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Trackpad gestures stop working

WolfSnap

WolfSnap

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Sep 18, 2012
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Does anyone else have issues with gestures stopping working?

I use a Late 2016 MacBook Pro with TouchBar, and it's typically docked to a 5K LG screen, and I use the Apple keyboard and Apple TouchPad (the newer versions of them) to interact with the mac.

I've been having the issue for a while, and have tried a ton of fixes -- none seem to solve the issue... Basically, gestures stop working. So, swipe to go back just stops working -- OR, when I swipe, the safari webpage will start to move, then stop, then jerk a bit, and collapse back to where I was.

OR, trying to open the notification center doesn't work at all.

Rotating maps will stop working, calendars can't be scrolled around in, etc..

Sometimes it just takes quitting out of Safari to make things work again. Other times I need to go into the touchpad settings and uncheck all the gestures, then re-check all the gestures to get things working again.

Anyone know of an actual permanent fix?
 
WolfSnap said:
Does anyone else have issues with gestures stopping working?

I use a Late 2016 MacBook Pro with TouchBar, and it's typically docked to a 5K LG screen, and I use the Apple keyboard and Apple TouchPad (the newer versions of them) to interact with the mac.

I've been having the issue for a while, and have tried a ton of fixes -- none seem to solve the issue... Basically, gestures stop working. So, swipe to go back just stops working -- OR, when I swipe, the safari webpage will start to move, then stop, then jerk a bit, and collapse back to where I was.
Click to expand...

Strangely enough, the part of your message I've quoted happened to me today but on a 27" late 2013 iMac with a Magic trackpad. Restarting the computer cured it but it's never happened to me before. It's possible other things were affected but I never tried any of them. When I had the problem with Safari I switched the trackpad off and on again (no effect) then rebooted the iMac.

I've no idea what could have caused it.
 
Yep, I've been getting this on my current-gen iMac, I believe just since upgrading to macOS 10.13.4 – all the more complex gestures (zooming, "back" gesture, Notification Center summon) stop working at intervals. The only reliable way to restore them I've found is to go to Trackpad's preference pane and toggle something off and on.
 
It's probably High Sierra as it's one of the buggiest macOS releases yet. As said above, restarting the computer should fix it.
 
Still have this issue here and there... had it on my 2010 mbp, on my 2016 mbp pro and now on my 15" 2018 mbp...
 
WolfSnap said:
I've never been able to find a permanent fix.
Click to expand...

Oh, thank you for mentioning. I eventually did – in my case, it turned out the Magnet app was messing with gestures. It was inexpensive and I used it a little, but after discovering that I just abandoned it and mailed them.
 
Yes, it happens intermittently to me as well. Scrolling up and down a page works, but swiping back and forth doesn't work, zooming doesn't work. This is on a 2017 iMac with Magic Trackpad 2. It also happened on my older 2010 iMac, also with the Magic Trackpad 2. If I leave it and come back after a while, it's all working again. If I get really annoyed, I restart, which fixes it. I've semi-given up, but still check the internet from time to time for solutions, anyway...
 
magnet app seemed to be the issue for me. Removing it fixed the issues for good.
 
Here's a workaround I inadvertently discovered: If I sleep the computer for a sec then wake it up, it's back to normal.
 
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