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It’s software. Happens with my MacBook Pro trackpad and external Magic Trackpad. Been this way for years so I’m not expecting a fix any time soon.
 
I'm using Chrome, and bumped into this issue on my brand new M1 Pro MBP 16'.

I've been using mac since 2007, and still have a 2009 MBP 15', and a 2012 MBP 15'. Never experienced such issues on these macs. Just as OP posted, two finger swipe back didn't work occasionally after sleep. The page just wobbled left and right and never went back. The workaround is simply restart Chrome. And everything works after that.

Definitely a software bug.
 
I've been experiencing the exact same thing since purchasing my M1 Pro several months ago. It's not your fault and you're not crazy. There are multiple threads regarding this issue. It's a known bug with some of the M1 Pros.

The work around: Make sure your Battery and Power Adapter are NOT IN Low Power Mode if your Display is using ProMotion. If you want to use Low Power Mode you can't use ProMotion at the same time. For me this is a minor inconvenience, but for others I could see this being a major concern. I would imagine many people don't use Low Power Mode and have never experienced it - probably why it hasn't been addressed by Apple.

It appears to be an issue with hardware interrupt timing and the trackpad drivers when in Low Power Mode. I'm sure there could be a software fix but maybe would require firmware, not sure.
 
I've been experiencing the exact same thing since purchasing my M1 Pro several months ago. It's not your fault and you're not crazy. There are multiple threads regarding this issue. It's a known bug with some of the M1 Pros.

The work around: Make sure your Battery and Power Adapter are NOT IN Low Power Mode if your Display is using ProMotion. If you want to use Low Power Mode you can't use ProMotion at the same time. For me this is a minor inconvenience, but for others I could see this being a major concern. I would imagine many people don't use Low Power Mode and have never experienced it - probably why it hasn't been addressed by Apple.

It appears to be an issue with hardware interrupt timing and the trackpad drivers when in Low Power Mode. I'm sure there could be a software fix but maybe would require firmware, not sure.
None of my 2 units are in Low Power Mode unforunately. 🙁

You are referring to the "Low power mode" tick in the Battery and Power Adapter sections in System Preferences, right? Am I missing something?
 
I think I might have found the root problem & a temporary "solution" (in my case at least).

After disabling "Force click and haptick feedback" in Trackpad settings, it seems that the problem is gone (at least for the 2 days since I tried this, which is a record).

Obviously this is a compromise as Force touch will be disabled.

I really hope this is not a hardware problem with the trackpad...
 
None of my 2 units are in Low Power Mode unforunately. 🙁

You are referring to the "Low power mode" tick in the Battery and Power Adapter sections in System Preferences, right? Am I missing something?
Yes, the tick.
 
I have this issue also. I called Apple once, and let's just say I'm not going to spend hours to completely rebuild my laptop so that I can have a working trackpad. It's really frustrating.

I'm noticing it most frequently in Apple News and Messages apps, but I see it chrome from time to time as well. I have a 16" M1 Pro Macbook Pro. As OP mentioned, it's very difficult to reproduce on the spot.
 
trackpad pinch to zoom stopped being recognized completetly on my MBA. started in Safari, later also in Photos and when i tried to verify this also in Maps. after i did a keyboard command zoom by CMD+, CMD- and CMD 0, PTZ was fine again. probably would have worked after just one of these steps though.
Maybe this might help others too
 
OP wrote:
"I really hope this is not a hardware problem with the trackpad..."

The trackpad on these is a replaceable part.
I had a problem with "clicking and ticking" from touching the surface on either side of the trackpad -- put up a thread about it in this sub-forum.

I brought it to the local Apple Store, and they offered to overnight it to their repair facility and replace the haptic trackpad and cable. I turned it in on Friday, it was back by early Tuesday afternoon (shipped directly to me).

If you can demonstrate your problems to an Apple tech at the genius bar (on BOTH machines), they MIGHT offer you the trackpad replacement option.

If they do, TAKE THEM UP ON IT !
I suspect there were one or two "problematic" production runs on the trackpad component...
 
any permanent solution to this? even after Ventura update this issue is still present. Have you all grown accustomed to this or have you found a solution? My m1 Mac does the same, tried safe mode, creating new test user account, reinstalling os, bootable os flash drive, deleting plist for trackpad. Restarting device, turning gesture tap to click or any other gesture on and off in trackpad setting seems to work temporally.

for me pinch-to-zoom is very jerky or will stop working for few seconds, force touch works in one app but won't work in other apps like it works in notes app to look up but won't work in safari or it won't work in finder for quick look or will just stop working for 10-20 secs, in this case either it auto corrects but sometimes it will stop working all together so restart or disabling and enabling gestures in trackpad is the only option.

Should I get my device replaced ? Is this a hardware or software issue? Does this affect all Mac m1?
 
any permanent solution to this? even after Ventura update this issue is still present. Have you all grown accustomed to this or have you found a solution? My m1 Mac does the same, tried safe mode, creating new test user account, reinstalling os, bootable os flash drive, deleting plist for trackpad. Restarting device, turning gesture tap to click or any other gesture on and off in trackpad setting seems to work temporally.

for me pinch-to-zoom is very jerky or will stop working for few seconds, force touch works in one app but won't work in other apps like it works in notes app to look up but won't work in safari or it won't work in finder for quick look or will just stop working for 10-20 secs, in this case either it auto corrects but sometimes it will stop working all together so restart or disabling and enabling gestures in trackpad is the only option.

Should I get my device replaced ? Is this a hardware or software issue? Does this affect all Mac m1?
Hmm, Ventura seems to have fixed the issue for me. 🤔 Rarely, swiping back in Safari looks like really low fps, but that's about it.
 
Hello,

I received my MBP 16" M1 Pro in December. I also have another one with the exact same specs from work. Both of them have the same frustrating problem.

Randomly, the pinch-to-zoom and swipe back gestures stop working. Force touch also stops working during that time.

For the very limited time I stayed on macOS 12.0.1 if i recall correctly (probably only a day), I did not encounter this issue. It likely started after updating to 12.1. It makes me think it's a software issue as all other gestures work fine...

This is a video of how swipe back behaves when it doesn't work (it is of course not limited to Safari):

To temporarily fix this I can do one of the following:
- Don't touch anything for ~5 seconds (not even the keyboard) and it starts working again afterwards
- Untick and tick again some Trackpad settings in System Preferences
- Before macOS 12.4 running killall Dock was also working, but since 12.4, it no longer works

I have reported this countless times to Apple, but no fix.

Does anybody else experience this issue? It is driving me crazy, I can't even do my work on a $3300 laptop.

Thanks!
did you find a fix for this?
 
OP wrote:
"I really hope this is not a hardware problem with the trackpad..."

The trackpad on these is a replaceable part.
I had a problem with "clicking and ticking" from touching the surface on either side of the trackpad -- put up a thread about it in this sub-forum.

I brought it to the local Apple Store, and they offered to overnight it to their repair facility and replace the haptic trackpad and cable. I turned it in on Friday, it was back by early Tuesday afternoon (shipped directly to me).

If you can demonstrate your problems to an Apple tech at the genius bar (on BOTH machines), they MIGHT offer you the trackpad replacement option.

If they do, TAKE THEM UP ON IT !
I suspect there were one or two "problematic" production runs on the trackpad component...
did trackpad replacement solve this issue?
 
Hmm, Ventura seems to have fixed the issue for me. 🤔 Rarely, swiping back in Safari looks like really low fps, but that's about it.
I am also facing issue with my force touch, one similar case documented here https://discussions.apple.com/thread/253704304.

my issue is with force touch which works in one app but won't work in other apps occurs every 30mins or so (intermittent issue) like it works in notes app to look up but won't work in safari or it won't work in finder for quick look or will just stop working for 10-20 secs, in this case either it auto corrects but sometimes it will stop working all together so a restart or disabling and enabling gestures in trackpad is the only option.

any suggestion for this ? Should I go for a replacement ?
 
I am also facing issue with my force touch, one similar case documented here https://discussions.apple.com/thread/253704304.

my issue is with force touch which works in one app but won't work in other apps occurs every 30mins or so (intermittent issue) like it works in notes app to look up but won't work in safari or it won't work in finder for quick look or will just stop working for 10-20 secs, in this case either it auto corrects but sometimes it will stop working all together so a restart or disabling and enabling gestures in trackpad is the only option.

any suggestion for this ? Should I go for a replacement ?
Have this issue on my band new MBA. So I doubt it’s an SW issue. Did you got a replacement and was it solved?
 
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