Mac trackpad gestures are what makes macOS feel different from Windows. Once you know them, navigating the Mac becomes fast and fluid. Most users only use the basic two finger scroll and three finger drag. There is way more available.
I covered these to spread across daily workflow improvements. Memorize the ones that fit how you actually use your Mac.
Configure gestures first
Open System Settings then Trackpad. Three tabs at top, Point & Click, Scroll & Zoom, More Gestures. Each shows the available gestures with animations of how they work.
Hover over any gesture to see a video preview. This is the fastest way to discover what your trackpad can do without reading a list.
Some gestures need to be enabled, others are on by default. Toggle the ones you want active.
Essential daily gestures
Three finger swipe up opens Mission Control. Shows all open windows at once. Click any to switch to it.
Three finger swipe down shows App Exposé. Same gesture but shows windows of only the active app. Useful when you have 8 Safari windows open.
Four finger swipe left or right switches between desktops or full screen apps. Set up multiple desktops for work, personal, gaming. Swap with one gesture.
Pinch with thumb and three fingers shows Launchpad. All your apps in a grid like iPad. Search at top.
Spread thumb and three fingers shows Desktop. All windows move aside to reveal your desktop icons. Great for grabbing a file you just downloaded.
Click and select gestures
Two finger click is right click. Use it instead of Control click. Way faster.
Three finger drag moves items without clicking and holding. Enable in Accessibility then Pointer Control then Trackpad Options. Once on, three finger drag selects text, moves windows, drags files. Eliminates the click hold drag combo.
Force Click. Press hard on the trackpad until you feel a second click. Trigger different actions, look up word definitions, preview links, quick file looks.
Tap to click. Light tap counts as click. Disabled by default because some people accidentally trigger it. Enable in Trackpad settings if you want lighter touch.
Browser and reading gestures
Two finger scroll, the basic. Drag two fingers up or down to scroll any document.
Pinch to zoom on photos, maps, web pages. Same gesture as iPhone. Spread fingers to zoom in. Pinch to zoom out.
Smart zoom. Double tap with two fingers on a web page. Auto zooms in on the column you tapped. Double tap again to zoom out.
Two finger swipe left or right navigates back and forward in Safari, Finder, Preview. Same as keyboard Cmd + bracket but faster.
Window management gestures
Three finger drag windows (with that setting on) lets you move windows by dragging the title bar without clicking.
Two finger swipe sideways at the edge of the trackpad triggers Spaces in Mission Control if configured.
Hold thumb on trackpad while clicking elsewhere with another finger to do right click without two finger click. Useful for fast workflows.
Customize with BetterTouchTool
For power users, BetterTouchTool adds dozens more gestures. Trial is free, license is $10. Maps gestures to any action including custom AppleScripts.
Examples of custom gestures people set up, swipe with 5 fingers for an action, draw a letter shape with one finger to launch an app, two finger tap top right corner for a specific shortcut.
For most users, the built in gestures are enough. BetterTouchTool is for the very dedicated.
Track tap speed and tracking speed
Cursor tracking speed slider in Trackpad settings affects how fast the cursor moves. Most defaults are too slow. Crank it up by half. Your cursor responds faster to small movements.
For Force Click, you can also configure pressure sensitivity. Light, Medium, Firm. Pick whatever feels natural for your touch.
Gestures that work well together
The combinations I use most:
- Three finger swipe up to see all windows, click to focus, then four finger swipe to next desktop
- Spread thumb to see desktop, drag file with three fingers to where it needs to go
- Pinch with four fingers to Launchpad, type to find app, click to launch
- Force Click on a Safari link to peek at the page without opening it
The combination of three finger drag and three finger swipe up makes Mac feel completely different from any other OS. Highly recommended.
Magic Trackpad vs built in
The Magic Trackpad ($129 standalone) works on the same gestures as MacBook trackpads. If you use a desktop Mac, adding a Magic Trackpad next to your keyboard gives you all the gesture benefits.
Some people prefer using both a mouse and a trackpad. Mouse for precision work, trackpad for gestures. Mac supports both at the same time.
What is your favorite trackpad gesture? Drop a comment, especially if you have configured something custom that saves you time.