A few years ago, Apple ended up rolling out a “solid-state” trackpad instead of the mechanical trackpad it used in 1995. This new type of trackpad first appeared as part of the short-lived 2015 12-inch MacBook. Instead of internal switches and other moving parts, this Force Touch keyboard simulates feedback with tactile sensations. When you press down on the trackpad, the motor inside vibrates rapidly, making it feel like the trackpad is moving. You can try how it feels when it “died” by turning off your Mac – it’s just inert electronics.

If you’re migrating from an older Mac that was released before Force Touch, or you set up a previous Mac with this technology and didn’t realize you changed its settings, you might be overwhelmed by the new Mac. One reader said that he felt like they couldn’t drag and drop items from folders, even though all other point and click functionality worked.

The trick is to study  > System Settings/Settings > trackpad. You can set the click sensitivity to Light, Medium and Firm. If you’re having trouble, try moving it through levels you’re not currently on (eg Medium and Easy if it’s set to Hard). This may fix the issue. Our reader noted that they also disabled Force Click and haptic feedback, which partially eliminates the feeling of pressing, but also disables additional features related to how hard you press.

Adjust trackpad haptics and click-related settings until a non-moving pointing device works correctly.

They found that Click to click was turned on, causing even physical confusion. Disabling this feature requires a press to trigger actions that require a button press.

This Mac 911 article is in response to a question from Macworld reader Bill.

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