Command + tap-to-click not working properly on 2021 M1 Macbook Pro

I was playing with this issue today and realized that, at least for me, it's not an issue of it becoming flaky because I can consistently replicate it. The issue appears to be related to how long you hold down the CMD (or CTRL key for that matter) before you click.

How to Replicate

Hold down the CMD key for less than a second and tap to click (or double tap, etc). If you hold down the CMD key for more than a second the click works fine which is why I think people have been able to replicate the issue by moving the mouse because that causes the time to be more than a second.

Workarounds

• Hold down the CMD key and wait more than a second before clicking
• Actually push down the trackpad until it clicks instead of using tap to click

I have the exact same "problem" listed by multiple users here. I've almost convinced myself that the issue is actually with the palm detection that prevents clicks while typing.

If I take my left hand and and make sure my palm is NO WHERE NEAR the trackpad, basically just put my index finger on command - then I believe it works 100% of the time (or nearly, I'm gun shy now). Even the lightest of taps registers the clicks, even after mouse movement where the command is then pressed and no follow on mouse movement before the tap.

I've never had this issue either on pre-m1 Mac's that were 15 and 16". I'm using a 14" max now, where I first noticed the issue. I was just given a 16" M1 (2021 model) from work, and I will see if it does the same behavior there. In the meantime I'm going to try and find some setting for the palm detection, I thought there was something but can't seem to find it.

This is a fairly serious issue for someone who types and goes immediately to use the browser without readjusting their entire hand - like most anyone would that knows how to type.

Same issue, brand new MacBook 14" M1 Pro.

Huge disappointment - after updating to Monterrey 12.3.1. nothing has changed. Just purchased a new MacBook few days ago - replacing it with a new piece does not make sense, because probably every single piece has such a failure (but not everybody knows it, since they do not use command+tap as multiple choice click - many just use Command + hard-click for a multiple selection, which works well and the problem does not show up in this scenario).

Seems to be a software issue, but not necessarily. Apple Support is not helpful in this regard (rebooting the system, relogging from goes account, booting the system in safe mode etc. - obviously nothing helps).

Yes - there is a workaround by holding the Command key for more than one second and then tapping-for-click for a multiple choice or pressing Command with a hard Touch Bar click - both work, but neither of these solutions is optimal from the usability point of view.

Apple - we are waiting for an URGENT fixing of this major bug! For most professionals such a disturbance in their workflow costs a lot of time everyday and and a lot of real money...

Hi 0x80,

Thanks for participating in the Apple Support Communities. We understand that Tap to click isn't working in combination with the Command key. Let's see how we can help. Start by testing your Mac in safe mode. This will start up your Mac so that it performs certain checks and prevents some software from automatically loading or opening, which could help narrow down the cause of issue. This article will walk you through the steps: How to use safe mode on your Mac.

To further isolate the behavior, create another administrator account to find out if the issue is specific to one user account: Set up users, guests, and groups on Mac.

Reply to this message if you need more help.

Cheers.

My replacement just came. I tested this immediately after I set it up.

SAME ISSUE HAPPENED.

This is how I reproduce it: (Note that the only setting I have changed after I receive this machine is to enable "tap to click")

1. Open a Finder window
2. Press and hold Command Key
3. Randomly choose a file and tap the trackpad
4. An expected behavior should be that the file is selected. But when the issue happens, you can't select the file and the tap seems not working. And you need to keep tapping two more times OR MOVE THE CURSOR A LITTLE BIT in order to make it work.

Did anyone hear back from the support guys?

I spoke with Apple Care - they officially confirmed the issue in known to them and will be solved with OS update "soon". However they cannot confirm whether it's going to be fixed in the next system patch or the following ones - just confirmed Apple engineers are working on that. Hopefully it will be solved within weeks rather than months, since it's really frustrating bug.

Great job!

I can't verify every single point of your observation on my machine since I have requested a replacement and I just shipped mine already. But what you just described above matches what I have seen on my machine.

Did you get a chance to test with an external mouse? if it's related to registering the position of the cursor, I'm expecting an external mouse click should be able to reproduce it. But based on my experience, my external mouse with external keyboard work just fine... so it might be worth doing more testing with:

• internal trackpad + external keyboard
• internal keyboard + external mouse/trackpad

and maybe it only appears on certain models? what is yours?

I'm on the latest Monterey with this same issue. Perhaps it started with Big Sur, but surprising that more people haven't found their way here.

Any external keyboard (non-Apple) will work. The command key will probably be the Windows or Menu key, but it should work!

FOUND IT! :

https://arcanecode.com/2021/11/09/solved-cmd-key-combos-not-working-with-logitech-k850-and-macos-monterrey/

I am still in Big Sur, so evidently this is where it started. Evidently having a K380 Logitech keyboard makes a difference.

Disconnected bluetooth on screen. Opened iphone bluetooth. Pressed #2 code keyboard key for phone connecting. Connected.

Disconnected from phone, on screen under bluetooth selected my keyboard again, and my CMD key is back! So evidently is HOW you connect, unconnect and reconnect to bluetooth that makes a difference because to everyone here is using another keyboard. One wouldn't think software could be so persnickity.

As mentioned before, this issue is known by Apple and Apple states that it is MacOS (software) related. They are working on a fix but Apple Support couldn't tell a timeline for it. More and more I’m thinking that an easy solution isn't applicable for this and that it could be a serious issue in MacOS.

I think we should just all submit a bug report here: https://www.apple.com/feedback/macos.html

0x80,

Thanks for the updated information. At this point it may be best to reach out to Apple Support directly. They can be contacted here: Get Support, or by calling the most applicable phone number from this list: Contact Apple for support and service.

If you'd prefer to leave feedback for Apple, that can be done here: Product Feedback.

Take care.

I thought I had a setting wrong, but I'm having the same issue. 99% of the time, I have to Command+Tap twice before the trackpad will work. In the meantime, I'm command+clicking. I'm amazed that my $3000+ M1 Max is this buggy.

(I've owned a 2012 MacBook for 10 years and loved using Command+tap for Chrome/Safari). Saw many other bugs, but nothing as annoying as this one.