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Double tap and hold to drag not working.

I used to be able to double tap and hold to drag and highlight. That seems to be not working any more. I am using an M1 MacBook Pro. There also was a setting in the System Settings under Trackpad that I could lock that until tapping again. That seems to be gone now as well. Now I must click the trackpad and hold to do either and I cannot continue highlighting when I release the click. I anyone else having this problem and is there a solution to the problem?

MacBook Pro (M1, 2020)

Posted on Aug 5, 2023 11:06 AM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Aug 5, 2023 5:13 PM

I just found it. I forgot where it was in the past since it has been a long time that I started using that option. If you're interested follow this: Open System Preferences ➔ Accessibility ➔ Pointer Control (Left Column) ➔ Trackpad Options ➔ CHECK mark on Use Trackpad for Dragging. Then you have Dragging Style options.


Thanks to all that replied and gave me ideas. It must have gotten changed with one of the updates.


4 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Aug 5, 2023 5:13 PM in response to catnipw

I just found it. I forgot where it was in the past since it has been a long time that I started using that option. If you're interested follow this: Open System Preferences ➔ Accessibility ➔ Pointer Control (Left Column) ➔ Trackpad Options ➔ CHECK mark on Use Trackpad for Dragging. Then you have Dragging Style options.


Thanks to all that replied and gave me ideas. It must have gotten changed with one of the updates.


Aug 5, 2023 4:28 PM in response to leroydouglas

Thanks for the reply leroydouglas. I tried all your suggestions and there is still not anywhere I can double tap and hold to drag and highlight. I will try sending a bug report to Apple and see where that takes me. Thank you again, though. I don't even have a setting in the system settings that allows me to lock the hold while I raised my finger and continued dragging or highlighting until I tapped again to release it. There used to be.

Aug 5, 2023 2:40 PM in response to catnipw

catnipw wrote:

I used to be able to double tap and hold to drag and highlight. That seems to be not working any more. I am using an M1 MacBook Pro. There also was a setting in the System Settings under Trackpad that I could lock that until tapping again. That seems to be gone now as well. Now I must click the trackpad and hold to do either and I cannot continue highlighting when I release the click. I anyone else having this problem and is there a solution to the problem?



ref make some changes and compare your results...

How to use the Force Touch trackpad


—A SafeBoot Use safe mode on your Mac - Apple Support will sort many anomalies




You can file a bug report /submit your Apple Feedback here: Product Feedback - Apple



The current stable release of Ventura including bug fixes, security updates is macOS Ventura 13.5

Keep your Mac up to date - Apple Support

Keep your Mac up to date - Apple Support





Dec 5, 2023 12:49 PM in response to catnipw

Thank you for getting me into the area I needed to, at least to explore the options. I didn't find the ability to double tap (with one finger) on an open window to drag it, nor to drag the highlighter over text (double tapping with one finger now moves a window all the way up to the top of the screen automatically, & then automatically back to where it started when double tapped again.


'Seems, three fingers are now used, with no taping, for much of what double tapping with one finger used to do (accept a few other things. These variations will take a bit ti get used to).

Double tap and hold to drag not working.

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