The Apple Magic Trackpad is a large sheet of glass that brings the MacBook’s best feature — its trackpad — to a desktop setup. It costs as much as a good mouse, doesn’t work properly outside macOS, and is still one of the most-loved accessories among Mac users. This review explains what it’s genuinely good at, who should skip it, and why some people use it alongside a mouse.
Verdict
Buy it if you use a Mac, rely on macOS gestures, and want the laptop experience at a desk — especially as a second pointing device to vary your hand position. Skip it if you’re on Windows, do precision work like photo retouching or CAD, or game.
At a glance
| Surface | Large glass area — far bigger than a laptop trackpad |
| Clicking | Force Touch: the whole surface is pressure-sensitive with haptic feedback, no physical hinge |
| Gestures | Full macOS set: swipe between desktops, Mission Control, App Exposé, pinch-zoom, rotate, look up, three-finger drag |
| Connection | Bluetooth, pairs instantly with a Mac; works wired while charging |
| Battery | Rechargeable, typically a month or more per charge (current models charge over USB-C) |
| Windows | Basic pointing only; gestures require unofficial drivers |
What it does well
Gestures as navigation
On macOS, gestures aren’t decoration — they’re how you move around the system. Swiping between full-screen spaces, pulling up Mission Control and swiping back in Safari are faster than any mouse equivalent. If you’ve built those habits on a MacBook, going to a mouse-only desk setup feels like losing a limb.
Force Touch and haptics
Because there’s no mechanical hinge, you can click anywhere on the surface with equal force, and “click” is simulated by a haptic engine — it feels real, but it’s adjustable in System Settings, including silent clicking. Pressing harder (Force click) triggers extras like definitions, file previews and link previews.
Hand position variety
This is the underrated one. Alternating between a mouse and a trackpad through the day changes which muscles and tendons you use. Many people who get sore from a single input device keep both on the desk — trackpad on the left, mouse on the right, for example. It isn’t a medical solution; if you have persistent pain, see a healthcare professional and read our vertical mouse guide for other options.
Where it falls short
- Precision work: pixel-level selection, retouching and CAD are simply easier with a mouse.
- Gaming: not a serious option.
- Windows: you lose almost everything that makes it special.
- Price: it costs about as much as a premium mouse, and it’s an accessory most people add to one rather than replace it.
- Desk space: it’s big, and it needs a flat area free of clutter.
Setup tips
- Turn on Tap to click (System Settings → Trackpad) — pressing all day is unnecessary effort.
- Enable three-finger drag under Accessibility → Pointer Control → Trackpad Options; it’s the single best hidden feature.
- Raise tracking speed so you can cross the screen without repositioning your hand.
- Place it directly in front of the keyboard or beside it, at the same height, on a desk mat so it doesn’t slide.
- Charge it before it dies — the port position on older models makes it unusable while charging.
Alternatives
- Logitech MX Master 3S: the productivity mouse benchmark — see our review.
- A trackball such as the MX Ergo, if you want to keep your arm still.
- A vertical mouse if wrist comfort is the goal.
- A drawing tablet if what you actually want is pen input.