Change Trackpad Speed & Click Pressure in macOS 13

Customizing your Mac's trackpad enhances comfort, speed, and overall navigation efficiency. In macOS 13 Ventura, Apple redesigned the preferences menu into System Settings, slightly changing where these hardware controls are located. This guide provides clear, step-by-step instructions to help you adjust your pointer's tracking speed and customize the physical click pressure sensitivity to match your preferences.

How to Adjust Trackpad Tracking Speed

The tracking speed controls how fast the pointer moves across your screen relative to the movement of your finger on the trackpad.

  1. Click the Apple menu () in the top-left corner of your screen.
  2. Select System Settings.
  3. In the left sidebar, scroll down and click Trackpad.
  4. Make sure you are on the Point & Click tab at the top.
  5. Locate the Tracking speed slider.
  6. Drag the slider to the left to slow down pointer movement, or drag it to the right to make it faster. Test the movement immediately on your screen to find the setting that feels most natural.

How to Adjust Trackpad Click Pressure

The click pressure setting determines how firmly you need to press the trackpad to register a standard click.

  1. Open System Settings from the Apple menu ().
  2. Click Trackpad in the sidebar.
  3. Under the Point & Click tab, find the Click option.
  4. Select one of the three pressure levels:
    • Light: Requires minimal pressure to trigger a click; best for effortless, fast tapping.
    • Medium: The balanced default setting suitable for most users.
    • Firm: Requires deliberate, heavy pressure to click, which helps prevent accidental presses.

Additional Click Settings

While in the Trackpad menu, you can further refine your click experience:

  • Force Click and haptic feedback: Toggle this switch on if you want to perform quick lookups or context actions by pressing firmly past the initial click.
  • Tap to Click: Enable this option to register a click simply by tapping the surface with one finger without physically depressing the trackpad.