the edge doesn't work: could you try clicking alternating the left and right edges quickly for a few seconds and let me know if clicking suddenly works on the edge again? It does that to me.
 
I pushed relatively hard.

I think yours may have a defect if clicking on the edge doesn't work: could you try clicking alternating the left and right edges quickly for a few seconds and let me know if clicking suddenly works on the edge again? It does that to me.

I just updated my comment. No, it's not a defect. If I move the finger anywhere from the trackpad to the edge it always clicks.

I never have issues with it. Like really never.
 
I just updated my comment. No, it's not a defect. If I move the finger anywhere from the trackpad to the edge it always clicks.

I never have issues with it. Like really never.
Your explanation makes sense, thanks. I still have a flakey trackpad (in term of moving the cursor/clicking) but you've convinced me the edge thing is normal.
 
Your explanation makes sense, thanks. I still have a flakey trackpad (in term of moving the cursor/clicking) but you've convinced me the edge thing is normal.

Well, if you press hard, it will flex. It's a large area - my Magic Trackpad - which is the largest Force Trackpad - flexes quite a bit. Like, half a mm. So I think it's fine.

Some people are reporting that the MBP trackpad doesn't click on edges too. I have a strong feeling it has to do with palm rejection and stuff like that - because sometimes if I try to move the cursor by putting the finger on the very edge, it won't move. However, if I start from anywhere else, I can move it perfectly all along the edge. And click it too.

The only situation where this would bother me was if I had the need to click on very edges of the trackpad initially. It's hard to explain, but it would be a very strange way (it's a different thing when you're moving a window to the edge or something, then you might run into the trackpad edge - but in this case, it always works).

If your trackpad works nicely while you work normally, then I wouldn't worry about it.
 
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If your trackpad works nicely while you work normally, then I wouldn't worry about it.
Unfortunately it does not. Also, just as a note: the flex I've recorded is with the pressure required to do a force touch click (2nd click).
 
Unfortunately it does not. Also, just as a note: the flex I've recorded is with the pressure required to do a force touch click (2nd click).

I just tried to press where you pressed, at the middle of the top edge, and mine flexes too. As much as yours. Wouldn't worry about it, really.

I mean, you can if you want and think it's broken. I'm not an Apple engineer, but it feels fine to me.
 
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I just tried to press where you pressed, at the middle of the top edge, and mine flexes too. As much as yours. Wouldn't worry about it, really.

I mean, you can if you want and think it's broken. I'm not an Apple engineer, but it feels fine to me.
Thanks for checking.
I'm exchanging it anyway because I have other issues (loose touch ID button, screen and battery problems)...
 
Thanks for checking.
I'm exchanging it anyway because I have other issues (loose touch ID button, screen and battery problems)...

Anyone else ready to send their new MBP through a wall because of the Force Touch trackpad registering "events" while typing? For example, right clicks, clicks, etc? It's driving me absolutely mad.
 
I just found this comment in a post I made a month ago:

"you can defiantly see the it flexing in the middles on the keyboard and palm sides of the trackpad. I thought it was just mine but I experienced the same flexing at both Apple & Best Buy on their displays."

So, I think the fexing is normal. I can get almost 1mm when doing the 2nd click press if I click in the middle of the trackpad near the edge. I don't know if others can confirm this, maybe people have different situations but I never even noticed it before. But it seems normal to me - the Force Touch works a bit differently than 3D Touch on the iPhone and Apple Watch - there you have capacitive sensors that measure micro changes anywhere on screen while Force Touch seems to have physical pressure detectors that require the surface to move to actually move.

force-touch-tech.jpg

I think this is quite normal for trackpads of this size - the 2016 15" Trackpad and Magic Trackpad 2 have the same width and they flex at the middle.
[doublepost=1484895820][/doublepost]
Anyone else ready to send their new MBP through a wall because of the Force Touch trackpad registering "events" while typing? For example, right clicks, clicks, etc? It's driving me absolutely mad.

Don't have that issue, but I don't rest my palms on it while typing. A lot of people type with wrists down, but it's a bad posture. Still, if you're having this issue, disabling tap to click may help.
[doublepost=1484895922][/doublepost]
This is all true but the video shows the pad moving downwards considerably. This doesn't look normal at all.

Are you saying yours doesn't move when you press it hard at that spot? Middle of the trackpad, just below the edge.
 
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