The MacBook’s trackpad is widely considered the best in the industry, but out of the box, the default sensitivity isn’t right for everyone. If you feel like you have to swipe your finger across the entire trackpad multiple times just to get the mouse cursor from one side of the screen to the other, or if the cursor feels too “twitchy” and fast, you can easily adjust the tracking speed in your System Settings.
How to Change the Trackpad Tracking Speed
- Click the Apple menu () in the top-left corner of your screen.
- Select System Settings (or System Preferences if you are using macOS Monterey or earlier).
- Scroll down the left-hand sidebar and click on Trackpad.
- Ensure you are looking at the Point & Click tab at the top of the window.
- Locate the Tracking speed slider in the middle of the screen.
- Click and drag the slider knob to adjust the speed:
- Move it left (towards Slow): This decreases the sensitivity. You will have to move your finger further on the trackpad to move the cursor. This is great for precise tasks like photo editing.
- Move it right (towards Fast): This increases the sensitivity. A tiny flick of your finger will send the cursor flying across the screen.
Changes happen immediately. Keep your System Settings window open and test the new speed by dragging your cursor around the screen for a few seconds. If it doesn’t feel quite right, simply adjust the slider again until you find your perfect sensitivity.