When using a mouse with your MacBook, you may want to disable Trackpad to prevent accidental or unwanted clicks. In this article, you will find the steps to Disable Trackpad on Mac when an external mouse is plugged-in to your Mac.
Accidental Trackpad Clicks on Mac
The trackpad on MacBook Computers has plenty of features and is almost as fast as a mouse. There are many users who completely rely on the Trackpad and do not even consider plugging an external mouse to their MacBook.
However, if you do come across the need to plug an external mouse to your MacBook or you are among those who like using a Mouse, then you may want to disable the Trackpad to prevent accidental or unwanted clicks.
While the trackpad on your Mac is quite good at differentiating between an actual click and your palm brushing the Trackpad, accidental clicks do happen and these can be quite annoying. Best deus ex mods.
Hence, it is a good idea to disable the Trackpad on your Mac while there is a Mouse Plugged-in to it.
Disable Trackpad On Mac When Mouse is Plugged In
The feature to disable the Trackpad on your Mac while a Mouse is plugged-in is hidden in Apple’s Accessibility settings screen.
1. Click on the Apple icon located in the top menu bar on your Mac and then click on System Preferences option in the drop-down menu.
2. On the System Preferences screen, click on Accessibility.
3. On the Accessibility Settings screen, click on Mouse & Trackpad option in the side menu and then check the option for ignore built-in trackpad when mouse or wireless trackpad is present (See image below)
Once you make use of this accessibility feature on your Mac, there is no further need to head back into Settings, in order to enable or disable the Trackpad on your Mac.
Mac Sierra Upgrade
From now on, the Trackpad will be Automatically disabled on your Mac, whenever it detects an external Mouse plugged-in to it. Similarly, the Trackpad will be Automatically enabled on your Mac, whenever an external mouse is connected to it.
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Disable SIP,
Update kext from https://bitbucket.org/RehabMan/os-x-voodoo-ps2-controller/downloads/ (this is already updated with version 1-sept-2017 and work in macOS HighSierra)
Install the trackpad automatically, instructions inside.
Re-enable your preferred config for SIP.
(Maybe need restart wireless mouse and keyboard)
Important: if this method not work in your macOS try this another method Script to Load basic Trackpad preferences
What's New in Version 2See changelog
Released
Basically, trackpad in mac is used for multi-touch gestures. According to my research all major desktop operating system not work well with trackpad because of trackpad work better with OS X because of its touch-based ability.
Currently, Microsoft working on touch technologies for Windows. But Apple focusing on developing its multi-touch technologies in Mac OS X.
Trackpad gestures offer the user to perform some common action more quickly these actions are –
- Open & Close Notification Center
- Lookup Word in Dictionary
- Open Launchpad
- ZoomIn and zoom out on the Screen
- Scrub backward on QuickTime
For more information regarding Trackpad, Actions visited here.
In my research, I’ve found two methods from which you can disable or turn off the trackpad in Mac. Using a script to turn off trackpad or you can also manually disable trackpad mac.
Using a Command Line To Disable And Enable Trackpad :
Enable :
sudo kextload /System/Library/Extensions/AppleUSBTopCase.kext/Contents/PlugIns/AppleUSBTrackpad.kext
Disable :
sudo kextunload /System/Library/Extensions/AppleUSBTopCase.kext/Contents/PlugIns/AppleUSBTrackpad.kext
You can use these above given command line to enable and disable trackpad in Mac OS X. Just open the navigate to Finder > Applications > Utilities > Terminal. In Terminal run following command lines.
You can also manually turn off trackpad if you like to just follow the given below steps.
Step 1 :
Open System Preference window in Mac.
Step 2 :
In System Preference on-screen window. Click on ”Accessibility”.
Step 3 :
Now from the left side menu list. Click on “Mouse & Trackpad”.
Step 4 :
Turn Off Trackpad Macbook Pro
In this last step, Check to the box next to Ignore built-in trackpad when a mouse or wireless trackpad is the present option.