Touchpad Gestures and Settings
How to configure trackpad sensitivity, gestures, tap-to-click, and other touchpad settings
Your touchpad can do a lot more than point and click. Multi-finger gestures let you switch apps, scroll, zoom, and jump between desktops without lifting your hand. Here is how to configure all of it.
macOS has the best trackpad support of any OS. All settings are in one place.
Opening trackpad settings:
Go to System Settings > Trackpad. There are three tabs:
Point & Click tab:
- Tap to click – tap the trackpad surface instead of pressing it down. Off by default; most people prefer it on
- Secondary click (right-click) – set to two-finger click or click in a corner
- Tracking speed – the slider controls how fast the cursor moves relative to your finger. Start in the middle and adjust from there
- Click strength – how hard you need to press for a click (Light, Medium, or Firm)
- Force Click and haptic feedback – enables a deeper press for Quick Look, Look Up, and other features
Scroll & Zoom tab:
- Natural scrolling – when on, content moves in the direction your fingers move (like a phone). When off, it scrolls the "traditional" way. This is personal preference
- Zoom in or out – pinch with two fingers to zoom
- Smart zoom – double-tap with two fingers to zoom in on a page
- Rotate – rotate with two fingers (useful in image editors and maps)
More Gestures tab:
- Swipe between pages – two-finger swipe left or right to go back/forward in browsers and other apps
- Swipe between full-screen apps – three or four-finger horizontal swipe to switch between desktops and full-screen apps
- Mission Control – three or four-finger swipe up to see all open windows
- App Expose – three or four-finger swipe down to see all windows of the current app
- Launchpad – pinch with thumb and three fingers to open the app launcher
- Show Desktop – spread thumb and three fingers apart to push all windows aside
Each gesture shows a preview video when you hover over it so you can see exactly what it does.
Frequently Asked Questions
My touchpad feels too fast or too slow. What should I change?▾
Adjust the tracking speed (called "Tracking speed" on Mac, "Touchpad sensitivity" on Windows, "Touchpad speed" on Linux). Start in the middle and move the slider in small increments until pointing feels natural. On Windows, if the sensitivity dropdown is not enough, you can also adjust cursor speed separately in Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Mouse > Mouse pointer speed.
Should I turn on natural scrolling?▾
This is entirely personal preference. Natural scrolling (content moves the direction your fingers go) matches how phones work, so it feels intuitive if you use a phone a lot. Traditional scrolling (content moves opposite to your fingers) is what desktop users have done for decades. Try natural scrolling for a day – you will know quickly if you like it.
Can I use touchpad gestures with an external trackpad?▾
Yes. Apple's Magic Trackpad works with all macOS gestures. On Windows, external precision touchpads support all the same gestures as built-in ones. On Linux, external trackpad support depends on the specific hardware and driver.
Why do some gestures not work on my laptop?▾
Older laptops may not have a precision touchpad. On Windows, check Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Touchpad – if it says "Your PC has a precision touchpad," all gestures will work. If it does not say that, you are limited to basic pointing and two-finger scrolling. On Linux, some hardware requires additional drivers for multi-finger gestures.
Can I disable the touchpad when I plug in a mouse?▾
Yes. On Windows, toggle Leave touchpad on when a mouse is connected off in touchpad settings. On macOS, go to System Settings > Accessibility > Pointer Control and check Ignore built-in trackpad when mouse or wireless trackpad is present. On GNOME Linux, there is a "Disable while external mouse is plugged in" option under Mouse & Touchpad settings on some distributions.