3 Ways to Fix Trackpad Gestures Not Working on Mac

Basic Fixes

• Disconnect External Mouse: This is to ensure there aren’t any hardware conflicts
• Update to the Latest Version: Updating your machine to the latest macOS version can also fix issues
• Reset: Factory resetting your Mac to the default setting can also help if nothing else works out for you

Fix 1: Restart the Service From Terminal

This method is mainly helpful when the three-finger swipe to bring up mission control or app exposé doesn’t work. You can try restarting the dock service on your Mac using the terminal to see if the gestures start working again. Here’s how to do it.

Step 1: Press the Command key on your Mac followed by the space bar. This will bring up Spotlight Search. Type in Terminal and hit the Enter Key.

Step 2: In the terminal window, input the “killall Dock” command and hit the enter key.

Reboot your Mac once and try using the trackpad gestures now.

Fix 2: Customize Gestures From Trackpad Settings

macOS gives you the ability to change and customize gestures. If you’re trying to perform a specific gesture but it’s not working, it’s possible that the gesture is assigned to do something else. Here’s how you can change it if that’s the case.

Step 1: Click on the Apple logo in the top-left corner of your screen. Select System Settings. If your Mac is running macOS Monterey or earlier, select System Preferences. Navigate to the Trackpad option in the left pane.

Step 2: Switch to the More Gestures tab. Here, you should see the description of various gestures. Select the relevant action and click on the gesture next to it.

Step 3: Then, choose the trackpad gesture that you want to perform to trigger that action.

Fix 3: Disable Force Click

The Mac’s trackpad has the ability to detect different levels of pressure. As a result, you get the ability to force-click on the trackpad to perform certain functions. However, enabling a force click can interfere with some gestures at times. Try disabling it via the steps below to see if it makes a difference.

Step 1: Click on the Apple logo in the top-left corner of your screen. Select System Settings. If your Mac is running macOS Monterey, select System Preferences.

Step 2: Navigate to the Trackpad option in the left pane. In the Point & Click tab, disable the toggle next to ‘Force Click and haptic feedback‘.

Try performing the trackpad gestures now to see if they work.

FAQs for Mac Trackpad Gestures Not Working