Super Sensitive Trackpad

Hello there, drdlk.

It sounds like you're experiencing some jumpy or erratic response from the trackpad on your MacBook Air. The following Knowledge Base article offers up some great steps to review when experiencing this sort of behavior:

If your pointer is jumpy when you use a trackpad, Magic Trackpad, or Magic Mouse

Avoid accidental multiple touches on the surface

Be sure only one part of your finger is touching the touch surface and that you're not resting your wrist on or very close to the surface. The touch surface might interpret this as your finger touching it and move the pointer in that direction.

Keep touch surface dry and clean

Moisture collecting on the touch surface can also cause this issue. Wiping off the surface of the trackpad or mouse with a cloth or tissue usually fixes this.

If the issue goes away when you put a piece of paper between your finger and the touch surface, consider purchasing a Teflon applique to fit over the surface to prevent moisture from having direct contact with the touch surface. Before you install the Teflon applique, make sure the touch surface is clean and dry.

Note that oil or lotion can also cause the same issue. You can clean your device's touch surface with a lint-free cloth lightly moistened with water.

Remove jewelry

Jewelry might also cause interference when you use a device with a touch surface. Try removing rings or bracelets and see whether the jumpy or erratic behavior disappears.

Check the power adapter you're using with your Mac

This behavior might happen if you use a power adapter made by a third-party company.

If you're using one of these power adapters, unplug it and try running your Mac from battery power to see whether the pointer behaves correctly. If the device behaves normally while running from the battery, there might be an issue with your power adapter.

Avoid wireless interference

Bluetooth devices can act erratically when there's wireless interference. See Wi-Fi and Bluetooth: Potential sources of wireless interference for more information.

Start your Mac in Safe Mode

If none of the above resolves the issue, you can start in Safe Mode to rule out third-party software as a cause.

Thanks for reaching out to Apple Support Communities.

Cheers.

Hello again, drdlk.

Thanks for the update on your issue. Due to the nature of your issue you may find more information by using another one of Apple's support resources - https://getsupport.apple.com/GetproductgroupList.action to get a more hands-on response.


Cheers.