M1 chip MacBook Pro trackpad not functioning (mouse cannot move)

Greetings, DannieTan98.

Welcome to the Apple Support Communities. Being able to reliably use your built-in trackpad is important, so we can understand why you’d want a resolution. 

First, test it out in safe mode: Start up your Mac in safe mode

Then, isolate the issue further by testing it in another user account: Set up users, guests, and groups on Mac - Apple Support

If the issue continues, consider answering the following question. 

• How exactly is it not working?
• Which macOS are you using?
• Has the Mac had any impacts?

All the best. 

Hi,

This is my second MacBook Pro M1 (16 GB RAM, 512 GB SSD). I returned the first one after just one week (in December 2020) because one evening, with absolutely no warning, the trackpad and Magic mouse became both unresponsive. I actually had to turn the computer off by pressing the power button. I didn't want to take any chances with a $2000 brand new machine, so I returned it immediately.

I ordered another MacBook Pro M1 (same configuration) and received it yesterday (January 7, 2021). I was so excited, thinking that it would be impossible to experience the same problem with a second brand new laptop. Boy, was I wrong.

Here is what happened not even an hour ago. I lifted the lid just a little bit but enough to turn the computer on (I could hear the startup sound and saw the light from the Apple symbol) but then closed it again after approximately 2 seconds (I just noticed a tiny scuff on the lid and thought I'd better remove it). When I lifted the lid again a minute or so later, the screen was completely black and the pointer frozen. Both the trackpad and the mouse were completely unresponsive. Just like with the first machine, when I pressed the trackpad, the tactile feeling was distinctly different. Again, I turned the laptop off by pressing the power button. When I turned it on again, I was able to enter the password and complete the startup. But the pointer was still frozen. However, as I was moving my finger across the trackpad, different apps from the dock would pop up, although the pointer was frozen. The mouse was not working either. I restarted the laptop one more time, and finally everything went back to "normal." But this is absolutely unacceptable. I will return this second machine as well and I guess I will wait until Apple does something about this bug or whatever it is. In the meantime, I will continue using my 2013 MacBook Pro, which still works very well although I dropped it a number of times and I cannot use the bottom part of the screen as a result. Just to make things clear: the only apps I installed on the M1 were Firefox, Chrome, and Brave. Nothing else. Two brand new machines. Malfunctioned after seven days and two days. I thought Apple had better quality control but I guess I was wrong.

I have exactly the same problem on brand new MacBook Pro M1, 16 gb RAM, 1TB SSD. Exactly the same problem as described above. The mouse pointer freezes and after a few restarts, appears to work again.

I spent several hours on the phone to Apple. Together we realised the major differences between the res-settings for an M1. Once we had worked them out, my machine was working far far better, but, it still Purple screen crash rebooted. Apple shall be sending me a replacement BEFORE I return this one. That way I can transfer my data at top speed. It crashed about three times more after the calls - as follows :-

BUT - that that two days ago and it has not crashed since

This is my third MMacBook Air M1. TODAY - this morning - it crashed.

Turning on from sleep in the morning after about six hours. The mouse froze as I was reading my emails. After about five seconds the screen first went fully black, then fully and purple for perhaps a 10th second, then crashed and restarted as if from a cold start. 

I AM NOT HAPPY !

Yesterday I thought everything was fine. Today it clearly is not ! Apple has some deep fixing to do.

I had exactly the same problem - and also had a problem with my password not being recognised, even though it was correct. I spent two hours on the phone to apple support (and spoke to three different people), who didn't know how to resolve the problem as they hadn't heard of anyone else with this issue. I also spent 5 hours reinstalling BigSur, which made no difference. I was told I would have to purchase an external hard drive to transfer data to, wipe the machine, then reinstall everything. Feeling very frustrated, and not wishing to fork out money for something that wasn't my fault, I did a bit of research (macforum was good) and this seems to work (I haven't had a frozen cursor for a couple of weeks now)...

1. When you open the mac, wait a few seconds before typing in your password.
2. Let the mac load the desktop fully before attempting to move the cursor or touch the trackpad - I wait about 5 or 6 seconds. (The cursor is always at the top left of the screen on opening)

I hope this is useful - it's a bit annoying this is an issue (and not just for me, it seems), bearing in the mind it's a brand new machine and expensive...!

I'm having the exact same issue. From day one, my brand new (refurbished) M1 MacBook Pro (2020) has been randomly having trackpad problems. It's different almost every time. It's always something like this:

• My cursor is visible, but can't click.
• My cursor is not visible but brings up the side/tool bar, but still can't click.
• Right click works, but left click doesn't.
• Cursor is stuck in "select mode" (as if I'm holding shift to select multiple items. The select box grows and shrinks with cursor movement, right clicking works but left clicking still doesn't work.

I've tried:

• Resetting SMC by closing the lid for 15 seconds and reopening.
• Logging out and back in.
• Locking the screen and unlocking again.
• Testing in safe mode.
• Restarting always fixes it temporarily, but then it's triggered again later, randomly.

Apple tech support has told me that the only things left to try are:

• To try logging in as a test user.
• To restore my computer to factory settings.

I am about to try logging in as a test user, but I am not willing to restore to factory settings because... the computer came to me with factory settings about 3 weeks ago and this has been an issue from day one. So this is clearly an issue with factory settings, not something that will be fixed by returning to factory settings.

My new M1 air has similar issues. The trackpad often fails to start moving when I perform a swipe, it may go part way but starts the pointer travel late and so stops far short of my target. Also, the pointer randomly moves from where I left it. Both these issues are occasional.

I have installed Rosetta, Adobe and a few browsers only.

This must be a software issue right? The chassis is identical to my Intel 2020 MBP 13"...

Has this been resolved for you? I want one so badly, mostly because of the battery life, but I don't want to deal with something as basic as a trackpad issue. I've got one in my cart (trading my Intel model for a really reasonable credit) but am concerned to make the leap.

Yes I would recommend it, I have a MacBook Air- if for the battery life only.

So far I have not used its raw power much. I think I should have bought more memory for it though! I am a quite heavy user and if I leave things open, it gets full.

I have 1Tb storage but I access a lot of file over my local network. My be I should not. I have had the whole thing lock up when it can't get at files it had when the network was open after I bring it back from sleep.

I think I shall pass it over to my wife when a bigger screen version with an M2 comes out though !

I'm torn between waiting and jumping in. That move to a 2 TB is an expensive one so I understand. I currently use a 512 and would be purchasing a 1TB.

I really appreciate you taking the time to answer my questions!

We'll keep an eye out for the M2!

Stay well.

Hi Sethman71,

Most probably it is a software issue, but it's still annoying to have to deal with it when we are talking about a brand new Apple laptop. Interestingly, though, in both cases, the trackpad felt differently when pressed during the crisis situation. It felt as if something had been stuck underneath. That's why my first thought was, okay this may be a hardware problem. I returned the machine immediately because I was still within the 14-day since the purchase time frame. But when exactly the same thing happened for the second time, I realized that it must be a software problem. But to me that didn't make much difference, so I returned the second one as well. Why do I have to go through this every time I purchase a new laptop? Don't get me wrong, the laptop itself is beautiful, the battery life is pretty much as advertised, but we all expected this to be a flawless machine. From what I've read on other forums, the M1 16GB RAM + 512 GB SSD configuration seemed more likely to have this trackpad issue. Maybe the 8GB RAM models are better in this respect, but I don't know. Anyway, if it tuns out to be a software problem, it will be solved sooner or later. Hopefully the new series (M1X or M2) won't have similar issues. Why don't you wait for five months or so and get the 14 inch model with a better chip inside? By then other possible software glitches will be addressed as well (or so you'd hope).

Same problem here... brand new MBP M1. After a restart, the mouse is stuck in one place on the screen even though the now invisible mouse moves where you want it to.

Interestingly, if you have two monitors, the mouse works fine on the second monitor, just not on the laptop screen. I've tried restarting with and without the external monitor attached. No luck... the mouse never works on the laptop screen.

Hello ... Same thing with my brand new M1 MacBook Pro 13 16mb ram , Built in trackpad suddenly stop working twice. buttons worked ok while problem present. slide finger over built in track pad- frozen pointer had to restart. happened twice already first time just out of the box and two days ago. I received it on December 16 2020 open box a couple of days later. No software programs installed. No external accessories attached. Called apple support seems no specific solution. I have many apple products for many years now and just purchased M1 Mac mini also. I really don't understand. Latest Big Sur update , No impacts at all. Built in Track pad is working fine at the moment however I'm very concerned with this investment.

Sincerely

Hi Dannie, would you mind sharing what update you're referring to? I just bought the new 13" MacBook with the M1 and I am having the same issue where the cursor freezes. Currently running Big Sur V11.