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

The SMC reset worked for me as well.

For those curious here's an overview of what the SMC ( System Management Controller ) reset does.

Thanks mac friends, I love you.

Hello guys.

Bumping this. As of today i bought a new 15" retina macbook pro. I experienced that the left side of my trackpad was much more shallow than the right, resulting in "soft" and inaudible clicks on the left side unlike the right side's loud and deeper clicks. As previously pointed out this is a hardware failure from the macbook trackpad failing when the macbook is deformed (bent).

To resolve this problem I kicked up an intensive program so that the computer heated up (I imagine that it helped at least) and then proceeded to bend the computer in different ways while clicking on the trackpad to find the sweet spot where both sides of the trackpad were equally "clicky". After some 5 minutes of light bending the computer kept to it's new shape.

I imagine that this could be something that needs to be repeated if it gets bent again incase the problem is in fact not dirt as confirmed in other mentioned cases. I hope this isn't too much of a repost and that it at leasthelped someone out there! 🙂

Jonathan, I had exactly the same problem today, and tried to resolve it following the ideas offered in response to your posting. I came to the conclusion that they risked really screwing up your machine, and possibly costing a lot of money to repair the damage unnecessarily done. I solved the problem with a little basic housekeeping aided by a few small 3M Post-It notes. The real paper ones...

Just insert one into the minuscule gap between the trackpad and the case. Gently drag it along, and you may hit some resistance. Chances are, it's a crumb that can be worked loose. Or it may be something sticky, probably just natural oil from your fingers. Work away at it until you can move a Post-It all the way around the sides and bottom edge of the trackpad. Job done. At least on my 2010 MBAir.

Chances are, dislodging a crumb is probably what bending the chassis did for another poster. I'll leave it up to you to consider if that course of action is preferable.

Late 2010 MB Air here, was about to buy a new Macbook Air or pay to have the trackpad replaced until I happened upon this thread. For about a year now, I have had a small blind spot so to speak on my trackpad that stopped registering a click and this created a variety of word processing and other problems for me. It was a minor nuisance most of the time, but a nuisance nonetheless. I told myself that my computer is just getting old. I figured I would do a google search on the remote chance that there might be a solution out there and that is when I found this discussion. Per suggestions from this thread, I used the Post It Note idea (thank you!) and I turned the Macbook Air over and gave the bottom of the computer behind the trackpad a couple hard knocks with my fist (another thank you)....and voila, my computer is as good as new! The trackpad works perfectly now!

I am so happy, thank you all. My only regret is that I didn't think of searching for a solution on this when it first happened.

Thank you so much did exactly what you said with the post it note. I could see the crumbs

being dislodged! Touchpad is now working fine again 🙂

Thanks Kim, this just fixed my erratic trackpad clicking

I didn't even realize I could fit paper between the trackpad and the case. Cleaned it out -- there was something sticky on one side -- and the trackpad works again. Thank you!

I know this sounds very stupid and unprofessional but after pinching the bottom edge of my macbook air and smashing the trackpad several times with the edge of my fist, it worked.

Yes, this worked. Just ran paper around the trackpad crack several time to free of crumbs and/or gum.

So simple.

Wow! That actually worked for me. Thank you!

Thanks so much for this tip. What a relief. I've just replaced my old macbook air when the other half spilled water all over it, so to have had to write off another just after one month would have been a real pain.

The post-it note trick worked out so well for me! I had the same problem. Thanks!

Similar symptoms to a two month old 13" MacBook Air. Symptom: pointer moves across the screen as I use the trackpad, clicking sound and feel is full, but the clicking does nothing in the system. I can't click anything on the screen, can't open or close anything. So, ...huh. SMC reset works temporarily, but same symptoms comes back Nothing spilled. Crumbs? --Gosh, maybe. Bent frame or such? But then WHY would an SMC reset temporarily fix the problem, as it does in my case? If the problem was physical (pad inhibited by crumbs or bent), then PRAM or SMC shouldn't have an effect. Anyway, I just hate my experience on my two month old MacBook Air right now. I know, give it to Apple, and let them have at it. But, ...dang, the problem can be temporarily fixed, so, ...what to those that really know about main boards, firmware, or the like think about this?

This is the actual answer: Sorry its years late but people may still be reading this.

There is a small grub screw in the centre of the track pad.

It has become loose. Just tighten it a little...

Using the proper torx screwdriver remove the back cover of the macbook air, disconnect the battery and remove the battery. Clean the trackpad from the rear and notice the torx grub screw in its own in the centre front. It pushes the trackpad out. Adjust it so the trackpad is flush to the casing on the front. Be careful and gentle but you can do it! This will let the trackpad start clicking again.

It's a shame to APPLE... such a small thing the great designers of Apple missed and become BUMMERS!!! It's a hardware design issue that the dust is going around the trackpad and the trackpad gets stuck to the bottom. Simple workaround as given in one of the replies above to use a stick paper (or normal paper edges) to clean it out slowly and patiantly all around the touch pad.

Still can't believe it Apple can make mistakes like these :-)