One of the most fluid and intuitive features of macOS is how it handles trackpad gestures, particularly when navigating web browsers or documents. By default, swiping left or right with two fingers on your MacBook trackpad will seamlessly move you back and forth through your Safari or Chrome history, mimicking the action of physically turning the pages of a book. However, some users find that they accidentally trigger this swipe motion while scrolling, leading to frustrating interruptions. Fortunately, Apple allows you to easily disable this specific gesture, or change it to require three fingers instead of two.
How to Change or Disable the Swipe Gesture
You can customize all trackpad behaviors directly from the main macOS System Settings panel.
- Click the Apple Logo in the extreme top-left corner of your Mac’s screen.
- Select System Settings from the dropdown menu (or “System Preferences” if you are running an older version of macOS like Monterey or Big Sur).
- In the left-hand sidebar menu, scroll down toward the bottom and click on Trackpad.
- In the main Trackpad window on the right, look at the top navigation bar and select the More Gestures tab.
- The very first option on this screen is Swipe between pages.
Choosing Your Preferred Setting
Next to “Swipe between pages,” you will see a dropdown menu. Clicking this menu presents you with three distinct options for how you want the gesture to behave:
- Scroll left or right with two fingers: This is the default setting. It feels fluid but is the most prone to accidental activation when you are simply trying to scroll horizontally across a wide webpage or spreadsheet.
- Swipe with three fingers: This is an excellent compromise. By requiring three fingers, you retain the ability to quickly jump back and forth in your browser history, but you completely eliminate the chance of triggering it by accident during normal two-finger scrolling.
- Swipe with two or three fingers: This enables both methods simultaneously.
- Off: This completely disables the gesture. Swiping left or right with any number of fingers will no longer trigger the back/forward navigation in your browser.
Testing the Changes
As soon as you select a new option from the dropdown menu, macOS saves the setting instantly. You do not need to restart your computer or click a save button. You can immediately open Safari, navigate to a few different websites, and test your new trackpad configuration to ensure it matches your workflow preferences.