Magic Trackpad for iMac
You can do a lot on your iMac using simple trackpad gestures—scroll through webpages, zoom in on documents, rotate photos, and more. With the Force Touch trackpad, pressure-sensing capabilities add another level of interactivity. The trackpad provides feedback—when you drag or rotate objects, you feel a subtle vibration when they’re aligned, allowing you to work with greater precision.
You can use Magic Trackpad anywhere within range of your computer. To charge or pair your Magic Trackpad to your iMac, connect it to your Mac using a USB-C Charge Cable.
Connect your Magic Trackpad to your iMac
If you bought your Magic Trackpad with your iMac, it’s already paired and ready to use. To turn on your Magic Trackpad, slide the on/off switch so the green is visible, and you’re ready to go.
If you bought your Magic Trackpad separately from your iMac or need to pair it again, connect it to your iMac with the cable that it came with. To pair your Magic Trackpad, slide the on/off switch so the green is visible, and your Magic Trackpad pairs.
Magic Trackpad
Note: If you don’t have the cable that came with your Magic Trackpad, find one that matches the port on your Magic Trackpad and the USB-C port on your iMac. You can also use an adapter, if needed.
If you want to pair your Magic Trackpad using Bluetooth, see Connect accessories to your Mac.
Common gestures on your trackpad
Gesture | Action | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Click: Press anywhere on the trackpad. Or turn on “Tap to click” in Trackpad settings, and simply tap. | |||||||||||
Force click: Click and then press deeper. You can use force click to look up more information—click a word to see its definition, or an address to see a preview that you can open in Maps. | |||||||||||
Secondary click (right-click): Click with two fingers. If “Tap to click” is turned on, tap or click with two fingers. | |||||||||||
Two-finger scroll: Slide two fingers up or down to scroll. | |||||||||||
Pinch to zoom: Pinch your thumb and finger open or closed to zoom in or out of photos and webpages. | |||||||||||
Swipe to navigate: Swipe left or right with two fingers to flip through webpages, documents, and more—like turning a page in a book. | |||||||||||
Open apps : Quickly find and open apps in Spotlight. Pinch closed with four or five fingers, then click an app to open it. | |||||||||||
Swipe between apps: To switch from one full-screen app to another, swipe left or right with three or four fingers. | |||||||||||
Force click on your iMac
With your Force Touch trackpad, you can force click an item to take an action—depending on what you click—and get tactile feedback. To force click an item, press firmly on the trackpad until you feel a deeper click.
Look up information Force click text to see more information—like the definition of a word or an encyclopedia entry from sources like Dictionary or Wikipedia. | Take a sneak peek On the desktop, force click a file to preview it with Quick Look. Click an option in the toolbar—like |
Keep an eye on personal details In Mail or Messages, force click a tracking number to see shipping details, a flight number to track its status, or a date to add an event to Calendar. | See all open windows of an app Force click an app in the Dock to see all open windows of an app. Click a window to bring it front and center. |
To learn more ways you can use force click, see the Apple Support article How to force click and get haptic feedback on Apple trackpads.
Customize your settings
Adjust the tracking speed and click pressure, customize gestures for certain actions—like how to perform a secondary click—and more. In System Settings, click Trackpad in the sidebar (you may need to scroll down), then explore your options.
Tip: If you’re force clicking when you don’t intend to, try adjusting the click pressure to a firmer setting in Trackpad settings. Or click the pop-up menu next to “Look up & data detectors” and choose “Tap with Three Fingers.”
Want to learn more?
Get into the details of how to customize trackpad gestures with Change Trackpad settings.
Learn more about what force click does when you Look up words.
If you want to use a different Bluetooth trackpad or mouse, learn how to set it up with Connect accessories to your iMac.