A click that no longer works, a jumping cursor, a corner that stays pressed… Before fearing the worst, know that a very common cause has nothing to do with the trackpad itself. Here’s how to diagnose it — and the very first check to make.
Before replacing the trackpad, one check is a must : on a MacBook, the battery sits right underneath. When it swells, it pushes the trackpad upward and blocks the click — the trackpad is innocent, it’s the battery. Rule out this cause first ; then come software settings, the flex cable, and finally the trackpad itself. A good repair starts with a good diagnosis.
We check the battery and the software (often free) before concluding that a part is faulty.
This is the most common and most overlooked cause : a swelling battery lifts the trackpad and prevents the click. Signs : the click is stiff or impossible, the case bulges, the Mac no longer sits flat. Here, replacing the trackpad would be pointless — it’s the battery that needs changing.
Further reading : our guide “swollen MacBook battery”.Sometimes it’s not hardware at all : the “Tap to click” option, a badly configured “Force Click”, or a simple bug. Check Settings > Trackpad, test an external mouse, and restart. If everything works again with the mouse and after adjusting the settings, the trackpad is fine.
Test : a working USB/Bluetooth mouse isolates the problem.After an impact, a spill, or a repair, the flex cable linking the trackpad to the logic board can come unplugged or get damaged : erratic cursor, phantom clicks, dead trackpad. The flex cable can be reconnected or replaced.
Wear, liquid, breakage : the trackpad may genuinely be dead. It’s a part that can be replaced : at Place du Mac, compatible trackpads in stock, price depending on the model, 2-year warranty.
Before you buy : find your A#### model number to get the right part.These checks save you from buying a part for nothing :
The repair depends on the real cause :
Prefer to be sure ? The workshop pinpoints the exact cause :
“The click no longer works : the trackpad is dead.”
Often, the trackpad is perfectly fine : it’s a swollen battery right underneath that stops it from clicking. Replacing the trackpad would change nothing ; the battery is what needs replacing. Hence the importance of diagnosis before buying a part.
Before replacing the trackpad, check that the Mac sits flat and test a mouse. Nine times out of ten, the real cause is elsewhere — a swollen battery, a setting, or the flex cable. The right diagnosis saves you from buying the wrong part.
The most common cause is a swollen battery right under the trackpad, which pushes it upward and blocks the click. Next come a software setting, a disconnected flex cable, or the trackpad itself being faulty.
Place the Mac on a flat surface: if it rocks or the case bulges, suspect the battery. If the Mac sits perfectly flat and the click doesn’t work despite a working mouse, the trackpad or its flex cable are more likely at fault.
Phantom clicks or an erratic cursor often come from a damaged flex cable, a spill, or a battery pressing on the trackpad. Test an external mouse and check that the Mac sits flat; otherwise, a diagnosis is needed.
Yes: a badly configured setting in Settings > Trackpad (Tap to click, Force Click) can make it look like a failing trackpad. Check it before any repair.
At Place du Mac, compatible trackpads are in stock at a price that varies by model, tested and covered by a 2-year warranty. Find your A#### model number for the right reference.
It’s possible on many models with care, but calibrating the click and accessing the battery call for method. If you’d rather, our workshop handles the diagnosis and the fitting.
Place du Mac guide — trackpads, flex cables and batteries tested, 2-year warranty, repair workshop at 51 rue du Faubourg Poissonnière, Paris 9th. Apple, Mac and MacBook are trademarks of Apple Inc. ; Place du Mac is an independent repairer, not affiliated with Apple Inc.
