HT201822: Mac notebooks: About the "Ignoring accidental trackpad input" option on computers with the Multi-Touch trackpad

Learn about Mac notebooks: About the "Ignoring accidental trackpad input" option on computers with the Multi-Touch trackpad
malibongwe

Q: "Accidental trackpad input" on a MacBook 2015 12 while typing

Will someone from Apple Support please advise how to enable this feature on a MacBook 2015 12" running OS X 10.11.5 as it is driving me crazy having my curser clicking all over the place while I am typing.  Apple Support was not very helpful and suggested I run a hardware test.  The results show nothing wrong with the hardware of my "Light. Years ahead." machine. I have looked this up on various community boards and it seems to be a common problem.  One guy took his machine to the Genius Bar and they replaced the top part of his brand new MacBook but the problems still persist which makes me belief that it is not a hardware problem but perhaps a problem with the design of the new force touch trackpad they put in these machines?

MacBook (Retina, 12-inch, Early 2015), OS X El Capitan (10.11.4), null

Posted on May 20, 2016 3:27 AM

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Q: "Accidental trackpad input" on a MacBook 2015 12 while typing

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  • by pedro d,

    pedro d pedro d May 21, 2016 2:29 PM in response to malibongwe
    Community Specialists
    May 21, 2016 2:29 PM in response to malibongwe

    Hello there, malibongwe.

     

     

     

    It sounds like you're having troubles with unexpected behavior from the trackpad on your MacBook. The following Knowledge Base article provides some great and thorough steps to try for troubleshooting:

     

     

     

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

     

     

     

    Check your device's power

    Make sure your device's batteries aren't low. If you're using Magic Trackpad 2 or Magic Mouse 2, make sure its rechargeable battery is fully charged.

    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.

     

     

     

    Kind Regards.

  • by malibongwe,

    malibongwe malibongwe May 23, 2016 12:53 AM in response to pedro d
    Level 1 (8 points)
    Notebooks
    May 23, 2016 12:53 AM in response to pedro d

    Thank you for your response.  I have gone through the troubleshooting tips highlighted above a while ago and can confirm that it did not make any difference.  I must add that in 'safe mode' the problem do not occur.  I have disabled at startup / uninstalled some of the third party apps on my MAC and but the problem persist as soon as I am back in 'norma' mode. The only third party app on my Mac currently is Microsoft Office 2016 suite of applications.

  • by Malcolm J. Rayfield,

    Malcolm J. Rayfield Malcolm J. Rayfield May 23, 2016 4:10 AM in response to malibongwe
    Level 5 (7,928 points)
    May 23, 2016 4:10 AM in response to malibongwe

    Make sure Tap-to-Click is disabled in Trackpad system preference.

  • by malibongwe,

    malibongwe malibongwe May 24, 2016 11:26 AM in response to Malcolm J. Rayfield
    Level 1 (8 points)
    Notebooks
    May 24, 2016 11:26 AM in response to Malcolm J. Rayfield

    This is not how I use a Mac.  I used it with the 'Tap-to-Click' option enabled on a MBP without any problems for many years before and got used to using the Mac in that way.  Why should I now change the way I am working because of fancy new trackpad that frustrates the **** out me?

  • by pedro d,

    pedro d pedro d May 26, 2016 6:30 AM in response to malibongwe
    Community Specialists
    May 26, 2016 6:30 AM in response to malibongwe

    Hello again, malibongwe.

     

    Thanks for the follow-up on your issue and the further information in regard to what steps you have already taken. Some further information is provided in this article has some next steps:

     

    How to test an issue in another user account on your Mac

     

    If an issue happens in only one user account

    If performing the same steps in a test user account doesn't result in the same unexpected behavior, you most likely don't need to reinstall any apps or OS X.

    • If an issue only happens in one app, check the app's documentation or support website for instructions on troubleshooting specific preference or setting files.
    • If you need help with a specific alert message or issue, search the Apple Support website for the text of the alert message you're seeing.

    {...}

    After you're done

    After you've finished testing, log out of the test account by choosing Log Out from the Apple menu. Then log in to your original user account.

    You can remove the test user account you created when you're done. Make sure you're completely finished testing, and that you don't need any of the files or settings you created or copied there before you remove it.

    Get help

    If you need more help with a software or hardware issue, contact Apple Support. If you work with an Advisor, Genius, or service provider to resolve an issue, be sure to mention any steps you've already tried and the results. Also mention any alert messages you've seen as part of the issue. You can take a screenshot of any messages that appear so you can refer to them later.

     

    Kind Regards.

  • by seventy one,

    seventy one seventy one May 26, 2016 11:54 AM in response to malibongwe
    Level 6 (15,103 points)
    Peripherals
    May 26, 2016 11:54 AM in response to malibongwe

    Go to Systems preferences > Accessibility > Click on interacting ... and check the 'ignore built in trackpad'  box.  That will kill the trackpad and enable you to freely type.

  • by malibongwe,

    malibongwe malibongwe May 27, 2016 12:44 PM in response to pedro d
    Level 1 (8 points)
    Notebooks
    May 27, 2016 12:44 PM in response to pedro d

    Thank you for your response.I have started the machine in safe mode and was able to use my keyboard without any issues from the trackpad.  I had one third party app (f.lux -similar feature as Night Shift on an iPhone) which I then disabled under my "Login Items" as a means of finding the culprit which may possibly mess up the system but unfortunately the problem remains when back into normal mode.

  • by malibongwe,

    malibongwe malibongwe Jun 10, 2016 4:55 AM in response to Malcolm J. Rayfield
    Level 1 (8 points)
    Notebooks
    Jun 10, 2016 4:55 AM in response to Malcolm J. Rayfield

    I thought that I'd share my latest experience in the hope that I have found a permanent solution to this problem to assist someone else who perhaps encounter the same problems with the new Force Touch Trackpad.  What I did was to connect a bluetooth magic mouse to my MacBook 12 inch and used it to do some word-processing for a while.  I managed to complete a whole page without encountering the accidental input problem.  I disconnected the mouse completely (deleted it from my bluetooth devices option in System Preferences), opened another document and tried out the some more word-processing.  Two pages of text without a single skip! The accidental input problem seems to have miraculously disappeared! I restarted the computer just to be sure and can confirm that I am still typing away happily without the irritation of the mouse cursor moving all over the place.  Please post your findings if you find this work-a-round useful.