--- key: mechanic/trackpad--family-02 type: mechanic id: trackpad--family-02 lang: en title: Touches and clicks summary: >- A tap or physical press triggers a command. macOS separately enables tap-to-click and configures a two-finger secondary click. updatedAt: '2026-10-22' status: active url: 'https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/trackpad--family-02/' jsonUrl: >- https://gamemechanics.pro/api/v1/knowledge/en/mechanic/trackpad--family-02.json markdownUrl: 'https://gamemechanics.pro/content/knowledge/en/mechanic/trackpad--family-02.md' aliases: [] tags: - Trackpad interactions - Mechanics catalog sourceIds: - source-0d7ed8efcd920b62 - source-7641af4e83c63a96 - source-20585e90edc5bdfb - source-80fb36760a664f26 - source-27c6b989daeb79c9 - source-8303b0f3aad42806 - source-c1dd61a434f7ff1a sources: - id: source-0d7ed8efcd920b62 title: macOS Gestures url: 'https://support.apple.com/en-us/102482' verifiedAt: null - id: source-7641af4e83c63a96 title: Windows Gestures url: >- https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/hardware/input-devices/touch-gestures-for-windows verifiedAt: null - id: source-20585e90edc5bdfb title: Clicking and dragging Surface url: >- https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/surface/accessories/cover-keyboard/surface-touchpad-use-and-settings verifiedAt: null - id: source-80fb36760a664f26 title: 'AppKit: contacts and system gestures' url: >- https://developer.apple.com/library/archive/documentation/Cocoa/Conceptual/EventOverview/HandlingTouchEvents/HandlingTouchEvents.html verifiedAt: null - id: source-27c6b989daeb79c9 title: 'libinput: swipe, pinch, hold' url: 'https://wayland.freedesktop.org/libinput/doc/latest/gestures.html' verifiedAt: null - id: source-8303b0f3aad42806 title: 'W3C: Pointer Events' url: 'https://www.w3.org/TR/pointerevents/' verifiedAt: null - id: source-c1dd61a434f7ff1a title: macOS Trackpad settings url: 'https://support.apple.com/en-us/102309' verifiedAt: null relations: [] placements: - catalogId: trackpad id: family-02 title: Trackpad interactions url: 'https://gamemechanics.pro/en/mechanics/trackpad/#family-02' categoryIds: - section-1 supersededBy: [] attributes: preview: updatedAt: '2026-10-22' title: Touches and clicks description: >- A tap or physical press triggers a command. macOS separately enables tap-to-click and configures a two-finger secondary click. image: src: images/mechanics/control-macos-force-touch.webp width: 1440 height: 1225 crop: x: 473 'y': 832 width: 936 height: 273 game: macOS Trackpad settings sourceUrl: 'https://support.apple.com/en-us/102309' originalUrl: >- https://cdsassets.apple.com/live/7WUAS350/images/macos/tahoe/macos-tahoe-26-system-settings-trackpad-point-and-click-look-up-and-data-detectors.png credit: Apple rights: >- Imagery © Apple. Developer-distributed screenshot or frame; all rights reserved. Excluded from MIT and CC BY 4.0. caption: 'macOS: separate settings for tapping and secondary click' alt: 'macOS: separate settings for tapping and secondary click' markers: - x: 77 'y': 78 label: Secondary click is configured for two fingers tips: - Respect OS settings and offer an alternative to multi-finger gestures. examples: - title: macOS Trackpad settings url: 'https://support.apple.com/en-us/102309' endsAt: null provenance: >- Original editorial design catalog consolidated from project discussions on 2026-10-20. Complete discussion item lists and contextual limitations are preserved; linked primary sources support specific techniques, not the entire classification. English translation was prepared with machine assistance and editorial review. license: CC-BY-4.0 codeLicense: MIT attribution: gamemechanics.pro contributors catalogKey: catalog/trackpad --- # Touches and clicks id: trackpad--family-02 type: mechanic key: mechanic/trackpad--family-02 lang: en status: active url: https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/trackpad--family-02/ A tap or physical press triggers a command. macOS separately enables tap-to-click and configures a two-finger secondary click. ## At a glance ![macOS: separate settings for tapping and secondary click](https://gamemechanics.pro/images/mechanics/control-macos-force-touch.webp) [macOS Trackpad settings](https://support.apple.com/en-us/102309) · Imagery © Apple. Developer-distributed screenshot or frame; all rights reserved. Excluded from MIT and CC BY 4.0. 1. Secondary click is configured for two fingers - Respect OS settings and offer an alternative to multi-finger gestures. - [macOS Trackpad settings](https://support.apple.com/en-us/102309) ## How it works Short contacts and presses trigger discrete commands based on the number, location and context of touches. ## Variants ### Variants and applications - Single tap. Gesture: Briefly touch the panel and remove your finger. In the interface: Select, confirm, place the cursor. In the game: Interact with an object, single action. Access level: Cursor and buttons; The application gets the usual pointer and buttons. Physical fingers and their separation may be unknown to him. Conditions: Tap-to-click must be enabled. The application often sees a normal click and does not know that it is a tap. - Pressing with click. Gesture: Press the surface or press a separate button. In the interface: Activation and start of dragging. In the game: Shoot, confirm the command. Access level: Cursor and buttons; The application gets the usual pointer and buttons. Physical fingers and their separation may be unknown to him. Conditions: A mechanical or tactilely simulated click does not mean access to analog force. - Secondary click. Gesture: Tap with two fingers, click in the corner or with a separate right button. In the interface: Context menu, additional commands. In the game: Inspect an object, alternative action. Access level: Cursor and buttons; The application gets the usual pointer and buttons. The physical fingers and their separation may be unknown to him. Conditions: The specific physical gesture is selected by the OS settings; the application usually only needs a secondary click. - Double tap or click. Gesture: Two quick clicks in one area. In the interface: Open, select a word, zoom in context. In the game: Fast movement, group command. Access level: Cursor and buttons; The application gets the usual pointer and buttons. Physical fingers and their separation may be unknown to him. Conditions: Coordinate the time window with the OS settings and do not break a single click. - Triple and multiple clicks. Gesture: A series of clicks with counting the number. In the interface: Selecting a line or paragraph according to the editor's rules. In the game: Command by the number of clicks, a simple sequence. Access level: Cursor and buttons; The application gets the usual pointer and buttons. The physical fingers and their separation may be unknown to him. Conditions: The meaning of a triple click depends on the application. The more clicks, the higher the risk of error. - Double tap with two fingers. Gesture: Tap twice synchronously with two fingers. In the interface: Smart zoom: zoom in on content and return to view. In game: Switch between field view and local scene. Access level: Ready gesture; You need a gesture transmitted by the OS or framework: scroll, zoom, rotate, swipe or hold. The set varies. Conditions: Smart Zoom is available on macOS; There is no universal cross-platform event for this action. - Rhythmic pressing. Gesture: Take into account the tempo and intervals of a series of taps or clicks. In the interface: Tap tempo, rhythm input, training. In the game: Rhythm game, musical lock, signal repetition. Access level: Cursor and buttons; The application gets the usual pointer and buttons. Physical fingers and their separation may be unknown to him. Conditions: Check the real input delay; Don't count a custom double click as a separate gesture for no reason. - Tap with three fingers. Gesture: Short simultaneous touch with three fingers. In the interface: Second level command, search or review. In the game: Pause or additional ability in a special mode. Access level: Individual contacts; You need access to coordinates, phases and contact IDs. The presence of multitouch on the device does not guarantee this. Conditions: Often assigned to a system function. We need an accessible API and conflict checking. - Tap with four or more fingers. Gesture: Simultaneous touching with several fingers. In the interface: Global command or changing the working context. In the game: Rare command, available after training. Access level: Individual contacts; You need access to coordinates, phases and contact IDs. This does not guarantee that a device has multitouch. Conditions: The number of contacts tracked and system assignments vary; do not make mandatory management. - Tap in the physical area. Gesture: Touch a certain area of ​​the panel itself. In the interface: Invisible quick command panel with on-screen prompts. In the game: Hit a sector, select an ability or note. Access level: Individual contacts; You need access to coordinates, phases and contact IDs. The presence of multitouch on the device does not guarantee this. Conditions: The position of the on-screen cursor does not indicate where the finger touched the physical pad. ## Context and limits Author's working classification for designing games and interactions. Options can overlap and combine; the list is not a generally accepted standard or proven exhaustive list. Application examples are conditional unless a specific verifiable observation is indicated nearby. Sources support individual techniques and technical limitations. ## Connected materials ## Sources and provenance Original editorial design catalog consolidated from project discussions on 2026-10-20. Complete discussion item lists and contextual limitations are preserved; linked primary sources support specific techniques, not the entire classification. English translation was prepared with machine assistance and editorial review. - [macOS Gestures](https://support.apple.com/en-us/102482) (id: source-0d7ed8efcd920b62) - [Windows Gestures](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/hardware/input-devices/touch-gestures-for-windows) (id: source-7641af4e83c63a96) - [Clicking and dragging Surface](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/surface/accessories/cover-keyboard/surface-touchpad-use-and-settings) (id: source-20585e90edc5bdfb) - [AppKit: contacts and system gestures](https://developer.apple.com/library/archive/documentation/Cocoa/Conceptual/EventOverview/HandlingTouchEvents/HandlingTouchEvents.html) (id: source-80fb36760a664f26) - [libinput: swipe, pinch, hold](https://wayland.freedesktop.org/libinput/doc/latest/gestures.html) (id: source-27c6b989daeb79c9) - [W3C: Pointer Events](https://www.w3.org/TR/pointerevents/) (id: source-8303b0f3aad42806) - [macOS Trackpad settings](https://support.apple.com/en-us/102309) (id: source-c1dd61a434f7ff1a) CC-BY-4.0 · gamemechanics.pro contributors