Macbook Pro 14 Trackpad Issues Hardware or Software?

[themacmeister]

I had a Macbook Pro 14 for the past two weeks. I'm experiencing two issues the trackpad.

1. With tap to click turned on, I tried to select multiple files or photos by clicking the first file and then command tap clicking the second file. The second file won't select unless I either hard click or wait about 5 seconds.
2. Pinch to zoom doesn't work reliably. Instead of zooming, the cursor just moves.

This happens in Finder and the Photos App.

I noticed it happens on three different Macbook Pro 14s. These things don't happen on my M1 Macbook Air running Big Sur.

Anybody else notice this?

Is it the Macbook Pro 14 or Monterey? Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Alicia1]

It is Monterey. I’m experiencing the same thing. There are others too, there is a thread over in the Monterey forum discussing the issue.

 

[OhMyMy]

I had a Macbook Pro 14 for the past two weeks. I'm experiencing two issues the trackpad.

1. With tap to click turned on, I tried to select multiple files or photos by clicking the first file and then command tap clicking the second file. The second file won't select unless I either hard click or wait about 5 seconds.
2. Pinch to zoom doesn't work reliably. Instead of zooming, the cursor just moves.

This happens in Finder and the Photos App.

I noticed it happens on three different Macbook Pro 14s. These things don't happen on my M1 Macbook Air running Big Sur.

Anybody else notice this?

Is it the Macbook Pro 14 or Monterey? Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance.

Works perfectly on my 14" 10/16/16. The only trackpad issue I'm having is when I sometimes scroll through full screen apps with a four finger swipe from right to left, it moves the other way as if I swiped left to right.
Although I do have the three finger drag enabled. Not sure if that's gonna change anything.

 

[crashcube]

I have a similar issue on my MBP 14, when you hold "CMD" and try immediately "Tap To Click" (for example open link in a new tab in browser), half of clicks just don't work out. For MBP 16 it works well. But this problem I've reproduced on 3 of 3 MBP 14.

 

[themacmeister]

I have a similar issue on my MBP 14, when you hold "CMD" and try immediately "Tap To Click" (for example open link in a new tab in browser), half of clicks just don't work out. For MBP 16 it works well. But this problem I've reproduced on 3 of 3 MBP 14.

Is your MBP 16 the newest one and is it running MacOS Monterey? Thanks!

 

[crashcube]

Is your MBP 16 the newest one and is it running MacOS Monterey? Thanks!

I tried it at electronics shop, on newest 16 is works well. Also it works well on MBP Pro 15" 2016, MacBook Air M1, MacBook Pro 13" M1. Only all MBP 14" affected. Seems like trackpad problem in MBP 14".

 

[vow]

The 14" I had for a few days had this issue. My 16" just came in yesterday and no issues whatsoever.

 

[HoosierInFL]

I sometimes have to tap several times to get the tap to click to do anything on my 14".

 

[OhMyMy]

Everyone who’s having the issue, did you try waiting for a couple seconds before tapping it again? I’ve noticed that sometimes it takes a second or two to respond to a tap.

 

[crashcube]

Everyone who’s having the issue, did you try waiting for a couple seconds before tapping it again? I’ve noticed that sometimes it takes a second or two to respond to a tap.

Yes, bug is reproducable only when you hold CMD and IMMEDIATELY (during 1-2 sec) do tap to click. After waiting 2+ sec it works. But it's not usable

 

[kushvarma]

Looks like I am not the only one. It becomes irritating. That the tap is not registered properly for the first time. either you have to try multiple time or press the trackpad.

 

[crashcube]

Looks like I am not the only one. It becomes irritating. That the tap is not registered properly for the first time. either you have to try multiple time or press the trackpad.

That's very annoying, so I've returned my new MBP to a seller. Want to get if fixed or change for MBP 16.

 

[kushvarma]

When I use with Magic Trackpad 2, it works just fine. It is only in the Macbook's trackpad. Not sure if it is an hardware issue or software. I think in principle it can be solved via software update. Making it too annoying.

 

[Quackers]

Have you tried running diagnostics?

 

[nhassa8]

I had thought I am losing it. I AM SO HAPPY TO HAVE FOUND THIS THREAD!

If it's affecting THIS many people, I really hope it's a software bug.

 

[crashcube]

I had thought I am losing it. I AM SO HAPPY TO HAVE FOUND THIS THREAD!

If it's affecting THIS many people, I really hope it's a software bug.

I hope too, otherwise I will change my new MBP 14" for a new MBP 16"

BTW There is another related topic: https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/base-macbook-pro-14-trackpad-weird-behavior.2321494/

 

[Kgal]

I just left the Genius Bar at my local store for this same quirky trackpad issue. I also chatted AND had a phone call with screen share before I went to my appointment. It has plagued me from the time I unboxed and booted up. At my store appointment, after a LOT of checking this, recalibrating that, the technician decided to search around on the internet and found the info here (thanks to you guys!!!) and will hopefully at least begin to inform all the techs at that store. FWIW, as you all are seeing, he was able to replicate the issue on a 14" but NOT the 16" in the store, and observed the issue on my MBP 14" also. His take is that he is "90% sure it is a software (or perhaps firmware) issue and not hardware)" but we will hopefully know for sure soon! He put a LOT of notes on my account. I have the base model 14". Curious if it's on all 14" configurations. Hopefully we can all make enough noise and Apple will get this fixed for us!

 

[gr8tfly]

I just left the Genius Bar at my local store for this same quirky trackpad issue. I also chatted AND had a phone call with screen share before I went to my appointment. It has plagued me from the time I unboxed and booted up. At my store appointment, after a LOT of checking this, recalibrating that, the technician decided to search around on the internet and found the info here (thanks to you guys!!!) and will hopefully at least begin to inform all the techs at that store. FWIW, as you all are seeing, he was able to replicate the issue on a 14" but NOT the 16" in the store, and observed the issue on my MBP 14" also. His take is that he is "90% sure it is a software (or perhaps firmware) issue and not hardware)" but we will hopefully know for sure soon! He put a LOT of notes on my account. I have the base model 14". Curious if it's on all 14" configurations. Hopefully we can all make enough noise and Apple will get this fixed for us!

It's happening on many other models back to several years ago (2016 even). My machine is a 2018 15" MBP i9.

FWIW, actual use feels like more than the 6 or 7% missing tap the two different objective tests show.

 

[Kgal]

It's happening on many other models back to several years ago (2016 even). My machine is a 2018 15" MBP i9.

FWIW, actual use feels like more than the 6 or 7% missing tap the two different objective tests show.

UGH. I had been using a 15" 2014 MBP before this, but was running Big Sur. No issues on it. Fingers crossed for a solution! Thanks for the info!

 

[crashcube]

I just left the Genius Bar at my local store for this same quirky trackpad issue. I also chatted AND had a phone call with screen share before I went to my appointment. It has plagued me from the time I unboxed and booted up. At my store appointment, after a LOT of checking this, recalibrating that, the technician decided to search around on the internet and found the info here (thanks to you guys!!!) and will hopefully at least begin to inform all the techs at that store. FWIW, as you all are seeing, he was able to replicate the issue on a 14" but NOT the 16" in the store, and observed the issue on my MBP 14" also. His take is that he is "90% sure it is a software (or perhaps firmware) issue and not hardware)" but we will hopefully know for sure soon! He put a LOT of notes on my account. I have the base model 14". Curious if it's on all 14" configurations. Hopefully we can all make enough noise and Apple will get this fixed for us!

The same thing for we, I reproduced on 3 of 3 MBP 14, but on MBP 16 it works fine. But when I tried to return my MBP to the store, they said they couldn't reproduce it (even with attached video) and returned back to me Maybe software update will solve this issue.

 

[ladan]

For me, the same thing happens on MBP 16 ". It only happens occasionally. Now I tried to install Monterey Beta and I hoped it would be fixed, but the opposite is true, now it's happening permanently - even worse. I tried to use external Magic Trackpad and there it does the same, so I hope it's a software bug.

 

[HoosierInFL]

The longer this issue continues, the more maddening it gets. Fix it, Apple!

 

[mereøl]

I have 16" MBP M1 Max and i have same problem :-( So its not only 14" there are affected.

 

[lucien.dol]

On my 14" M1 the only trackpad issue is that using 3 or 4 finger-swipes to go from one full screen app to the other only works intermittently - and I never know when it's going to work. All other gestures work fine, consistently.
Luckily I found there's a workaround - just as fast! - in using Control-Left and Control-Right.

 

[bolandross]

Thank you for this thread, I am experiencing the same issue with my new MacBook Pro 14"