When you install Ubuntu on a laptop, the GNOME desktop environment automatically enables “Tap to Click.” This means that lightly tapping the surface of your trackpad with one finger registers as a primary left-click, while tapping with two fingers registers as a right-click.
While many users love this feature, it is highly problematic if you have heavy hands or type aggressively. Merely brushing your palm against the trackpad while typing an email can trigger an accidental tap-to-click, moving your cursor to a random part of the screen and ruining your text. If you prefer the tactile certainty of physically depressing the trackpad mechanism until it clicks, you can completely disable the touch-sensitive tapping feature.
How to Disable Tap to Click on Ubuntu Trackpads
You can enforce physical clicks directly from the Ubuntu Mouse & Touchpad settings.
- Click the network/battery icon cluster in the top-right corner of the Ubuntu top bar and select Settings (the gear icon).
- In the left-hand navigation sidebar, scroll down and click on Mouse & Touchpad.
- Look for the section titled Touchpad in the main window.
- Locate the toggle switch labelled Tap to Click.
- Click the toggle switch to turn it Off.
The change takes effect immediately. Try lightly tapping the surface of your trackpad; it will no longer register any input. To select a file or click a link, you must now exert enough downward force to physically depress the trackpad mechanism until you hear and feel the mechanical “click.” This completely eliminates accidental palm-clicks while typing.