How to remove dried nail glue from trackpad

The Trackpad has a glass like surface. Depending on the glue you should be able to scrape it off. Try using a thin plastic card....I guess even a credit card may work. You may need to try holding the card at different angles.

I don't know whether a thin blade would scratch the Trackpad surface.

I recall seeing fingernail polish & even glues on various parts of an Apple laptop over the years. I honestly don't recall too much about those incidents, but I think they always left marks behind once the polish/glue was removed.

If the glue is only on the Trackpad, then you can have Apple or an Apple Authorized Service Provider replace just the Trackpad for you. The last time I checked the Trackpad part itself was around $90-$100 and who knows what the labor fee may be (probably $100-$150). If you damage anything else while trying to remove the glue, then the repair cost will be much more expensive. Only the I/O Boards (aka USB-C ports) are less expensive so a Trackpad repair is one of the lower cost Apple laptop repairs possible.

It is also possible some repair shops may try to remove the glue, but the Apple Store likely won't even try.

FYI, it is best to keep food, liquids, and anything messy far away from a laptop.

Use a clean microfiber cloth dampened with 70% isopropyl alcohol.

How to clean your Apple products - Apple Support

❝Using a 70 percent isopropyl alcohol wipe, 75 percent ethyl alcohol wipe, or Clorox Disinfecting Wipes, you may gently wipe the hard, nonporous surfaces of your Apple product, such as the display, keyboard, or other exterior surfaces. ❞

Nail polish and related compounds are most efficiently removed using acetone. However, if you use acetone you will almost certainly destroy the touchscreen, and possibly surrounding plastic parts. So you're basically starting with possibly having to replace the touchpad. Even if you can somehow flick off the bit of glue, it wouldn't surprise me if a small amount remained and affected the pad's performance at that spot.

You are welcome to try dilute alcohol per How to clean your Apple products - Apple Support but I very much doubt it will dissolve the glue.

Mac Service and Repair - Learn how to get your Mac desktop or Mac notebook fixed and how much it will cost.

Click here --> Product Service and Repair Information - Official Apple Support

Enter the information in the Get Estimate window.

or:

Go to this page to find your nearest Apple Authorized Service Provider (AASP) or Apple Authorized Distributor (AAD) --> https://locate.apple.com/country

How to make a Genius Bar appointment

1. Go to Genius Bar Reservation and Apple Support Options - Apple

2. Go to "Get hardware help".

3. Select your hardware and continue selecting options requiring replacing parts until you see "Bring in for Repair"

4. Sign in with your Apple ID

or:

Refer to this document for ways to contact Apple ➞ Choose your country or region - Official Apple Support

Select your country (also look for "other" regions), then a product. If you don't see one that handles your issue then keep experimenting with selections until you reach one that gets you a chat session or a telephone call and get the representative to redirect you.

or:

Contact Apple for support and service by telephone ➞ Contact Apple Support - Apple Support

"How to remove dried nail glue from trackpad: I got a tiny blob of nail glue on my trackpad and it dried. How do I remove it?"

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Nail Polish Removal:

I agree with Limnos on replacing the trackpad. But, did you go through a nail polish artist? I'm sure they have Terms & Conditions, perhaps mentioning those of whom you can contact when it comes to removal of this.