Real screenshot · MacBook Neo, macOS 27.0.1In short
Open System Settings, click Trackpad in the sidebar and, on the Point & Click tab, switch on Tap to click. A light tap with one finger then counts as a click, so you no longer have to press the trackpad down.
Well, pressing the trackpad down for every single click can start to feel like hard work for your fingers. A Mac trackpad expects a press for a click, but many people prefer a light tap, as on most Windows laptops. The good news is that it is one switch.
3 of 3 steps show a real screenshot from our MacBook Neo.
Steps
- 1
Open System Settings
Click the Apple menu in the top left corner of the screen and choose System Settings.
- 2
Click Trackpad in the sidebar
Scroll down the sidebar and click Trackpad. On our MacBook Neo it sits between Keyboard and Printers & Scanners.
- 3
Switch on Tap to click
Make sure the Point & Click tab is selected. Tap to click is the last row; the line under it says "Tap with one finger".
Click the switch so it turns on. On our MacBook Neo it was off.
If you do not see this option
- Trackpad is not in the sidebar Scroll further down the sidebar; on our MacBook Neo it is below Keyboard. You can also type "Trackpad" in the Search field at the top of the sidebar.
- Tap to click is not on the page Check that the Point & Click tab is selected, not Scroll & Zoom or More Gestures.
- Some options are missing Apple says that, depending on your Mac or trackpad, you see only some of the trackpad options. Source: Change Trackpad settings on Mac
If this does not work
- A tap still does nothing Go back to Trackpad > Point & Click and check that the Tap to click switch is on.
- A two-finger tap does not right-click That is set in the Secondary click row above Tap to click; on our MacBook Neo it showed "Click with Two Fingers".
- You use a separate trackpad Apple says you can change these settings with a wireless trackpad connected with your Mac.
- Your palm triggers clicks while typing? A tap with one finger now performs a click. Try resting your hands clear of the trackpad first. If it keeps happening, there is no shame in switching Tap to click off again.
- The Trackpad page shows nothing to change? Apple says you need a Mac with a built-in trackpad, or a wireless trackpad connected, to change these settings. Connect your wireless trackpad first.
Good to know
You can choose the gesture for a secondary click (right-click): how to right-click on a Mac.
On our MacBook Neo the Trackpad page has three tabs: Point & Click, Scroll & Zoom and More Gestures.
On our MacBook Neo, Secondary click on the same tab was set to "Click with Two Fingers", and Look up & data detectors ("Tap with three fingers") was off.
Apple notes that, depending on the Mac or trackpad, you see only some of the options.
Pressing the trackpad down still clicks as before, so you can mix taps and presses. If the click itself bothers you, Apple lists two more rows on the same tab: Click sets how firmly you must press, and Quiet Click turns off the click sound. To change how fast the pointer moves, see how to change the trackpad speed on a Mac.
macOS 27 compared with macOS 26: We rewrote steps 2 and 3 to match the macOS 27 screens. The macOS 26 page keeps the steps and screenshots as they were.
Version history: the macOS 26 version of this guide, with its own screenshots.
About this guide
- Device
- Mac
- Shown on
- macOS 27.0.1 (MacBook Neo)
- App
- System Settings
- Real screenshots
- 3 of 3 steps
- Checked
- October 2026
- Sources
- 1 official, linked below
Sources
Links checked October 2026. Menus and features can change with updates.Did this guide work for you?
Sorry about that. What happened?