Macbook air touchpad not clicking. It makes an audible click when you press it on the right but not the left

If anyone had the same problem as this, here's what I did.

I removed the hardshell casing on my Macbook Air. I stood the Macbook on its left side on the bed. And I tapped (or rapped lightly) the back of the macbook behind the trackpad. Whatever mechanism that was stuck fell into place.

When I checked on it, the left side of the trackpad clicked normally. I assume this can work on the right side as well.

Olee wrote:

If anyone had the same problem as this, here's what I did.

I removed the hardshell casing on my Macbook Air. I stood the Macbook on its left side on the bed. And I tapped (or rapped lightly) the back of the macbook behind the trackpad. Whatever mechanism that was stuck fell into place.

When I checked on it, the left side of the trackpad clicked normally. I assume this can work on the right side as well.

What do you mean by "the hardshell casing"? You unscrewed the casing?

Thanks! Had same problem 13 inch Macbook air, trackpad worked to move the cursor but would intermittantly stop responding to clicks. Tried changing the trackpad settings but problem persisted. Would usually resort to connecting a wireless mouse! But a single tap on the bottom of the case, right under the trackpad, seems to have fixed it.

Wow, slightly twisting my frame totally fixed the problem. The clicking returned immediately.

The left side of my trackpad was not clicking, so I bent the pad by pushing down on the left and pulling up on the right. I gradually applied pressure until the left surface of the pad was visible over top of the surrounding frame.

Though it seems to come and go, but a quick twist brings it back.

I am on a 2011 11" Air

The SMC reset worked a treat thank you!

Same problem here. Click not working on left hand side of trackpad, but OK on right. Stand on left hand edge, tap around the underneath of the trackpad and its back to normal again. Must be dust accumulation inside somehow.

Having the same issue where the left and right part of the touchpad isn't clicking like it used to. It still works, but the clicking isn't there and the travel of the touchpad is less. If I hit the bottom of the MBA where the trackpad is, then something seems to get it back into place and it clicks like new again. Shame my MBA is out of warranty already.

All of your recommendations helped so much!! My track pad wasn't registering the push to click at all. So I turned it on its left and knocked on the bottom of the track pad-et voila! Working again!! So happy this conversation is happening!!

wait so if I understand this clearly you rapped the actual unibody casing of the MBA on the left side to get it working? I m happy it did not get damaged. So the remedy seems to be either smc restart or hitting the body?

Yup. It's a hardware failure of some sort. The knocking on the bottom of the casing only helps for a little bit though. Not a permanent solution. I think the only real way is to open up and clean it or replace the touchpad.

You are a genius. The PRAM reset fixed my problem. Thanks!!

This was brilliant! I just lifted up the bottom and knocked a few times just under the tracker pad and it started cliking again! thanks

I tried doing the different restart options and nothing worked.

Then I plugged in an external wired mouse and had the same issue. I could move the pointer but the click function didn't work.

Remembered my bluetooth mouse was still turned on in my backpack. Turned off the bluetooth mouse and both the trackpad and the external mouse click functions started working.

Before you do anything make sure you don't have a paired, bluetooth mouse in range of your comptuer.

I just had the same problem: trackpad clicking on the right, not the left. Put it on it's side - left and right - and clicked vigourously everywhere on the trackpad, and that seems to have solved the problem. It's clearly some dust or something that got stuck between the trackpad and stopped it from clicking. So pleased it works again!

When you try this method, start clicking from the side that works towards the other side. There should be a point where the clicking stops. Keep clicking around this point, almost like massaging the problem away.

SMC reset helped with it not clicking on the left, but scrolling is jittery and I can't scroll a text entry form within a webpage - it scrolls the page too. Edges of trackpad are not responsive to taps. but the "Genius" at the Apple store said that is normal. Seems to me I used to be able to tap all the way to the edge.